Our Top Tips To Follow When Starting Your New Kitchen Project

Embarking on a new kitchen project may seem a little daunting with so much to consider, but the key to success and achieving your dream space is rooted in a well considered and detailed plan. Whether you are simply replacing your old kitchen, totally renovating the room, or extending your home, we have put together our top tips to ensure your project runs smoothly.


Burlanes bespoke Hoyden kitchen in Essex. ©Sarah London Photographer.

Work with a professional kitchen designer
When embarking on any work in your home, it is important to ensure that that you research and choose the most reliable companies to ensure your kitchen refurbishment is a straightforward, enjoyable process, with your desired result. At Burlanes, we offer an entire design and refurbishment service, from the initial design stages of your bespoke kitchen furniture and sourcing your worktops and appliances, right through the manufacture process in our own workshop, to installation and completion on site. Our own installations team undertake all renovation work, including structural and electrical works, plumbing, painting and decorating, making the whole process much quicker, more efficient and more cost effective than you think!


©Sarah London Photographer.

If you are extending your home, it is vital that your kitchen design is considered before the building works take place, particularly for positioning of windows, doors, power supply and essential ventilation.

Write a wishlist and create a moodboard
If you are working with a professional kitchen designer, they will likely ask you to present a wishlist and any essential must-haves for your new kitchen; a moodboard is a really good way of collating all your ideas and things you love in one place. A moodboard can be created physically or digitally, or even a combination of both, and having all of your ideas down on paper will help our design team understand your brief exactly, to use their design skills and creative flair to create a kitchen design that is perfect for you and your home.


©Sarah London Photographer.

If you are struggling for inspiration, please feel free to copy and paste imagery from our website, our Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest. Pinterest is a great tool for creating your own online moodboard, which can be easily shared with us. 

Consider how you use your kitchen, and the best layout for this
This is quite possibly the most important decision you will make at the start of your journey to your new kitchen. The kitchen is the heart of the home, and is likely to be the most used room in your house, so you want to ensure the layout is well considered before any building works take place. It is important to ensure that you are 100% happy with the positioning of your appliances, consider ensuring you have a good working triangle (this is usually made up of the oven/cooktop, the fridge and the sink). We always advise our customers to use masking tape to mark out on the floor where each appliance will be, and how easy it is to navigate between each.


Burlanes bespoke Wellsdown kitchen in Leigh-On-Sea. ©Sarah London Photographer.

Consider Natural light (particularly if you are extending!)
Considering how much natural light your kitchen will get is essential during the inital design stages, and we would always recommend really making the most of natural light, and embracing it as much as possible! If you are extending, consider skylights and window placement, to flood the room with as much daylight as possible. 


Burlanes bespoke Wellsdown kitchen in Crystal Palace. ©Sarah London Photographer.

Outline your budget and plan to stick to it
Having an idea of costs and a budget in place is essential when embarking on any refurbishment project, and also an allocation for any unexpected additional costs such as unplanned building works. Prices can vary greatly, so if you have specific items such as appliances, worktops, handles and tiles on your wishlist, we would recommend doing some research into costs of these, and factoring these into your budget early on.

If you are unsure, do not worry! Our design team will be able to recommend appliances that we use and love to suit your budget. 


Burlanes bespoke Hoyden kitchen in Greenwich. ©Sarah London Photographer.

Finally, enjoy the process!!
Although a little daunting at times, a kitchen renovation is an exciting project, and it should be as straightforward and enjoyable as possible.


Burlanes bespoke Decolane kitchen in Upminster. ©Sarah London Photographer.

Our design team are specialists in what they do, and our bespoke service means that we design, handmake and install your furniture to suit your needs and lifestyle perfectly. If you are looking for inspiration or advice on your project, pop into one of our design studios for a chat with our design team, or call us to book an appointment or home visit.

We provide a bespoke service from the first meeting to the final handover of a project. By listening to our clients' needs and working with them closely every step of the way; the result is a living space that works for lifestyle and budget.