NEWS

 Article in The Resident Newspaper - 20th March 2009

Top Tips for interior design

Add some sizzle in your kitchen

If you are good at DIY, you can achieve amazing results around the home, without breaking the bank. Interior designer Katrina Smith tells you how in the first of her series of top tips - covering kitchens

• Before doing anything, prioritise what’s most important. Do you want more space, a different colour scheme or new lighting? Decide what you want then allocate a budget

• If you prefer to change your colour scheme, that’s easily done at a modest cost. Redecorating your kitchen cabinets with a fresh new colour gives that-good-as-new feel and is far cheaper than replacing them. Plenty of options are available for painting straight on to wood. You may want to bring in a decorator or do it yourself if you feel confident enough to achieve a beautiful finish

• Lighting. How do you want it to work best for you? Work areas should be amply lit – you don’t want any accidents! Many kitchens do not enjoy the benefit of much natural light so you have to illuminate your area by other means. Long life bulbs are preferable now. They are energy efficient and can last for years

• Flooring. Is it time for a relay? Vinyl works well and Karndean is a popular choice. Versatile and durable, it comes in a myriad of patterns in everything from antique and ceramic to wood lookalike. The 12-year guarantee is handy too. If you want the Rolls Royce of vinyl flooring though, choose Antico. Vinyl is warm underfoot – however underfloor heating is becoming popular now, particularly in bathrooms and I’ll be looking at that in a later issue. My golden rule for kitchens? Never lay carpet in them – they are unhygienic and messy to maintain

• Worktops. Everyone likes granite but not everyone can afford it. Wooden laminate can be a good substitute and it comes in many colours. For that extra zing in the mid-price range, how about glass tops and splashbacks – the latest must haves. The colour range is immense and glass delivers such a stylish, sleek finish. It really looks the business

• Sinks and taps. Stainless steel sinks are as popular as ever – particularly the one and half bowl options – and they are not nearly as expensive, or hefty, as the white ceramic Belfast alternative. Mixer taps offer a trimmer more modern look too.

For a wealth of fresh ideas and ranges of fittings and fixtures, visit the True Colours Interiors new showroom at Unit 3, Church Lane Estate, Church Lane, Plummers Plain. Open Wednesdays, 9am to 12noon, or book an appointment online at www.truecoloursinteriors.co.uk or phone 01403 263509