Norwich Bathrooms & Kitchens News Blog

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Project Profile

Who is our customer? Mr & Mrs H are existing customers of NBK, having had their bathroom completed with us in 2018, they decided to return to us later that year to begin their kitchen journey and we were thrilled to work with them and their home again!Where was the project? A village and civil parish in the English county of Norfolk. What did we do? Full kitchen installation project consisting of: building works, electrics, fitting of cabinets, worktops, breakfast bar, radiator and flooring, wall tiling, plastering, waste disposal and last but not least, decorating. Design Details: Mr & Mrs H wanted a modern kitchen to go with their modern home, being generously sized and open planned, it was a lovely space to work with. We chose TKC Lucente Dust Grey Matt painted cabinets along with a White Minerva worktop for the main surface areas. We finished the surfaces off with a contrasting PWS Oak worktop for the breakfast bar and open window ledges. The use of the oak not only adds another texture to the design but also ties in nicely with our customer’s floor choice; Karndean Classic Limed Oak, allowing an element of consistency within the room.Colour Choices: Grey, blue, white and green … maybe not a combination you’d put together off hand, but one that has worked so wonderfully in this stunning modern design! Blue and green are both cool colours and also part of the tertiary colours, which is why they work so well together. Grey and white are both neutral colours meaning they team up well with most other colours! Fun Fact: The colour wheel was invented in 1666 by Isaac Newton, who mapped the colour spectrum onto a circle. The colour wheel is the basis of colour theory, because it shows the relationship between colours. (https://www.canva.com/colors/color-wheel/)Tiles: Mr & Mrs H chose to make a bold statement with their splashback, opting for a large floral tile; Thornbury via Topps Tiles - named after Thornbury castle, a traditional Tudor country house filled with decorative floral influences. This makes for a perfect feature within the room whilst complimenting the colour theme in the kitchen at the same time. Tiles are fantastic for splashbacks as they’re easy to clean and offer so much variety in style. Timescale: From stripping out our customer’s old kitchen right the way through to applying the last coat of paint in our customer’s newly fitted room, this project had a timescale of 6 weeks. The average time scale for a kitchen is 3 weeks, however, due to the complexity of this project and the workload involved this extended the project time. Thank you for reading our project profile, I hope you enjoyed it! You can view the complete project by clicking here.Rachel x

Kitchen Design 2018 vs 2019

As we move into 2019 we're excited to see what trends will follow for the Kitchen Industry. 2018 came with some lovely colour trends such as blues and greens, the deeper, darker shades being most popular, teamed up with solid wood worktops and dark oak floors. This has shown a desire for customers to be more bold in their homes and make a statement within their kitchen.
On the flip side, we've also seen the classic styles staying relevant in the market, the pure and picture perfect white kitchen has very much been a frequent choice for many of our customers, it's a simple and classy look that has always been very appealing. We predict that this trend will continue in 2019 but with a slight twist, a statement coloured appliance, a large colour contrasting island or even a solid painted feature wall.
As the 'bold' theme continues to push forward in many variances, here are a few that will take the lead in 2019:
Large Kitchen Islands - Whether the kitchen island is being used as a social dining area or for more preparation and storage space, the kitchen island will continue to evolve and take precedence in many more of our kitchen designs. It's an additional luxury that is becoming a must have for a lot of our customers.Bright and Bold Appliances - As we're seeing more and more smart appliances coming into our homes throughout the house, it's not just the technology of our appliances that is evolving, it's also the colours. People are stepping away from the more traditional white or chrome and heading towards bright, bold colours that will bring their kitchen to life.Black and Gold - Black is the new Grey and Gold is back and bigger than ever. Grey has been a massive trend for several years now, seeing it trump most colours in almost every industry. However, there may be a slight change in the wind next year as we continue to crave the high end interior look. It appears that we're turning to black to make a real statement. Black and Gold are being used as a duo in many instances, creating either that WOW luxury design or a modern take on a more elegant and traditional style. Using black as a main colour theme and implementing golds in the form of taps, shelves and accessories. Subtle changes that make all the difference, if you want to give your kitchen attitude or a fresh twist, this may be the trend for you! Tiles Galore - Tiles are still being used in our Kitchen designs and we really can't blame our customers, the designs we're seeing on the market are purely stunning. Smaller tiles are being used more frequently and the styles that are becoming increasingly popular are either highly detailed patterned tiles or textured pastel coloured tiles, both being used to create gorgeous statement walls/areas. Giving that finishing touch to both modern and traditional designs.
I can't wait to see our Customer Projects next year and even more so, I can't wait to share them with you!
Rachel x
Kitchen trend picture grid created using images from pintrest.

How long will it take to renovate my Bathroom or Kitchen?

So you’ve decided you want to renovate your bathroom or kitchen, meaning you’re about to begin the journey that will transform your home, how exciting! Renovating any room in your home is a highly considered project, one that involves many choices and decisions. Our homes are our sanctuaries, the place we feel most comfortable and relaxed, so before you start looking at colour themes, furniture and all the other elements of your renovation, you may be thinking ‘How long will this take me?’ … Every home and every room is unique and different, so it would be unrealistic to tell you exactly how long your bathroom or kitchen is going to take, however, we can give you a guideline and going on our expertise knowledge and experience hopefully give you a bit more clarity around how long bathroom and kitchen renovations take to be completed and why. So let's get started! The first day of your renovation has arrived, you have been working with a transparent and experienced company to plan your lovely new kitchen or bathroom and it’s all about to become a reality. On average, we advise that a kitchen renovation can take anywhere between 3 - 5 weeks, where a bathroom renovation can take between 2 - 3 weeks. Of course this can vary depending on several factors; room size, design, building work, unforeseen complications, additional works, the building fabrics and much more. Here is an insight to some of the factors that can both speed up and slow down your installation.
Why would my bathroom or kitchen need building work?
There are multiple reasons your installation may have building works involved; for example the addition, removal or relocation of walls and windows. This type of work must be completed first which would add time to your installation schedule. A well organised company will take this into account when planning your installation which means you are fully aware in advance of the extra time needed to complete your project.
I live in an old building, can I still have my bathroom or kitchen renovated?
The business you’re working with should always be sympathetic to the fabrics of a building, especially older ones. All buildings are at risk of being damaged whilst being worked on, but with an older building there are several other factors which come into play. The company you’re working with should highlight these to you but if you think they have not taken it into account or been considerate enough then do raise it with them as it’s important. As long as the work is done correctly and in accordance to the age of your building then yes you can still have your home renovated.
How can additional work come up during an installation?
Additional works can be due to either yourself or your room. During your installation you may decide you would like to add another window into your room or simply have the company you are working with also complete the decorating for you, this will extend your renovation time, however, you don’t do this everyday so it’s worth it to get your room completely right and achieve that dream finish. If you decide this before you’re installation begins then the time needed can be calculated into your project, as an example; the decorator may be able to start their work whilst another part of your installation is being completed.
How can additional works be needed due to your room?
Well, when removing your current furniture your fitters may find a plumbing/piping issue or discover electrical issues that would not have been known beforehand. Unfortunately, there is nothing you can do about this but if you’re working with a company that has an in-house team they’ll be able to pull in the correct and qualified member of staff needed to deal with this promptly and reduce any additional time on your project that is needed to rectify the discovered issue. A Project Manager will take the hassle and stress of this away from you and keep you in the loop.
How can I speed up my renovation?
The best way to speed up your bathroom or kitchen renovation is to be organised. Most experienced and quality companies will have a 3 - 4 month lead time. You’re excited and eager to have your room renovated but don’t be put off by the wait, take this as a positive. If a business has a long lead time it means they are a quality and therefore busy business, it also means you have plenty of times to explore colour themes, tile choices and all the other finer details you want to get right. If a company has a short lead time, have a look at customer reviews and even question them as to how they are able to do the work so quickly. There’s no harm in checking out a company or trader before you use them, it’s your home and your money and you want to make sure you have a respectful, experienced and transparent team in your home for the several weeks your renovation will be taking place.
I hope this has helped to answer any questions you may have had around the time scale of a bathroom or kitchen renovation and if you have any other questions please do not hesitate to get in touch with our friendly, experienced and in-house team. We’re open Monday - Saturday and have 4 stores located around Norwich and Diss - click here to find us and get in touch.
Rachel x

Kitchen Colour Schemes

The kitchen is often referred to as the Heart of the Home, and we couldn’t agree more. Whether you love to cook and spend your time trying new recipes and baking to your heart's content or use it as a social area to entertain your friends & family, the kitchen will always be an important part of your home. When it comes to renovating your kitchen it isn’t exactly something you do everyday, for most of us it’s a once in a lifetime project and it’s a decision that takes careful consideration and planning. One of the biggest decisions for our customers comes down to the colour scheme, and we can't blame them, you don’t exactly want to be changing your mind in 2 years time! There are several trends at the moment so I’m going to run through a few of them with you and give you some facts to help you make that all important decision.
White.
The all time classic that never goes out of fashion and always looks great. White is brilliant for many reasons, it’s bright and reflects light beautifully, giving the illusion of more space. It’s also versatile, working with all other colours and patterns, so you could have white kitchen furniture accessorised with your favourite red, blue, green, whichever colour it is that you personally prefer or you can keep it subtle and match the white up with woods and stones. Also it’s meaning, white represents purity, it looks clean and fresh so it makes us feel happy (it’s true, we connect with colours on an emotional level).
Blues & Greens.
Deep, rich tones of blues and greens have been increasing creeping into our kitchens recently, especially in traditional designs. Dark tones are best used for dark rooms, yes you heard correctly, most people think that in order to try and ‘brighten up’ a dark room you should use light tones, however, this is incorrect, light tones actually highlight shadows, having the opposite desired effect and actually making your room look darker. So if you have a dark kitchen and you're trying to brighten the room you should choose a dark colour scheme. Try looking at a ‘Castleton green’ or ‘Prussian Blue’.
Grey.
Grey is a growing trend that we are seeing everywhere, including the kitchen. Grey’s are great, there are so many options and they work so well with both modern and traditional designs. Grey creates an atmosphere of both luxury and class and when your met with a grey kitchen there is an automatic sense of relaxation and warmth. So if you’re going for that upper-market, stylish and cool vibe, grey may well be the colour for you, the decision is what shade to choose …
I hope you’ve enjoyed the little insight on just some of the current kitchen trends we’re seeing in the industry and if you’d like to speak to a member of our friendly team about designing your dream kitchen then please do head over to our contact page today. Click here to find your local store.
Rachel x

"Worth every single penny..."

We had a lovely end to last week thanks to one of our current customers, we're extremely proud of our team and the work they produce and so are our customers. We work hard to build the reputation of our company and we couldn't do it without our amazing customers. So thank you to all of our customers for your business and your ongoing support. Here's what Mrs.E had to say to Sally; Operations Director:Hi Sally, I'm back in your Heigham Street office on Monday to meet Gareth for the next project, my kitchen and utility!!!I can't begin to tell you how great my bathrooms are - worth every single penny as it's transformed my home. I will be doing a recommendation for your website and I know some photos are being taken for your website etc ... A bit sad now the excitement of rushing home from work each night to see what Richard has done each day is over, and who's going to keep an eye on my slow cooker now?? It's been a pleasure NBK - MY THANKS TO THE ENTIRE TEAM. Mrs.E

Kitchen Transformation

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