Kitchen Confidential: Unlocking Efficiency Through Retrofitting

by Amanda Hughes

1st November 2024

During the planning phase of a project, the question of whether to design a new kitchen, or retrofit an existing space must be answered. Ergonomics and aging expert, Amanda Hughes, is part of Blum – the brand known for its innovative furnishing solutions, designed to maximise efficiency and convenience around the home.

Here, she discusses how designers and renovators can work with what they have, saving budget, landfill and upheaval. The first instalment in a three-part series for Don’t Move, Improve! Amanda shares ways to be more efficient.

 

Thinking sensibly

Not every project possesses the budget to completely re-do the kitchen space, and some people just can’t bear the thought of the upheaval or being without one for six weeks. Others don't want to see another kitchen go to landfill and, with careful consideration and planning, this can be avoided, with a lot of spaces ready to be given a new lease of life without substantial disruption.

I am so often amazed when friends and family show me their new kitchen. More often than not, they have a beautiful new design with all the same pitfalls and challenges of the old one.

The aesthetic is new, and it has a fresh, shiny exterior, maybe the layout slightly amended, but behind it it’s the same unfunctional, inaccessible and unorganised space it always was - but now with money and time poorly invested. 

Luckily, the kitchen makeover arena is an increasing sector in the UK, with businesses like Granite and Trend Transformations, Dream Doors and the Used Kitchen Exchange all offering intelligent ways to renovate which doesn’t mean removing the existing kitchen.

Most existing kitchens can be vastly improved by being smart and, during the planning phase, astute designers and renovators should look to the implementation of clever solutions.

 

Take stock: out of sight, out of mind

Two common phrases I hear often are: "I needed more storage" and "I needed more worktop space." Before dismissing the old space outright, stop and think about what more can be achieved with what is already there.

We are creatures of habit and often feel the need to fill any space. We can't bear to see an empty shelf or cupboard, which unfortunately leaves us with lost items, hidden away at the back of the storage space. Here, my suggestion would be to do a full inventory of kitchen contents before making any big changes.

By being brutal and asking what is really needed, you can optimise a space and cut down. My clients often free up space which can then be retrofitted with things such as an integrated pull-out bin solution. Furthermore, the existing base unit cupboards of a kitchen, containing items not seen in a while, could become pull-out drawer solutions instead, meaning more functionality, visibility and accessibility – reusing the existing frontal.  

It’s also important to organise those behind-the-scenes areas and turn junk drawers into pull-out solutions too, which make items so much easy to find. Rather than investing in more cupboards with doors, try internal dividing systems, such as AMBIA-LINE from Blum, to help bring things to hand in an instant.

Visibility and viability

Most of what we store can’t be seen without bending or stretching, but it doesn’t need to be this way. The shelved larder from a previous kitchen set-up, storing out-of-date tins for what seemed like an eternity, could be retrofitted with a more ergonomic SPACE TOWER which makes the contents inside come to the fore and gives the designer/renovator the ability to zone the layout. 

Similarly, if more preparation space or a homework station is needed, things like retrofitting a pull-out shelf lock is perfect. There when needed, it slides in and out of the room discreetly and is a hidden solution.

We’re in an age now where new kitchens should be packed with clever solutions, but it also means existing spaces can be transformed with some small improvements. The final layout can then be completed with paint, new handles, new light features etc. to bring together one of the most important rooms of the home without starting from scratch.   

 

If you’re planning to reimagine a space and need help making it both forward-thinking and efficient, let’s talk. amanda.hughes@blum.com / 07483 964564 / https://tinyurl.com/yourworldmadebetter