If you take a step back and think about where you spend the most time in your home, the answer is probably the kitchen. It’s where you prepare meals for the family, catch up on the day and generally spend time bonding and enjoying each other’s company. If you’ve ever had a party, the chances are that everyone has ended up gathered in the kitchen, no matter what. For these reasons, you need a high-quality kitchen that is just as functional as it is fashionable, tailored to the needs of your family.
If you love Country Style:
Country style kitchens are perfect for a close family. The centrepiece of the kitchen is the round dining table, which can be moved around when needed. The aesthetic of the kitchen is warm and inviting, with plenty of white and wooden accents. If you’d love a country kitchen but you can’t afford a new kitchen, you can transform your own. Start by painting the units white, swap your worktop for wooden ones and change your modern cabinet handles for round wooden ones. For the table centrepiece, head to your local charity shop or look at the likes of Gumtree. If it doesn’t look perfect, don’t worry – you can paint the legs or refinish the wood on top to give it a personalised look.
If you prefer Contemporary:
Minimalism is the name of the game in a contemporary kitchen, but it doesn’t always work in the family home. However, there are ways to make a modern kitchen child-friendly. You can opt for glossy worktops which are easily cleaned and worktops with curved edges that won’t be sharp if your child bumps their head. To accessorise your kitchen without adding clutter, try a piece of statement lighting. You could also experiment with different coloured tiles. The centrepiece of your contemporary kitchen should be an island, which is ideal for eating breakfast at, or sitting and chatting to your kids whilst you cook tea.
If your space is Open Plan:
An open plan kitchen is a perfect sociable space for your family. You can have an area for cooking, an area for eating and an area to relax. A central island or breakfast bar can be used as a multi-functional area to eat, do homework or chat. You can create a breakfast bar on a budget by using leftover worktops and sourcing table legs. If your kitchen isn’t already open plan, you can knock down a wall and make it so – it might not be as expensive as you think.
If you enjoy a Rustic look:
A charming, rustic kitchen that wouldn’t look out of place in a country cottage is the goal for lots of people. Luckily, you can achieve a rustic look by opting for a fully wooden kitchen. A shaker kitchen is perfect for this. If you’d like to mix the rustic look with a touch of contemporary, there are ways to do this. You can opt for open shelving and colourful accessories to make the kitchen look livelier. You can also mix the rustic vibe with the industrial trend by stripping back the walls to expose brickwork. For your eating area, choose a wooden picnic-style table over a traditional dining table.
Choosing Your Kitchen on a Budget
When you’ve decided which style of kitchen you prefer, you may be tempted to go straight to your nearest showroom and get yourself caught up in a credit agreement just to get the kitchen of your dreams. However, this isn’t necessary – you can get your dream kitchen for less. To do this, go to a recommended re-seller such as Used Kitchen Exchange. Used Kitchen Exchange is a family-run business specialising in amazing kitchens for an even better price. You’ll find kitchens in every style from country to contemporary, listed with full measurements and professional photos. You can arrange to view the kitchen you like and make an offer when you’re ready. Once sold, you can arrange to have the kitchen delivered or stored for a fee, or collect it yourself. As a bonus, you can also sell your own kitchen with the company if it is high-quality.
What does your ideal family kitchen look like?
