Don’t move, improve. Kitchens.

With spring around the corner many people are looking to improve their homes rather than undertake a costly and disruptive move. The kitchen is a great place to start and, being the part of the home where families and friends naturally gather, improvements will bring an immediate change to your lifestyle.

The latest trends break away from the conventional wall-to-wall arrangement of fitted kitchens in favour of open plan spaces integrated visually into the main living spaces. Concealing appliances, eliminating handles and using pop up power points, removes visual clutter. Even the extractor fan has had a makeover with designs, such as the Elica Star, that wouldn’t look out of place in a boutique hotel.

Designer Philippe Stark describes his new kitchen range as democratic design, which to you and me boils down to a range of choices to suit our personality, lifestyle and spaces.

You don’t always need the designer label, as there’s plenty of choice with products and materials that give personality and flexibility. Our tip is to treat them like a kit of parts, mix and match off the shelf items with bespoke finishes to create a kitchen that suits the way you want to cook and entertain.

Kitchens are finally throwing off their conventional image and becoming a social hub to be proud of. A great place to both cook and entertain. "Throw another prawn on the built in gas char grill......"