ASK MAD ABOUT THE HOUSE

Our new interiors expert, Kate Watson-smyth, on decorating

Q How can I make our new kitchen look expensive without spending the big bucks? Are there areas where I could save, or others where I should definitely spend? I know many companies make custom doors for Ikea cupboards, and you can add expensive handles, but is this much cheaper than having cupboards custom built, or even worth it?

A Many of us are used to the shoe-buying equation – balancing cost per wear and coming up with something so cheap that it would be a crime not to buy. Kitchens can work on the same principle, except we use them every day. So you need to get it right if you are going to both justify the cost and love your kitchen for a long time. But this doesn’t mean you have to spend a fortune.

First, decide if you are a cook or an eater; if you are always in the kitchen at parties or prefer a purely functional space. That will help you work out if you want to invest in a state-of-the-art oven or if the cooker is just for shoe storage.

So, the question is not, ‘How can I save and where should I spend?’ but, ‘What are the fundamental elements I need for who I am?’ Then you can start to build your dream kitchen. Begin with affordable carcasses such as Ikea or Howdens; the latter come ready-assembled, so that’s a couple of days’ labour you don’t have to pay. Instead, pay the builders to make new doors that you can paint, so you can customise and update them more easily. Add your own handles – prices for these vary enormously, but it’s always sensible to invest in the things you use often.

Next, choose a work surface. Wood is the cheapest, but is quite high maintenance; stainless steel gives that ‘professional kitchen’ look; and natural stone is expensive and porous, so prone to stains. Quartz surfaces such as Caesarstone combine the beauty of stone with the practicality of steel.

Always spend money on the working bits – such as taps – and check ebay for A-grade appliances that are in perfect working condition, but might have a scratch on the side or damaged packaging, meaning they can’t be sold at full price.

Rather than buying more wall cabinets, consider open shelves filled with the prettiest things you use every day – plates, mugs and storage jars. Make them from old scaffolding boards and buy statement brackets, or create a series of cubby-holes from MDF and paint them to match the walls so they disappear and your stuff stands out.

Details like this can make a modest kitchen look more expensive, and you will also be creating a space that is a perfect reflection of your style and needs. And that, surely, is priceless.