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Sponsored Content
Pro Spotlight: 3 Easy Kitchen Updates That Will Add Impact
Forget the sledgehammer! For a new-look kitchen, all you need is high-impact additions, says this kitchen designer
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Who: Ben Reid of Happy Kitchens & Interiors
Where: Hampshire
In his own words: “By re-using parts of your kitchen that are still in good working order, such as the cupboard carcasses or appliances, you can save enormous costs and splash out on features and additions that will make all the difference.”
The kitchen is the heart of the home, where everyone congregates and the main activity of the household happens. With that said, it’s no surprise that when it comes to updating this space, it can create a huge amount of stress, inconvenience and upheaval, not to mention an enormous strain on the finances. However, according to Ben Reid, managing director of Happy Kitchens & Interiors, you can refresh a kitchen and create the look of a brand new one without the need for a long, drawn-out and expensive overhaul. It’s all about adding clever additions that will make a big impact and recycling existing parts that don’t need replacing.
Where: Hampshire
In his own words: “By re-using parts of your kitchen that are still in good working order, such as the cupboard carcasses or appliances, you can save enormous costs and splash out on features and additions that will make all the difference.”
The kitchen is the heart of the home, where everyone congregates and the main activity of the household happens. With that said, it’s no surprise that when it comes to updating this space, it can create a huge amount of stress, inconvenience and upheaval, not to mention an enormous strain on the finances. However, according to Ben Reid, managing director of Happy Kitchens & Interiors, you can refresh a kitchen and create the look of a brand new one without the need for a long, drawn-out and expensive overhaul. It’s all about adding clever additions that will make a big impact and recycling existing parts that don’t need replacing.
Happy vibes. Starting up his own business four years ago, Ben Reid knew instantly the name he was going to give it. “Having worked as a designer for national kitchen retailers in the past, I’d experienced many dissatisfied customers, so I was determined to make my clients happy ones,” he says, “hence the name Happy Kitchens!”
Ben’s passion for guiding his clients through the entire process often sees him helping them choose paint or floor finishes, too. “We go above and beyond to ensure our clients get great customer service, a better quality of finish, and money-saving solutions wherever we can.”
Ben’s passion for guiding his clients through the entire process often sees him helping them choose paint or floor finishes, too. “We go above and beyond to ensure our clients get great customer service, a better quality of finish, and money-saving solutions wherever we can.”
Half the time, half the cost. Seeing a gap in the market for kitchen renovations that didn’t cost the earth, Ben decided to focus on offering a design service that reused as many of the elements of his client’s kitchens as possible. This not only helps bring the cost down but it also reduces the amount of build time.
“We might change the doors, trims and worktops but we can leave the carcasses, or we can rejig the layout but reuse the appliances,” says Ben. “By recycling what we can, we save our client’s money to spend on other must-have features, and ensure the makeover is complete within around five days, as opposed to the average kitchen overhaul that takes around six weeks.”
And the finished result? A kitchen that looks completely brand new without the enormous price tag.
Want to know what to change to make an impact? These three incredibly valuable tips will show how a kitchen can go from hero to zero easily.
“We might change the doors, trims and worktops but we can leave the carcasses, or we can rejig the layout but reuse the appliances,” says Ben. “By recycling what we can, we save our client’s money to spend on other must-have features, and ensure the makeover is complete within around five days, as opposed to the average kitchen overhaul that takes around six weeks.”
And the finished result? A kitchen that looks completely brand new without the enormous price tag.
Want to know what to change to make an impact? These three incredibly valuable tips will show how a kitchen can go from hero to zero easily.
1. Add a Significant, Stand-out Feature
The focal point of a kitchen is usually an item at eye level that draws the most attention, such as a splashback, light fitting or an extractor hood. By updating this stand-out piece, the entire room can feel significantly different. “When changing just one key item in the kitchen, the budget can be stretched to afford something extra-special that will make an even bigger impact,” says Ben.
Take this kitchen makeover in Stockbridge, Hampshire, for example. The owner was keen to warm up her grey units with copper accents, and as she’d saved money by simply updating her existing units with new doors, worktops and appliances, she could afford to splash out on a designer extractor. “The copper design from Elica is a real showstopper,” says Reid. “We were then able to continue the warm metallic theme round the rest of the space with copper handles, lights and accessories, giving the kitchen a completely new look.”
See more of this project.
The focal point of a kitchen is usually an item at eye level that draws the most attention, such as a splashback, light fitting or an extractor hood. By updating this stand-out piece, the entire room can feel significantly different. “When changing just one key item in the kitchen, the budget can be stretched to afford something extra-special that will make an even bigger impact,” says Ben.
Take this kitchen makeover in Stockbridge, Hampshire, for example. The owner was keen to warm up her grey units with copper accents, and as she’d saved money by simply updating her existing units with new doors, worktops and appliances, she could afford to splash out on a designer extractor. “The copper design from Elica is a real showstopper,” says Reid. “We were then able to continue the warm metallic theme round the rest of the space with copper handles, lights and accessories, giving the kitchen a completely new look.”
See more of this project.
2. Tweak the Layout
If you’ve inherited a kitchen with an awkward layout, or maybe a lifestyle change means your kitchen no longer works for you, then it’s possible to re-work the plan without redoing it completely. “One of the most common layout changes we undertake is swapping an under-counter or range oven for a built-in design that’s at eye-level,” says Ben. “Without too much upheaval, we’re able to fit an oven into a tower unit, creating a more practical – not to mention impressive-looking – solution for people in later life, tall people or families with young children.”
Frustrated at always bending down to use their oven under the worktop, the owners of this Winchester kitchen wanted a more efficient layout that would make their life easier. “By fitting a new tall bank of units at the end of the kitchen, we were able to incorporate double ovens at a more user-friendly position,” says Ben.
See more of this project
If you’ve inherited a kitchen with an awkward layout, or maybe a lifestyle change means your kitchen no longer works for you, then it’s possible to re-work the plan without redoing it completely. “One of the most common layout changes we undertake is swapping an under-counter or range oven for a built-in design that’s at eye-level,” says Ben. “Without too much upheaval, we’re able to fit an oven into a tower unit, creating a more practical – not to mention impressive-looking – solution for people in later life, tall people or families with young children.”
Frustrated at always bending down to use their oven under the worktop, the owners of this Winchester kitchen wanted a more efficient layout that would make their life easier. “By fitting a new tall bank of units at the end of the kitchen, we were able to incorporate double ovens at a more user-friendly position,” says Ben.
See more of this project
3. Re-energise With Lights
An extremely quick, simple and cost-effective way of changing the ambience of a kitchen is by adding LED lights round the kickboard, under the cabinets and at the tops of units. “Many people struggle with the lack of natural light in a kitchen,” says Ben. “We use LED lights that are as close to natural light as possible, to ensure the kitchen feels warm and bright, not cold and uninviting. And what’s more exciting is that these atmospheric lights can easily be retro-fitted to any existing kitchen.”
This kitchen in Hampshire’s Swanmore comes to life at night when the LEDs in the kickboards add a warming glow. “The lighting in this social kitchen layout can be controlled independently to create different ambiences, which is great when the owner is entertaining in the space on an evening,” says Ben. “We also added a statement pendant above the island – it’s another simple design feature that can bring a space to life.”
See more of this project
More: For more information and examples of the company’s designs, visit Happy Kitchen’s Houzz profile.
This story was written by the Houzz Sponsored Content team.
An extremely quick, simple and cost-effective way of changing the ambience of a kitchen is by adding LED lights round the kickboard, under the cabinets and at the tops of units. “Many people struggle with the lack of natural light in a kitchen,” says Ben. “We use LED lights that are as close to natural light as possible, to ensure the kitchen feels warm and bright, not cold and uninviting. And what’s more exciting is that these atmospheric lights can easily be retro-fitted to any existing kitchen.”
This kitchen in Hampshire’s Swanmore comes to life at night when the LEDs in the kickboards add a warming glow. “The lighting in this social kitchen layout can be controlled independently to create different ambiences, which is great when the owner is entertaining in the space on an evening,” says Ben. “We also added a statement pendant above the island – it’s another simple design feature that can bring a space to life.”
See more of this project
More: For more information and examples of the company’s designs, visit Happy Kitchen’s Houzz profile.
This story was written by the Houzz Sponsored Content team.
Based in Hampshire, Benny Reid and his team of designers have over 10 years of experience in the kitchen design... Read More
Review by Sue & Richard Stokes:
After a bad experience with another contractor we were reluctant to have any more work done in the house. However, after reading the reviews for Happy Kitchens we decided to risk asking them to give ...More
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