Selecting the right worktops is essential for creating a kitchen that not only looks great, but also suits your lifestyle.

Whatever style of kitchen you choose, your worksurfaces have a huge influence on the overall look and feel of your space, and they will instantly become the most-used element of your finished design. Your worksurfaces will need to thrive in your everyday kitchen life, providing the benefits you need to work effortlessly in the space, so it is vital that you select the right material, finish and thickness for your design.

THE Kitchen Workshop is there to help you choose a worktop that not only complements your dream kitchen, but your lifestyle too. However, if you’re looking to explore the characteristics of different worksurface materials in the meantime, read on to discover what each of our materials could offer your kitchen design.

Designing a kitchen that is tailored perfectly to your life is a complicated task, and there are many things to take into consideration. Storage is one thing that can often be overlooked, as people tend to focus on the exterior aesthetics of the kitchen and forget how important the inner-workings of the design truly are.

At The Kitchen Workshop, we believe that a kitchen should not only be beautiful on the outside, but on the inside too, as it’s the clever storage solutions that can really help to make your everyday life in the kitchen easier.

Have you considered how clever storage solutions could improve your kitchen functionality?

Take a walk around your current kitchen and think about what works and what doesn’t. Where should things ideally be placed for a better flow? It makes sense to keep plates near the dishwasher for easy unloading, baking trays close to the oven for cooking and condiments beside the hob for instant seasoning. These are all things that can be put in place once you begin to plan your new kitchen.

Starting your kitchen journey
As the saying goes, your kitchen is the heart of the home- the place where your family comes together to cook, dine, relax, and socialise. This arguably makes it the most important room in your house, so its design deserves careful planning and meticulous attention to detail.

At The Kitchen Workshop our designers will be there to guide you through the entire process of planning your kitchen, with the passion and industry experience needed to help bring your kitchen vision flawlessly to life. However, there are several careful considerations you can make before or whilst working with us, to make sure your finished kitchen is everything you have been dreaming of.

How to light a kitchen to maximise space and visual impact.

Lighting is no longer just a kitchen accessory, it’s a necessity, offering benefits for both the practicality and aesthetic appeal of your kitchen design.

Effective lighting can not only help to make your space feel lighter and brighter, it can also be cleverly used to make a room appear bigger, can be manipulated to draw attention to focal features, and can illuminate a frequently used workspace.

It’s vital to organise your tailored lighting plan in the early stages of your kitchen design, as all electrics and fittings need to be in place before any plastering, decorating, and installation of your kitchen can take place.

At The Kitchen Workshop we have a large range of working lighting on display within our kitchens, including undercabinet spot-lights, strip lights and plinth lighting.

There are many factors to account for when deciding on the best kitchen layout for your space. It’s a decision that should be carefully considered, as the perfect layout will help to maximise and complement your space, whilst making time in your kitchen enjoyable.

Firstly, you will need to consider the size and shape of your room and how it will be able to accommodate a kitchen, then, you must choose which appliances need to be integrated within the design, and how much workspace you will need to suit your everyday kitchen life.

At The Kitchen Workshop we will talk you through the options for your individual space, but if you need inspiration for the time being, let us take you through the five most popular kitchen layouts, the benefits they can bring to your space, and the room sizes/shapes they are best suited to.

Designing a new kitchen is an exciting time for homeowners, with considerations from the initial functionality and layout of the living space to the style and finishing touches. Handles are one of those finishing touches that can really cement a look, adding personality and function to the kitchen. However, handle-less kitchen design continues to grow in popularity the UK market – a trend heavily influenced by European markets.

Handles

Handles are one of the most versatile finishing touches for a kitchen, providing functionality for everyday access to storage areas, as well as highlighting design features. Whatever the kitchen style, careful handle choice can really inject personality to a design and drastically change the look from something traditional to something more modern.  Any kitchen needs to be built to stand the test of time, and this can sometimes be tricky with cabinets and storage areas that are used frequently throughout the day. Handles offer durability, as well as quick and easy access to cabinet contents.

Handles are a great way to define a space, providing a physical indication of different living areas or highlighting specific design elements – ideal for the increasingly popular open / broken plan living trends.

The kitchen should be designed to suit the lifestyle of the homeowner today and in the future, but just as needs evolve during the lifetime of a kitchen, so do trends. Handles offer a cost-effective and easy way for homeowners to update their kitchen as preferences and trends change.

Handleless

Handleless kitchens have been dominating design for luxury kitchens in Europe for some time, and the trend is now growing in prominence within British kitchen design. With a clean, seamless aesthetic, it’s easy to see why this style is winning over designers and homeowners alike. So, could this style be for you?

Uninterrupted, clean lines are rapidly becoming the hallmark of contemporary kitchen design, with appliances, utensils, crockery and food increasingly being kept behind closed doors. After all, if homeowners are investing in surfaces such as splashbacks and worktops that are design features in themselves, why hide them? The handle-less trend builds on this, creating a completely streamlined style.

Modern kitchen design demands fluidity between living spaces with kitchens increasingly being used for socialising, working or entertaining in, in addition to preparing and cooking food. Handle-less design helps create a smooth transition between zones for multifunctional use.

As households increasingly continue to accommodate multigenerational living, it is imperative to consider design that will be safe for all ages.

The decision of whether to have a new kitchen fitted or as supply only is an important one to make and needs to be decided on more than just price alone. We do not try and pretend that we offer the cheapest fitting service – as you will always find someone who will do it cheaper. However, this can be a false economy and when you consider the amount of money you are spending on a new kitchen is it worth trying to save a couple of hundred pounds?

You need to have the confidence that whoever is undertaking the fitting has the necessary knowledge and expertise to be able to achieve the high standard required. There is a skill to kitchen fitting and lots of opportunities to get things wrong – some of which could work out to be very costly to put right or will detract from the look of your new kitchen. With the modern range of worktop choices, such as Minerva or the ultra-compacts ranges there is a greater chance for things to go wrong, and therefore having someone fitting it who has the correct tools and skills is essential.

We always advise that for most of our customers our fitted option is the best choice, as it allows you have the peace of mind in knowing that our skilled fitting team will ensure that your new kitchen is fitted to the highest standard. In addition, you will also benefit from your own dedicated Designer/Project Manager who will be there every step of the way.

At our showroom, you’ll find a mix of inspiring designs, including a wide range of hard-wearing carpets and Luxury Vinyl Flooring from Karndean, Engineered and Solid Wood Flooring from Ted Todd and a sumptuous range of quality British made wool carpets, in a variety of colours and designs, from Brockway and Penthouse – all at affordable prices. As well as stain- free family friendly Carpets from Cormar and Manx, we also offer Quick-step Laminate Flooring and Livyn Luxury Vinyl, ideal for the DIY enthusiast, due to its ease of installation… you’ll be pleasantly spoilt for choice.

All floor coverings available at Long Lane Carpets and Flooring are designed to be simply stunning yet highly practical, from textured natural flooring from Crucial Trading and The Alternative Flooring company to funky bright floral vinyls from Cath Kidston. At Long Lane Carpets and Flooring you’re sure to find something to suit your style and budget.

Let your floors take centre stage and be as much a part of an interior scheme as the walls and furniture.

So, you have decided that you want or need a new kitchen, but what do you do next? So much to consider!
Do not worry, we are here to help you every step of the way. With many years of experience, we have found that the following process works well for most of our customers.

When buying a kitchen we know there are many questions you may have. Therefore in order to help you with this we have put together some of the most frequently asked to help you have a better idea of how things work at The Kitchen Workshop. Should you have any further questions then please do not hesitate to give us a call on 01983 559333 or email info@iowkitchens.co.uk where one of our friendly team will be glad to help.

At The Kitchen Workshop we know that it is important to ensure we offer the best choice and quality. As an independent retailer we have the freedom to be able to select our suppliers. Over the years we have worked hard to find suppliers we feel match our criteria of offering choice and quality at a price that is affordable. We are pleased to be the Islands exclusive retailer for Second Nature and 1909 Kitchens ranges.

There is a wide range of door styles and materials to suit different budgets and tastes. So, whether you are looking for something traditional or ultra-modern or somewhere in between, we offer an extensive choice. Majority of ranges are available in 34 colours – our contemporary range are also available in both matt and gloss finish. Some timber ranges are even available unpainted and can then be hand-painted to any choice of colour!

Whilst looking online and in magazines can be helpful nothing quite beats being able to see the various ranges. Visit our showroom where you will see many of the ranges on display, and for all ranges we have sample doors available to see.

View our ranges below to find your perfect style or visit www.sncollection.co.uk where you can see real kitchens completed by independents companies like us, throughout the UK for each door range.

Doors generally fall into 2 categories.