INTER IORS
REFRESHING RATHER THAN REFITTING? NEPTUNE, A BRITISH INTERIORS BRAND THAT DESIGNS AND MAKES FURNITURE, KITCHENS AND HOME ACCESSORIES, OFFERS ADVICE ON UPDATING YOUR CULINARY COVE WITHOUT A FULL REFURB 1 REPAINT, DON’T REPLACE One of the benefits of a painted kitchen, like those in our traditional timber collection, is that you’re able to
switch up the colour as and when you please. Colour is an easy way of breathing new life into a classic design, especially if your current kitchen is in good condition and doesn’t necessarily need to be replaced. Ask yourself whether you want to try a new colour on the walls (the easiest option), take it to your kitchen cabinets (trickier, but well worth it), or both (for maximum impact!). You don’t necessarily need to repaint every single cabinet – you could concentrate on a central piece, such as an island, for contrast, or do as the trendy do and opt for a different shade of paint for your base cabinets to those on top. The inside of any cabinets can get in on the action as well. Fiddly to paint, yes, but a lovely burst of colour every time you open a cupboard. It’s a decision that will put a spring in your step every day. 2 REFIT HARDWARE – HINGES AND ALL Fresh paint and new handles are textbook updates to a tired kitchen, but that doesn’t mean they should be glossed over – quite the opposite. Updated hardware is applauded for good reason, because it’s a feature on every single cabinet and there’s just so much choice available. There are cup handles and button knobs, box catches and leather toggles, rounded silhouettes and straight, sleek ones – the world’s your oyster. Want a wholesale change? Then opt for chrome instead of brass, or go for shiny instead of matte or antiqued. Be sure to include every nut and bolt, from handles to hinges. 3 RETILE OR RE-COVER THE KITCHEN WALLS If you’re open to a bit more mess than a toolbox and paint tin, then changing any tiling (or even adding some in, if you’ve not had any until now) is a worthwhile consideration. Do you currently have a metallic sheet for a splashback? Why not take that down and replace it with a neat grid of metro-style Elcot tiles behind the hob instead? (Being sure to test out different coloured grouting, as that makes a big impact, too). Perhaps your worktop runs straight to the wall without any upstand? If so, and it’s proving bothersome, then look
at doing a single layer of tiles along the bottom of your wall. Problem solved! And it’s a welcome change to the norm. 4 REBRAND YOUR SHELVES Shelves don’t have to be just shelves. Give them some vision by transforming them into a living wall garden, bursting with pots and covered with plants trailing down. Or, in a similar vein, turn open shelving into your kitchen’s herb garden, with all of your go-to fronds for cooking just an arm-stretch away. 5 REWORK THE LAYOUT FOR A NEW FEATURE PIECE In a large kitchen, it can be as simple as turning the kitchen table to a different orientation to open up a gap for a slender bookcase to move in – perfect for storing all of your recipe books. Or, if you’ve had an
extension, think about moving an item of kitchen furniture out of the way and into the new space. That opens up a whole wall and chunk of floorspace for the free-standing larder you’ve always wanted. 6 REORGANISE CABINETS AND OPEN SHELVING Have a peek at our cabinet organisation add-ons, such as the Orford oak spice rack, drawer dividers and cutlery inserts. Or our black bronze Barlow larder bridge, meaning you can have layers of storage, but with the row behind elevated and easy to view. These can be brought into your existing kitchen, so your drawers and cabinets have never looked so good or functioned so well.
View the range at neptune.com, or visit Neptune’s local store in Harston.
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