Your most frequently asked kitchen reno questions, answered!

It’s only natural to have a long list of important questions in desperate need of answering, before you embark on your exciting kitchen renovation journey. After collaborating with numerous clients our interior designer Ashleigh Tuene lets us in on the most frequently asked questions her clients have about kitchen renovations.

How much is it going to cost?

“When determining how much your kitchen is going to cost, there is a lot to consider from the size of your kitchen to the amount of joinery you will need, trades required and structural changes – with that being said, a small kitchen renovation project will start from $35,000” advises Ashleigh. “This price point would include detailed collaboration with an interior designer, all plans and documentation prior to the demolition of the existing kitchen space, and installation of new cabinetry, benchtops and splashback with all required trades, including a project manager to oversee the renovation start to finish” she adds.

“On the other hand, a larger scale kitchen renovation can start from $55,000+ which may include all of the above whilst also allowing for changes to the layout, new flooring, relocating the lighting and plumbing, as well as high end cabinetry material options” says Ashleigh.

How can I get more storage?

“Almost all of my clients come to me wanting to maximise on their storage opportunities in their kitchen” says Ashleigh. “The key is to implement smarter storage solutions that utilise every millimeter of available space” she adds.

“Some of my favourite smart storage solutions that I love to include in my client’s kitchen include the ‘space tower’ for your pantry – this option includes internal drawers instead of shelves inside the pantry, allowing for great visibility of your pantry items as well as easy access. Another simple consideration is to always take your overhead cupboards to the ceiling – your maximizing storage whilst minimizing dust collection on top of your cabinetry – it’s a win, win!” advises Ashleigh.

What style should my kitchen be?

“It’s so exciting to see so many clients become more and more adventurous with their kitchen style and moving away from just doing a plain white kitchen” says Ashleigh.

This year some of the top kitchen design inclusions you can expect to see are textured splashback tiles, feature overhead cupboards – in an alternative colour or material to break up the kitchen space, as well as incorporating a designer detail to the island bench such as the inclusion of timber legs or a curved stone top” says Ashleigh.

What is the best benchtop material for my kitchen?

“A lot of my clients are steering towards engineered stone over natural for their benchtops. This is because an engineered stone benchtop is extremely durable – a very appealing quality in a kitchen surface, not to mention it’s none porous making it perfect for the whole family to get involved in meal preparation. In comparison if you have a natural marble benchtop you need to be extremely careful as food acids will stain the surface, in particular if you are a fan of a glass of red whilst cooking natural marble is not for you!” Ashleigh advises.

“Engineered stone benchtops are available in a wide range of colours and textures, so you will be left with a space that not only looks glamorous but is easy to maintain too – what more could you ask for in a benchtop?” says Ashleigh.

How can I light up my space?

“A well thought out lighting plan will include background lighting, mood light and task lighting” advises Ashleigh.

“Some great ways to light up your kitchen space is by using LED strip lighting, particularly under the overhead cupboards, not only is this really useful while your preparing and cooking, this will double as beautiful mood lighting to leave on with the other task lights off. Automatic pantry lights are great too as they stop people from leaving the pantry light on while the door is closed and decorative pendant lights over your island bench are always a great inclusion to add some ambience to the space” says Ashleigh.

Do you need more sound advice before embarking on your kitchen renovation? Book your FREE in-home consultation with one of our award-winning kitchen designers and start planning your renovation today.