Homeowner reference library

Kitchen Renovation: plan, choose and care for it

Hacking, plumbing, gas, tiling, electrics and carpentry, wet and dry kitchen both. Rebuilt around how your family cooks.

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Start here · Buying guide

Wet kitchen or dry kitchen for your landed home?

Each sink, hob and appliance in a second kitchen needs its own pipes, power, gas or duct, and some of that work needs a licensed plumber, electrician or gas worker. Here is what each side needs, and which cabinets cope with the wet side.

Questions worth settling

Quick answers for a single decision, practical guides for planning, and detailed references when you need the full picture.

Detailed reference · 8 min read

Planning Kitchen Cabinets? Choose Your Appliances First

Choose the exact kitchen appliance models before the cabinets are made. Advertised width alone does not establish the opening, ventilation space or connections each appliance needs. Giving your cabinet maker the installation requirements early helps avoid a fridge that cannot fit, a blocked door or finished joinery that needs to be altered.

Practical guide · 9 min read

Kitchen Worktops Compared: Choose for How You Cook

Quartz and mineral worktops suit households that want simple cleaning and accept using trivets. Porcelain and sintered surfaces offer options with greater tolerance of hot cookware, while solid surface is worth considering when repairability matters. Granite and marble need different treatment around acidic ingredients; laminate needs particular care at wet seams. Choose the material around the cooking and cleaning you actually do, then check the exact product and finish.

Detailed reference · 13 min read

Which cooker hood is best for your kitchen?

If you fry or steam often, a ducted cooker hood that sends smells and steam outside is the better pick. Then choose a hood style and width to suit your hob.