Child-Friendly Ideas The acclaimed celebrity chef Albert Roux is involved in helping Charleston Academy in Inverness to open a kitchen in which pupils studying home economics can learn catering skills. This innovative idea got us thinking here at My Beautiful Kitchen about child-friendly kitchens. Generally, kitchens and children don’t tend to mix – they can be dangerous for one thing, and there often isn’t much incentive for getting children involved in food preparation. However, at My Beautiful Kitchen we think there are plenty of ways to make your kitchen more child-friendly and perhaps even to inspire your child to explore and develop their culinary talents! A child-friendly kitchen layout Using an island in the kitchen is a great way to create a child-friendly environment. An island actually reduces the risk of collisions in the kitchen as people must move around rather than criss-cross through the room. The use of

Unblocking A Kitchen Sink It’s happened to all of us at one time or another – a blocked sink. Whether it’s because the fat from the Sunday roast solidified in the bend, or simply because of a build up of kitchen detritus over time, a blocked sink is one of the most frustrating jobs to deal with in your kitchen. But if you adopt a step-by-step approach, you can minimise the hassle and the time that goes into solving the problem. Step one – Plunge in Most kitchen sinks can be unblocked easily and effectively without the need to rush out to buy a bottle of drain cleaner. Start by using your plunger if you have one. Every household should. After all, your kitchen sink isn’t the only one in your home. Make sure the rubber cup completely covers the plughole and all other openings, such as the overflow,

Giving Our Customers The Space They Crave The Currans’ problem was space. They just didn’t have enough of it in their kitchen. The My Beautiful Kitchen design team did a thorough inspection of the property and were happy to advise Mr and Mrs Curran that by combining their dining room with their kitchen space, they could have a larger kitchen and a very attractive one at that to enjoy. A big job made easy Once the wall between the existing kitchen and dining area had been removed, it was clear that there would be more than enough room for a number of styles from the My Beautiful Kitchen range. In the end, our clients opted for the Avilon kitchen – an excellent choice for a dining kitchen, as it has plenty of good looks, as well as functionality. Note, for instance, how the cream cupboards contrast effortlessly with the real

Go Eco And Save Money Are you thinking of forking out for a new kitchen? Are you comparing quality and price to ensure you are 100% satisfied with the end result? Buying a new kitchen can be a costly decision and many customers will shop around to make sure they are getting the best possible deal on the market. But what about the ongoing costs? Did you know that fridges and freezers account for up to 20% of your electricity bills? With energy costs at an all time high can you afford to be running low performance white goods? Since July all fridges and freezers have to rate grade A or above but this can be misleading, as there are still vast differences in the appliance performance. Cheap options in the showroom may not represent overall good value for money. Selecting the best of breed model may mean a saving

Great Splashbacks For Kitchens A kitchen splashback is an opportunity to get a little creative with your kitchen, depending on what materials, colours or patters you decide to choose. Traditionally, a kitchen splashback is essentially an extension of the kitchen worktop, in order to protect the walls from cooking splashes and spills. Tiles are the usual option, but there are plenty of others to choose from such as glass, steel and acrylic. Modern splashbacks are the stylish alternative to tiling your kitchen to complement work surfaces or, if you feel like making a statement, your splashback can alternatively be used as a spectacular design feature by using bright colours, patterns, or even filling the whole wall. The modern options available will allow you to save your walls from greasy marks and splatters while also allowing you to make a great style statement behind a sink or stove. Reflective materials, such

Kitchen Lighting Ideas

When you hear the words ‘kitchen lighting’ you immediate reaction may be to think of sconces and ceiling lights that will brighten and illuminate your kitchen. However, there are other lighting choices you can make which can highlight features of your kitchen and bring it to new dimensions you may have never even considered.

When it comes to kitchen lighting, there are three main types you must consider: task lighting (to help you work); ambient lighting (to bring warmth and life to the room); and feature lights (to create the ‘wow’ factor).

Making The Most Of An Open Plan Kitchen An open plan kitchen and dining area can be a fantastic use of space, whether you have a small kitchen and you want to open it out, or whether you have large rooms but you want to create an even larger and airier space to socialise and entertain in. No matter what your reasons for settling on an open plan design, there are a few tips and tricks that can help you make the most of the space you’ve got. Let there be light The best part about open plan living is the light and air it adds to your space. Make the most of it with large sliding doors facing out onto a patio or balcony, and consider adding a skylight for even more natural light in the room. If you don’t already have an open plan kitchen but you’d love one,

Top Kitchen Gadgets Earlier this year, top celebrity chef Heston Blumenthal unveiled a new set of kitchen gadgets in his new Sage range.  These state-of-the-art kitchen gadgets include such items as a fully automatic tea maker, an espresso machine and a variety of blenders and juicers all designed to make your life in the kitchen that little bit easier and more interesting to boot. These fantastic accessories are sure to help you create your own masterpieces in the kitchen, but they’re definitely not cheap! However, looking over the elegant range in its strong, shiny stainless steel, it got us thinking here at My Beautiful Kitchen about our favourite kitchen gadgets. You may not be able to have them all, but there are always one or two gadgets that are necessary to turn your kitchen work from a hard slog into a true delight. We picked out our favourite

Best Budget Kitchens In the current economic climate, you might be looking at your tired, worn out kitchen and resigning yourself to the fact that you can’t afford to change anything for the foreseeable future. However, lacklustre taps, boring work surfaces and ill-fitting cupboards don’t mean you have to win the Lotto to get the kitchen you deserve. It doesn’t matter if you don’t have the budget to redo everything plus the kitchen sink, because we have some great ideas here at My Beautiful Kitchen to give you a brilliant kitchen on a budget. It’s all about the finish So long as your cupboards aren’t about to fall apart anytime soon, you could leave them be. Instead, it’s worth investing in good worktops, as they take the brunt of the day-to-day kitchen activities and they’ll be the first to show the strain. Go for good, solid materials such as the gorgeous

Black Gloss Finish If you’re thinking of getting rid of your old, worn out kitchen, or if you fancy sprucing up the space you’ve got, then a black gloss kitchen will do the trick. When considering a new kitchen, black is often overlooked, as people fear it will make their kitchen seem dark and dank. However, with a high gloss finish, your kitchen will seem anything but dark. The subtle shine adds depth and unexpected warmth to any room, making it an inviting surrounding for dinner parties and entertaining. Having a black gloss kitchen instantly updates and modernizes any space, but in order to avoid the dreaded dinginess that concerns most people, it is important to keep floors, walls and ceilings in light, bright, neutral shades. If your kitchen is on the smaller side but you still fancy the intriguing lustre of black gloss fittings, then you should consider having