5 June 2026 · 7 min read
Planning a Kitchen Renovation
Opening up a closed kitchen is the most requested change we do. Here is what it involves and the order to decide things in.
Start with the wall, not the cabinets
Almost every kitchen enquiry begins with wanting the space opened to the living area. Whether that is possible depends on what the wall carries. A non-structural block wall comes out easily; a load-bearing wall needs a beam designed by an engineer and, in most communities, approval before demolition. Settle this question before you look at a single cabinet door.
Extraction is the detail people regret
Once the kitchen is part of the living room, cooking smells travel. An island hob needs either a ceiling route for ducting or a downdraft unit, and both have to be planned before the ceiling design is fixed. Recirculating filters are simpler to install and noticeably less effective.
Services behind the units
New positions mean new water and waste runs, a dedicated circuit for the oven and hob, sockets set out to the cabinet layout rather than the old wall, and a water point for the fridge. If you are importing European cabinetry, we set services out to the manufacturer's drawings — supply those early and nothing has to be chased out twice.
Cabinetry: made here or imported
Joinery made locally gives you exact sizes and quick replacement of a damaged door, and is usually faster. Imported units bring the hardware and finishes some owners specifically want, at the cost of a lead time measured in months and little tolerance for site variation. Both work; choose before the services are set out.
Worktops and splashbacks
Quartz and sintered stone handle heat and staining better than most natural marble, which is why they are the practical choice around a hob. If you want marble, accept that it patinates. Templating happens after the units are installed, which is why worktops are near the end of the programme, not the middle.
How long to allow
A kitchen replaced in the same position is usually three to four weeks on site. Opening a wall, moving services and new ceilings takes five to eight weeks, plus any approval period. Cabinet lead times, not labour, are what usually decide the start date.
