Well, all that wishing for hot summer weather appears to have paid off. Apparently, it’s our longest heatwave in over 40 years, which means there’s plenty of sunshine to go around this year! Wonderfully, for many of us this means our kitchens have never looked brighter, with vast amounts of natural light flooding into the undisputed heart of our home.
Many modern kitchens today aren’t just a place for eating, but also for socialising and relaxing, too. And since natural light is so, so important to many of us when it comes to interior design, we thought it would be a fantastic opportunity to show you how you can make the most of it!
As expert kitchen designers ourselves, we can say with confidence that natural light is used to its most beautiful effect in bright clean colour schemes. It’s why you’ll often see it being used as a vital element in so many contemporary kitchens. Light, neutral colour schemes allow the light to reflect from surfaces, creating a much brighter space. As an extra bonus, this has an added effect of making the space appear much roomier and more comfortable, too!
As you might expect, whites and creams are usually the most popular colours used to achieve this – as you can see in this Contemporary Family Kitchen, above. What’s more, the shade of such clean colour schemes mean they act as the perfect backdrop for you to add touches of extra personality with accessories, feature walls, or highlight even more vibrant colours.
That’s the approach that our customers Rose and Jim opted for, with the help of the talented Will Hustler at our Blackburn showroom. In their Quirky Social Space, you can see how they’ve strategically used shades of blue to give a striking sense of character to their kitchen, enhanced by the natural light pouring in from the windows.
Mirrors are a beautiful interiors touch well-known for their ability to give a sense of spaciousness to a room (quite apart from being handy in more traditional ways, too!). Obviously, they’re fantastic for reflecting natural light, and you can even have fun with strategically placing them so that they reflect daylight to corners where it normally wouldn’t be able to reach. If you have an L-shaped kitchen, for example, you can hang a mirror at the corner so that natural light from the far end of the room can easily reach the nearest corner. Mirrors come in all shapes, sizes and styles, so you’ve got plenty of options when it comes to matching the style of your designer kitchen.
To use one of our own case studies as another example, you can see how this Modern Open Plan Kitchen has neatly combined the concepts of vibrant colours and reflective surfaces in a single striking feature wall. It does an amazing job of giving the kitchen its own unique sense of character, and during the daylight hours it’s beautifully illuminated by the natural light from the windows.
Judging your kitchen’s own lighting is a skill in itself, and the bigger spaces often demand particular care. The trick is to let light flow through your kitchen. To achieve this, it’s often a great idea to carefully place your feature lighting to illuminate spots that daylight wouldn’t normally reach. To revisit the Contemporary Family Kitchen, you can see how the light shining down from the spotlights above is placed so that it bridges the gap between the two sources of natural light from the windows at either end of the room. That way, it complements the natural light by forming a continuous flow of light throughout the space.
On that note, adjustable lighting is often a brilliant choice to opt for if you can. With adjustable lighting, you can gradually fade it up as the room gets darker and darker, rather than instantly flooding the space with bright artificial light when the sunshine is still only just starting to fade from outside.
Of course, exactly how you use artificial light in your space will depend on the exact layout of your designer kitchen. That’s where we can help! Each of our talented kitchen designers has years of experience behind them, which means we’re the perfect people to help you achieve your exact vision for your kitchen. Why not pop down to one of our designer kitchen showrooms in Manchester, Blackburn or Barrowford, and have a quick chat with us over a cuppa!
Introducing Beth Ainsworth to our Blackburn showroom. Beth brings fresh ideas and plenty of enthusiasm to kitchen design. Off the clock, I’m most likely in the gym.
We’re passionate about tailoring our designs to fit your lifestyle, so whether you want a space to entertain or a family-centric kitchen to spend quality time together, our designers know exactly how to make your dream kitchen a reality.
When you book an appointment, you’ll be introduced to your personal kitchen designer, who will sit down with you in our dedicated meeting space to discuss what you want for your dream kitchen. Then, when you’re happy with the final design, they’ll become your dedicated project manager as they oversee every aspect of the installation, guaranteeing exceptional customer service as we deliver the kitchen of your dreams.
Our Summer Sale is officially ON! ✨
If you’ve been dreaming about a new kitchen, there’s never been a better time to make it happen. From timeless designs to modern family spaces, now is the perfect opportunity to save on the kitchen you’ve always wanted.
Visit our showroom or link in bio to get in touch to find out more.
AS SEEN ON GEORGE CLARKE’S BEAUTIFUL BUILDS: FROM DATED LAYOUT TO DREAM ENTERTAINING SPACE
When Katherine and Andrew purchased their property, they always knew a full renovation would follow.
With both the outdated kitchen and untouched garden requiring significant transformation, the project soon became part of Channel 4’s George Clarke’s Beautiful Builds – it was an opportunity they felt perfectly aligned with their vision for the property.
While searching for a local kitchen specialist, Kitchen Design Centre immediately stood out thanks to its long-standing reputation, glowing customer reviews and welcoming showroom experience.
The brief focused on creating a sleek, contemporary kitchen that would feel open, social and highly functional, while complementing the wider architectural renovation of the home.
The finished design delivers a beautifully balanced space that combines clean lines with luxurious detailing.
One of the standout features is the striking worktop design. The waterfall edge peninsula creates a bold focal point within the room, while the continuation of the material across the side panels introduces a seamless, premium aesthetic.
Functionality was equally important throughout the design process, with carefully considered storage solutions and high-quality appliances helping to simplify everyday living. Among Katherine and Andrew’s favourite additions is the Neff oven, praised for both its versatility and pyrolytic self-cleaning function.
The completed result is a sophisticated contemporary space that completely transforms how the home looks, feels, and functions, perfectly reflecting Katherine and Andrew’s original vision from the moment they moved in.
More details in our bio
SUMMER JUST GOT EVEN BETTER FOR YOUR DREAM KITCHEN!
You don’t have to keep waiting for your dream kitchen. With flexible finance options on kitchens over £20,000, it’s ready when you are. Spread the cost of your kitchen plans and move forward in a way that works for you this summer.
With our exclusive Quooker offer, when you purchase any Quooker Tap and Tank system with a kitchen over £20,000, you’ll receive a FREE Quooker CUBE worth £1,250, plus free installation worth up to £384, and 4 free CO₂ cylinders worth £70. It’s everything you need to enjoy chilled, filtered, sparkling and boiling water straight from your tap.
And when you step into our showrooms, there are even more opportunities waiting for you, including exclusive savings on selected ex-display kitchens and up to 50% off selected stock appliances. Don’t miss this rare chance to secure something special, with design and value combined.
That said, like all great things, these summer offers are only available for a limited time — once they’re gone, they’re gone!
The kitchen isn’t just a place to cook — it’s the heart of the home.
At our Kitchen Design Centre, we believe your kitchen should be the centrepiece of your house, where style meets functionality and every moment matters. From morning coffees to family dinners and everything in between, your kitchen is where life happens.
That’s why we design spaces that bring people together — beautiful, practical, and tailored to you. Whether you’re dreaming of a sleek modern look or a warm, classic feel, we’re here to help you create a kitchen that truly feels like home.
Visit us today and start designing the heart of your home.
Book A Free Design Appointment
