Over the years we have established strong relationships with the most forward thinking businesses as well as artisan trades people that enable us to offer our clients the very best in modern design and craftsmanship. From cabinetry to stone masonry to specialist painters and accessories, we have your desires covered. If not, we shall use best endeavours to locate and source. Alongside a historic solid foundation in kitchen design, we can also manage other projects for the home including bathrooms, utility/boot rooms, tack rooms, bedroom furniture, home office, outdoor space, commercial workspaces and renovation.

Please visit our ‘Inspiration’ page for guidance and ideas.

THE JOURNEY

Planning or refurbishing a kitchen can be a daunting process. It is an emotional and financial investment and there is so much to take into consideration from choosing the design, to where to site electrical sockets. Here at Design Nation we will walk you through each stage of your project starting with an initial consultation to get a feel for your ideas, budget and time line.

Open plan living is a popular way to maximise space and light and the kitchen area is no exception. Feature islands and seating areas create a kitchen arena that becomes the heart of any home and doesn’t necessarily need to cost the earth. We want you to get the best value for money, maintaining quality and style whilst personalising your living space.

DESIGN

Once we have established the brief, the next stage is to take the basics a step further with layout and floor plans, drawings and CAD renders to bring the project to life.

Working with a holistic approach to your kitchen design, we can encompass other aspects of the project in an orderly fashion for a smooth journey. Appliances, colour schemes, flooring, fixtures and fittings all add to the aesthetics of the final, perfect space.

We can also source beautiful fabrics and art work to bring your vision to life.

Computer aided design (CAD) images bring a project to life and represent a very good impression of the finished article. The software enables positioning of sockets, lights, plumbing and appliances to ensure everything is in the correct place before commencement of works. It’s too late at the end of a project to realise you can’t use your blender on the kitchen island because there isn’t a socket close by.

Cabinetry, handles, walls and floors can be designed and re-designed in different colours and styles, offering versatility when deciding which options to choose.

Inspired by your personal taste, our designers will pull together ideas for you to consider.

When everyone is completely happy with the design, we will work out final costings and provide a detailed quotation and an estimated timeline for the schedule of works in collaboration with any other stakeholders.

THE WORK TRIANGLE

With any kitchen design , a good starting point is to create a triangle of efficiency incorporating the three key workstations, cooker, fridge and sink. Try to imagine how you will move between these areas with the least amount of effort. Having your sink the other end of the room to the dishwasher for example, isn’t ideal for rinsing and loading dishes. Waste bins are most useful if situated under a food prepping zone and again, best placed close to the sink. Once the most efficient triangle is identified, other elements and features can be introduced to the overall design concept. A ‘wall of technology’ is another tag for clustering appliances together, a cooling zone for refrigeration, a hot zone for ovens, warming drawers etc. Coffee stations should include automatic coffee machines and flat surfaces for preparation. Consideration should be given for ideal personalised heights for each appliance. Ovens fitted too high are dangerous when lifting hot dishes, dishwashers can be raised up from the floor level so less bending down. It’s an ideal opportunity to tailor your kitchen to your precise individual requirements.

Kitchen shape is determined by the space available. If it’s an awkward space then a professional designer will be able to help you make the most of it. Seven basic types are Galley, Island, Parallel, L-Shape, U-Shape, Open and Straight. Small, one wall kitchens lacking in width need a vertical design, taking the wall cabinets as far up as possible to maximise storage. Large spacious kitchens may forego wall units altogether and opt for an island instead. Whatever the size or shape, the important factors are flow and safety.

The aesthetics come down to colour and door style, of which there are quite a few to choose from. The doors themselves are fitted to a carcass with various mechanisms. A lay-on door covers the full width of the unit, has a standard concealed soft close hinge and is opened with a handle. In-frame doors are set within a frame, with handles and are available with butt or concealed hinges. Handle less doors feature a continuous profile rail, opened with fingers and touch to open doors are activated by a spring loaded catch.

Materials consist of solid timber, lipped real wood veneer, laminate, lacquered MDF and stainless steel. Finishes range from spray coated, hand painted, vinyl and foil wrapped and textured decorative laminate.