Renovators’ notes

Start with small projects; leave the biggest and most expensive for last.

Any cost-cutting tips?

Open shelves are much cheaper than fully-fitted cupboards; they’re also more contemporary and can easily be changed. What would you do differently next time? We’d spend a bit more on sink mixers; we had to cut costs this time around.

Invest in some good-quality cabinetry – it’s worth getting exactly what you want.

Where did you get your ideas?

Magazines and the internet; we also asked a couple of professional kitchen suppliers to draw up plans before deciding on a design. What do you enjoy most about your new kitchen? The separate ‘stations’: her space (coffee station), his space (bar station) and our space (the kitchen island). What’s next? The garden! Until now, all our money has gone into renovating the house…