Renovating your kitchen from top to bottom will bring a new lease of life to your home, and there are plenty of inspiring ideas out there on the market for everything from kitchen floor tiles to funky fridges and stylish sinks, whatever your budget or space requirements.
Because people generally don't renovate their kitchens very often due to cost, it's often surprising how much appliances have advanced since the last time you looked into buying them. Kitchen technology is competitive, and energy efficiency has improved.
Some of the latest wine cabinets will let you control temperature in three zones, and the excellent heat distribution and fan functions in large ovens mean that it's now possible to cook two completely different flavoured creations; for example fruit pies and fish pies, in the same part and the flavours won't mingle.
If you're strapped for space in a city pad, you can now even opt for a multifunction oven which features a dishwasher, or perhaps you fancy an eco-friendly washing machine which can steam clean and get rid of dust mites? You can even get fridges that now come with NASA-technology-inspired air purifying and odour-eliminating.
The new appliances you choose are as important as your new furniture and kitchen floor tiles, and if you're struggling for space you can still grab some of the best sleek new creations out there, as most manufacturers make smaller versions of their appliances. You just need to hunt around a bit.
Dishwashers that are 45cm in width, as opposed to the traditional 60cm, can now accommodate many more dishes than they were previously able to, for example, so are now very practical to own.
Of course, you may wish to go all-out and supersize on certain appliances. Cater for your needs if space is an issue. You don't really need a giant American-style fridge if there's only two of you living in the property. In the same vein, a large-drummed washing machine would enable you to wash less loads and fit more washing in, but isn't really needed unless you have a few children as a regular size will suffice.
The finishing touch to your new kitchen will be your beautiful kitchen floor tiles, which should be practical as well as stylish.
There are many styles and textures to choose from, such as satin, gloss and rustic, stone-effect and others that will add character to your new kitchen.
Thomas Pretty is an interior designer with many years of experience designing kitchens. Find out more about kitchen floor tiles at http://www.tileclick.co.uk/
