It's time to renovate

Your kitchen is a loyal companion. On average, kitchens are kept for around 17 to 20 years. Yet even if you always treat your kitchen with care, even the very best models won’t remain unscathed by time, and you’ll reach the point where you want to renovate your kitchen.

When and how to renovate your kitchen?

You might find that your kitchen actually looks perfectly fine in many ways. There’s just the odd little flaw or scratch here and there that you’d like to get repaired rather than having to replace the entire kitchen. When planning to renovate your kitchen you should first think about the cost and external impact. We’ve put together some tips for you, covering everything from quick fixes for minor defects to major alterations. We also advise getting help from experts and tradesmen, depending on the scope of the work. A kitchen planner can help you not only with planning and designing a new kitchen, but also with extensions or conversions

Smaller projects that you can tackle yourself:

Replacing silicone joints

Over the years, the joints in your kitchen become porous and cease to be watertight. This is normal for silicone as it ages, and there’s not much that you can do to prevent it. If water gets through leaking joints and behind the tiles, it can create a build-up of moisture and lead to mould. A porous surface can result in the silicone joint becoming discoloured or mildewed. This looks unsightly and can be detrimental to health. Replacing the silicone joints regularly can prevent this and can be done yourself, with a little practice and dexterity.

Setting accents with wall paint or wallpaper

You can change the whole feel of your kitchen in a single day with just a little paint. Just grab some overalls and a paintbrush. However, do be careful to cover up your kitchen, as otherwise blobs of paint can fall onto the floor or kitchen fittings. You should take your time over choosing your paint, as every colour creates a different mood. Blue in the kitchen gives a sense of space, while white is restrained and can be paired with suitable colours to look cosy and warm or minimalistic and cool. Everyone will have their own preferred colour effect to go with the design of their kitchen.

And one last tip: make sure that any wallpaper or paint above the cooking or sink areas is water-repellent.

Changing your kitchen mixer tap

Introducing a new kitchen mixer tap can actually do a lot for the look of your kitchen. If your kitchen mixer tap is broken or you need something new, it’s easy enough to replace it. If you live in an old building, in particular, you should check which kind of kitchen mixer tap you need, as there are different types of connections: High-pressure with two connections and low-pressure with three connections.

New kitchen handels

First unscrew the old kitchen handles and measure the distance between the screw holes. Use this distance for the dimensions of the new handles. There are lots of DIY solutions for modern, customised cabinet handles.

Upgrading your splash guard

If you’re a real DIY enthusiast and your kitchen comes with an outdated tiled splashback, then this final tip is for you. Wall coverings are great for covering old kitchen tiles and are also cheaper than knocking off old tiles and applying new ones.

To do this, you need to install wooden slats all around the splashback (if there’s room beside it; if not, drill into the joints), cut an MDF panel (or another panel of your choice) to the right size and screw it tightly to the wooden slats. Finally, apply waterproof paint and your beautiful new wall cladding will be finished.

Bigger, high-impact projects:

New flooring

In most cases, deciding whether to replace your flooring is a matter of personal taste. At the same time, refurbishing your kitchen floor is one of the most striking things you can do in a kitchen redesign. You can achieve virtually any look you want thanks to the huge array of laminate and vinyl flooring, and the great thing is that they can often be laid directly on top of the old tiles. Find out all about it at your specialist retailer. Redecorating with a vinyl floor can prove a highly cost-effective option, with prices starting from 12 euros. For higher-quality designs, however, you may be looking at significantly higher costs.

Replacinng the worktop

When renovating your kitchen, a scratched and damaged worktop should be replaced with a new one. That said, replacing a worktop isn’t quite as easy as you might expect. Depending on the manufacturer and material, the worktop and kitchen carcass may not only be stuck or screwed in, but also – as in the case of natural stone – glued with silicone, so the floor units may sustain damage when you prise off the worktop. Leave this job to a specialist to spare yourself problems with your cabinets further down the line.

If you’ve decided that you’re going to replace your worktop, you should think about also replacing the sink as part of your kitchen renovation work. Lots of stainless steel bowls become lacklustre over the years, with scratches and limescale marks. When you buy a new worktop, you also have the opportunity to install a larger sink or double bowl to make everyday kitchen tasks that bit easier.

How long will your cooker, washing machine and other appliances last?

Of course, when renovating a kitchen you’re bound to be focusing on areas that are flawed or no longer look appealing. The technical equipment in your kitchen will also determine how modern you want to go. Those who love cooking prioritise new appliances, convenience when cooking and baking, and innovative technology. Customers can often test out the features of new appliances and get advice at a kitchen showroom. Purchased products can also often be retrofitted at a later stage. Whatever you choose, it’s worth stressing that in most cases a kitchen renovation will mean replacing the electric appliances and that these should always be connected by expert technicians only.