Installing laminate or wooden kitchen worktops

Choosing the right counter tops is crucial when transforming your kitchen into a functional and aesthetically pleasing space. Laminate and wooden kitchen worktops are popular for homeowners seeking durability, style and affordability. Whether renovating your kitchen or building a new one, installing laminate or wooden kitchen worktops requires careful planning and execution to ensure a seamless and long-lasting finish.

This guide will walk you through the steps and considerations involved in installing these versatile and beautiful kitchen worktops, helping you achieve the perfect look and functionality for your culinary haven.

1. Preparation is key

Before embarking on this DIY adventure, ensure your kitchen floor units are solidly anchored and impeccably levelled. An uneven base can complicate the worktop installation, leading to potential wobbling or misalignments.

This guide focuses on easily cuttable materials: laminate and solid wood. Professional assistance is essential if you’re considering granite, quartz or other solid surfaces. They’ll ensure the precision of your kitchen’s template and handle the off-site worktop preparation.

Before the installation, cleanliness is pivotal. Remove any sawdust or residue from your floor units. Also, the surfaces, especially the rear walls, should be smooth and even.

2. Essential tools

For a seamless installation, gather:

The kitchen worktop (laminate, wood or butcher’s block)
Joining strips for the worktop
A timber baton
Two G-clamps
A circular saw
Safety equipment: eye goggles and gloves
Measuring tools: tape, utility square, pencil
Electric or Phillips screwdriver
Sandpaper for finishing touches
Hacksaw
Electric drill with drill bits
Masking tape and scissors
Screws for securing

3. The art of setting out

Strategising or ‘setting out’ ensures you minimise cuts and optimise the factory-cut edges of the worktops, providing a neat, consistent look. Ideal installations should have minimal joints, presenting a single continuous surface illusion.

The longer worktop sections should align with the lengthier walls for kitchens with an L or U shape, while the shorter sections cover the adjoining areas. Aim to position the joining strips inconspicuously to preserve the worktop’s aesthetic integrity.

4. Measuring and precision cutting

Start with your kitchen’s longest wall. Remember to account for an overhang (around 20mm) beyond the edge of the kitchen units when measuring the worktop length. Accurately mark this on the underside of the worktop using your measuring tools.

Affix a timber baton to the worktop to guide precise cutting, ensuring alignment with your pencil markings. This strategy guarantees straight, neat cuts. When cutting, prioritise safety by wearing goggles and gloves. Maintain a steady pace, avoiding stops that could cause splintering.

Post-cutting, lightly sandpaper the edges to eliminate imperfections, ensuring you focus only on the sides and not the main surfaces.

5. Installing the worktop

Position the cut worktop over the base units, aligning it perfectly. Ensure the overhangs are uniform and rest snugly against the rear wall. Use G-clamps to anchor the worktop to the base units below temporarily.

The attachment mechanism may vary, but typically, you’ll need to drill pilot holes from the base units into the worktop without breaching the top surface. These holes facilitate the screwing process. After drilling, join the worktop and base units with screws at both the front and back to ensure stability.

This procedure remains consistent for all subsequent worktop sections.

For adjoining sections, employ joining strips to achieve a cohesive finish. Measure the required length and trim it with a hacksaw. Secure this strip to the worktop edge and slide it into its desired position. Once you’re satisfied, anchor it to the base units.

6. Finishing flourishes

Exposed edges of materials like laminate might necessitate the application of a finishing strip. Measure, tape and template this strip according to your worktop’s profile, then trim it accordingly. Apply the supplied glue (in a well-ventilated room) to the end strip and the worktop edge. Allow it to cure briefly, then position the end strip and hold it in place with masking tape until the adhesive solidifies. If any protrusions or inconsistencies appear, gently sand them for a polished finish.

With these steps at your fingertips, you can fit the rest of your kitchen worktops with precision and confidence.

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Best kitchen colour schemes with black appliances

Black appliances are becoming a popular choice among home-owners these days and for good reason. Black is a versatile colour, has a stylish and sleek appearance, and is easier to maintain than white appliances. If you’re planning on buying black appliances, take into account the overall look of your kitchen. The colour of your cabinets and your appliances should match or complement each other to make your kitchen visually coherent.

While a popular consumer choice is black appliances with white cabinets there are plenty of other options to consider. Would other colours of kitchen cabinets with black appliances look visually appealing? Let’s discuss them below.

What colour kitchen appliances are in style?

Before we get to the nitty-gritty about deciding on the perfect colour for your kitchen and choosing colour that complements black appliances, let’s first consider what other options are available. Kitchen appliances are available in a few different colours; however, the most common ones we see are white and silver with differing finishes. Let’s take a deeper dive into some of them.

Black stainless steel appliances

Black stainless steel is one of those finishes that remains timeless. This finish is flexible and versatile and can be easily paired with other colours; be it neutral, pastel, bright or beige. Another advantage of black stainless steel appliances is that it’s smudge-proof and very easy to maintain.

Matte black appliances

A matte black finish is also another appliance option that design-conscious home-owners are currently loving. Unlike stainless steel appliances, which are usually shiny and reflective, matte black is the exact opposite. It has a dull and deep appearance which lends it a sleek and masculine look.

Stainless steel appliances

Stainless steel kitchen appliances offer a shiny and stylish look that adds a modern touch to any kitchen. Not only do they look great, but stainless steel is durable and easy to clean and maintain. Stainless steel appliances are corrosion-resistant and very hygienic, making them ideal for sanitary-aware homes.

White appliances

Obviously, white remains the most popular colour choice for appliances – it’s why they’re often referred to as ‘white goods’. White is the preferred option for several reasons. It could be because of the wide availability of appliances in the colour and the overall aesthetic effect it brings to a kitchen’s interior décor. White appliances, however, can easily show any dirt, marks and stains. If you want to avoid a stark, all-white kitchen look, opting for off-white appliances would be a good alternative.

Off-white appliances

If you want a dreamy kitchen look, you can find pastel-coloured kitchen appliances. Off-white kitchen appliances offer a classic look that complements traditional or mid-century kitchen designs. This neutral shade is perfect for creating cohesion among different colours and textures in the kitchen, while also helping to create a light and airy feel. Off-white appliances are available in many styles and mostly are highly durable and easy to maintain.

Tips for choosing a colour that complements black appliances

While kitchen’s fitted with different colour appliances looks more fun and visually playful, many people prefer to go for a modest and simple kitchen style by incorporating black appliances. If you’ve already opted to go for black appliances, or you already bought black appliances, the next step is to select the best colour for kitchen appliances that will complement black. If you have black kitchen appliances, what colour cabinet should you have? Here are a few tips and tricks you can follow.

Black appliances with white cabinets is always a good idea
The most straightforward colour to pair black appliances with is white. You’ll never go wrong with black appliances in a white kitchen. This colour combination is best suited to contemporary and modern kitchens. White cabinets surrounding black appliances create a stark visual contrast. It’s a good design technique to avoid kitchen spaces looking boring.
Try brown cupboards and black appliances
Black stainless steel appliances with brown cabinets is a colour combination you should opt for when designing traditional kitchens. Having dark brown kitchen cabinets with black appliances makes the kitchen look elegant and sophisticated. Interior design trends like modern Victorian, farmhouse and industrial are best achieved if you pair dark stained wood kitchen cabinets with black appliances.
Black appliances with grey cabinetry is an attractive alternative
When choosing a colour to pair with your black appliances, sticking to neutral ones means you can’t go wrong. Grey cabinets with black stainless appliances look good together because it creates visual continuity. Unlike white where it creates contrast, grey is like a supporting backdrop for the black-coloured appliance. It makes your aesthetic cleaner, calmer and more laid back. Experiment with different shades of grey such as dark or light grey kitchen cabinets with black appliances.
Black on black: black kitchen cabinets / black appliances
If you’re obsessed with the colour black, there’s no reason why you can’t create an all-black kitchen. Don’t be afraid to deviate from the norm and opt for black cabinets with black appliances. This combination is rare and not everyone can pull off a perfect interior design composition by pairing black kitchen cabinets with black stainless steel appliances. However, this doesn’t mean that it’s impossible.
Go for beige kitchen cabinets with black appliances for a minimalist look
A kitchen can sometimes appear dull and uninteresting if you stick to neutral or black and white colour schemes. For people who want to avoid the all-white or all-black kitchen aesthetic, incorporate colour in subtle yet significant ways by painting the kitchen cabinets in beige hues.

How to choose the perfect colour for your kitchen

When choosing the perfect colour palette for kitchen, it’s not just the appliances and cabinets that you should consider. Also think about the counter-tops, splash-backs, walls and flooring of the kitchen. Here’s a few tips how you can follow when selecting kitchen colour schemes.

Create a mood board when choosing a kitchen cabinet colour
Choosing a shade to paint your kitchen cabinets with can be a complex task. It includes knowing the basic colour theories and interior design rules. To avoid making costly mistakes, create a mood board beforehand. The mood board will serve as your guide on what paint colour and material to purchase.
Decide on the colour of kitchen appliances
Next, decide what colour kitchen appliances you’d like to go for. Black? White? Multi? Gloss? Matte? Colourful, pastel tones? This choice should also be presented in your mood board.
Choose the counter-top colour
Choose what kind of counter-top will work alongside to your chosen kitchen cabinet and appliance colour. Don’t just consider the colour when choosing counter-tops. Also think about the material and its characteristics and whether or not it is practical and suitable for your kitchen.
Select the kitchen floor material
In order for everything to be visually coherent, the kitchen flooring should also be taken into account. Popular options include laminate, hardwood, and tile flooring. A general guideline is to choose a second prominent colour. It should be something that is complimentary yet contrasting to better shape your kitchens visual appeal.
Pick the kitchen wall colour
Picking the colour of your kitchen walls is a personal decision, but there are a few factors to consider when making this choice. Firstly, you want to select a shade that will complement the overall design style of your kitchen. In addition, you should also take into account the amount of natural light in your kitchen space as this can affect how the colour appears. Finally, it’s important to consider the mood you want to create; softer shades will make a room feel more serene and airy, while brighter colours can make a room feel more vibrant and energetic. Taking these factors into consideration will help you pick the perfect colour for your kitchen walls.

Charity Vintage: 50s kitchen cupboard

Homemakers Community Recycling* is currently selling this lovely little vintage, floor-standing 50s kitchen cupboard. Its ‘buy it now’ price of £30 is very fair but they’re open to offers. And, if your not local to Abergavenny and/or you’re not able to collect, they’re happy to arrange delivery with Abbey Couriers (who we’ve used in the past and are very happy to recommend).

We regularly feature 50s kitchen cupboards on our Charity Vintage series. They’re very popular, we love vintage free-standing kitchen units, they’re practical, attractive, built to last and importantly – very affordable! If you have a small or awkwardly shaped kitchen, pieces like this one are perfect.

*Homemakers Community Recycling helps reduce landfill within Monmouthshire and provides affordable furniture and household items for those in need

3 Tips for Measuring Kitchen Cabinets

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Starting a kitchen remodel can be an exciting time – it can also quickly become a time you can’t wait to just be over and done with. Many home-owners don’t realise all that is included in a kitchen renovation, but with some additional knowledge, the task can actually turn into something that can be fun!

Here are some tips to follow when starting out in selecting new kitchen cabinets.

Use all the free tools available

Many home improvement and cabinet stores have great cabinet materials that can help you start measuring your cabinetry and see what options are in stock that will fit your needs. This material is typically free and can save you a lot of time in planning. It’s important to keep in mind that unless you’re doing custom cabinetry, you’re fairly limited to the cabinets that are kept in stock.

In addition to brick and mortar stores, many companies have online tools that can be very helpful in laying out a new cabinet design. Often, they will then tell you exactly what cabinets you will need to finish off your new design. It’s almost like having a personal kitchen designer to help you from start to finish.

Use the measurements from old cabinets

If you like the general layout of your current kitchen, but want an updated look or wood, use the measurements from your existing cabinetry to give yourself a starting point for your design.

This can be especially helpful if you’ve lived with the existing cabinetry – you know what drives you nuts about the current layout and what improvements should be made for a better functioning kitchen. Use this knowledge to your advantage!

Another alternative is to simply refinish your existing cabinets with new hardware, stain, etc.

Often times home-owners are shocked that their existing materials can be refinished into beautiful, updated pieces to give their kitchen a whole new look. While this might not be for everyone, it’s definitely an option to consider.

Things to consider

If you decide to go with in-stock cabinets, keep in mind that some cabinets require an additional cabinet to sit next to it, or a separate trim piece needs to be purchased to make the cabinet have a finished look. Also, this might seem obvious, but most DIY-ers are surprised to find out that cabinets aren’t finished on the top. They are designed to have a counter top placed on top of them to finish them off. This is important to consider if you’re considering in-stock cabinetry for other uses besides traditional kitchen or bathroom use.

Also, have you ever noticed that in typical kitchens the cabinets above the fridge are actually deeper than the rest of the cabinetry? This is done on purpose. Many people learn the hard way that this isn’t just a style preference. The cabinets are designed to be deeper so that they are more easily accessible. Keep this in mind when designing your kitchen layout.

Additionally, you might want to consider adding electricity to your cabinets, especially if you’re adding in an island. This can save you a lot of headaches, and it allows you to use kitchen appliances on your island, adding to your overall available work space.