We all dream of the perfect kitchen – that stunning space to cook, eat, entertain and, let’s face it, show off to our friends. But how can you make the dream a reality?
Naked Kitchens make bespoke kitchens that are both gorgeously beautiful and very practical: built for real life. So we invited them to share their expert tips…
We’ve all done it: idly browsing Instagram or online portfolios, lusting at one stunning showroom kitchen after another… Then perhaps you look at your own kitchen, and it’s a bit sad and worn, and the doors don’t fit properly, and oh, the colour… Time to rip it out and install that dream kitchen!
But how do you start? Here’s the naked truth about turning the dream into reality, in seven steps.
Pooky’s Constance pendant shades in black iris with stone interior in the Naked Kitchens Pelham kitchen
1) Think about how you use your kitchen every day
Creating a new bespoke kitchen is one of the most exciting, rewarding and happy-making things you can do to your home; a chance to really stamp your personality on a property. But the first thing to remember at the planning stage is that you don’t actually live in a showroom! Or in an Instagram post, for that matter.
The kitchen is where all real life happens: cooking up a feast, having a quiet dinner party or hosting a riotous celebration, working from home or family fun time.
So whether designing your own kitchen or working with a planner, the key is to think about how you use it every day. Where will you sit and where will you work? What do you cook and what do you use to cook it? That way you can make sure your new kitchen really is a dream to live in.
(Read more about the science of planning a good, efficient kitchen layout in our article The kitchen work triangle - an expert guide)
2) Make your space work for you
Another thing to bear in mind when dreaming about kitchens and gorgeous islands and pantry cupboards, is that those Instagram beauties are often built for photoshoots in vast empty studios. In real life, you need to think about the space you have available, and how you make every square inch of it work for you.
A truly bespoke, made-to-measure kitchen can be precision-engineered to fit your home, creating beautiful storage and cooking solutions that work with your home’s character and make the space sing. Things like awkward corners, low beams, sloping ceilings and wonky walls can become distinctive features to embrace rather than problems to work around.
Small is beautiful. The clean lines of the Naked Kitchens Shaker cabinet and pastel colours create a light airy feel in a small space. Design by Farstudio. Photo: @mattclaytonphoto
The other good news is that even small kitchens can be stunningly beautiful (you might even be able to get an island in there - or at least a peninsula – see our complete guide to designing a small kitchen.)
3) Take time to fall in love with a cabinet door style
The visible part of your kitchen mostly consists of cabinet doors and drawers, so this is the big decision to make on look and feel.
Take time to get to know the different styles. Doors can be ‘in-frame’ (where the frame around the door is visible) for a traditional look, like a Shaker kitchen; or they can be frameless, for a more contemporary vibe. Next, think about finishes. For a natural look you can choose an exposed timber finish such as birch, oak or walnut. With a paint finish you can go for a minimalist white, a soft pastel or select from a spectrum of bold statement colours.
It’s no exaggeration to say that the style of your kitchen cabinets sets the tone for your whole home interior decor – and you’re going to be living with it for a long time. So it’s really important to take your time, look carefully at all the options and choose a style that you’re going to love forever.
Frameless, handle-less doors in a bold Samphire colour, for a contemporary look in this Ladbroke kitchen by Naked Kitchens.
4) Invest in quality materials
Real kitchens don’t just sit quietly in beautiful, empty showhomes… they get used. So if you want your dream kitchen to stay dreamy even after years of exposure to culinary triumphs and baking disasters, messy kids and over-enthusiastic dogs, it needs to be well-made out of good, hard-wearing materials.
High-quality timber cabinets and worktops of solid wood, quartz or marble are long-term investments that will keep the kitchen dream alive!
5) Go for bespoke storage
Want your kitchen to warm your heart every time you use it? Invest in bespoke storage tailored to what and how you cook, rather than standard cabinetry.
It might be shelf-spacing designed to fit your favourite coffee machine, engraved doors for all the family, a proper home for all of your spices or a showstopping pantry cupboard with all manner of custom cubbies and shelves built into the doors. That’s living the kitchen dream…
A bespoke pantry cupboard in Naked Kitchens’ Raynham kitchen
6) Light it up
Good lighting is essential in a kitchen for obvious practical reasons. But in a dream kitchen, beautiful designer lights are a fabulous opportunity to express your style. Rows of hanging pendants, chandeliers, brass wall lights… Great lamps don’t just illuminate your stunning kitchen, they can enhance it.
7) Look after the details
Handles, taps, splashbacks, bar stools…. It’s amazing what a difference to the overall look and feel of a kitchen those little details can make, so it’s worth going for high-end options if you can. (Of course, if you go for a Naked Kitchen, your beautiful, bespoke kitchen will cost a fraction of other designer kitchens, perhaps leaving a little extra in the budget for the finishing touches!)
Stunning details including a copper splashback, Quooker tap and Armac Martin handles in the Hampton Court kitchen by Naked Kitchens
Naked Kitchens make beautiful, bespoke, bomb-proof kitchens which, thanks to their unique combination of British craftsmanship and cutting-edge automation, don't cost the earth. Whatever your preferences in colour and style, they can custom-make the kitchen you dream about: any size, any space, any design; and built for life.
See more at nakedkitchens.com and follow them on Instagram at @nakedkitchens.
