I pitched. I negotiated. I redesigned (about 12 times). The latest update on my dream kitchen journey, plus my essential planning tips

Interior designer Natalie Jahangiry is one of Ideal Home's new Open House contributors, sharing her thoughts on decorating a home to suit a busy family life while sticking to your aesthetic values, too. See the rest of her articles here.

Part three of my kitchen endeavours and I know the first question you’re all dying to ask: did I manage to convince Tom to go ahead with the plan?

The answer is… YES. We’re officially moving forward, and I have so much to tell you. So grab a cuppa and buckle up for the long run.

Treating the prospect of a shiny new kitchen like a client proposal (Tom being the client… though notably not allowed any creative input), I put together a full design document, a budget tracker — the part he cared about most! — and a vision board.

I presented samples, mapped out the floor plan, and went deep into my research, comparing costs and suppliers across the board (you can read more about my research into suppliers and costs in my previous article here).

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Choosing our kitchen supplier – the verdict

So, after presenting my designs and weighing up the pros and cons, we talked through what would work best for us as a family. Thankfully, we landed on the same conclusion when it came to choosing a kitchen manufacturer.

It’s official – we’re going with (drum roll, please…) Smile Kitchens.

I worked with Corinne, one of the designers at Smile, who took my initial designs and truly elevated them. Through a series of Zoom calls and a lot of emails, we bounced ideas back and forth, refined the layout, and worked through every decision when it came to bespoke elements.

I’ll be completely honest: as a designer, creating my own kitchen has been both exciting and overwhelming. Exciting because this will completely transform how we use the space for family life, the true heart of the home, but overwhelming because I often have too many ideas swirling around at once.

With interiors normally I’m quite decisive, but this time I found myself hesitating, and it gave me a glimpse into how our clients might feel. Partly, it’s because this is the biggest interior cost we’ll make for this home, and partly because I have this inherent urge to make it truly incredible for the best price possible.

So bearing this in mind, Corinne had a challenge on her hands. However she breezed through the process, not only helping me fine-tune my very detailed thinking, but by patiently reworking and adjusting the design time and time again until we reached a place where I felt confident moving forward.

That level of patience and expertise really doesn’t go unnoticed, and I genuinely don’t think I could have achieved this level of detail or support without working with a company like Smile.

So, with all this in mind, Corinne certainly had her work cut out for her. But she navigated the process effortlessly, not only helping me fine-tune my very detailed ideas, but meticulously reworking and adjusting the design over and over again (we may be on version 12 by this point!), until we reached a point where I felt happy to hit the go button.

That level of patience and expertise truly doesn’t go unnoticed, and I genuinely don’t think I could have achieved this level of detail or support without working with a company like Smile.

So do you want to see it?

As I juggle designing my own kitchen alongside client kitchen design, I thought I’d share a few of my top tips for planning your kitchen… in case a renovation is on your radar.

Make a list of priorities for you and your family

You may have seen me mention a few times now the importance of making a priority list before starting any interior project. This helps you (and us, when working with clients) identify the main pain points, understand how the family currently uses the space, and see where it could work better overall.

In a kitchen, this might mean needing more storage, adding colour, changing the style, increasing plug sockets, introducing an island, creating more social breakout areas, or rethinking the layout entirely.

Take the ‘Golden Rules’ with a pinch of salt

If you’ve been following along, you’ll know I’m not one to stick to the usual rules, and designing my own kitchen proved it. Now the traditional rules of kitchen design tell us to stick to the ‘kitchen work triangle’, which basically states that you should keep the sink, the oven, and the fridge to a triangular layout.

But the truth is, by doing so it’s often detrimental to the layout on a whole, especially if you are working with narrower London Victorian houses… like I am. If your space is already compact, don't be afraid to break out of the mould, however do consider placing your bin and dishwasher in close vicinity to the sink.

Plan your electrics ahead of installation

This is often overlooked yet is one of the most important things to plan while renovating because once the units are in, changing anything becomes a headache and not to mention an extra cost!

Thinking ahead means sockets, switches, lighting, and appliance connections are exactly where you need them, instead of being in awkward positions or worse yet having to take in builds apart to put them back together again. A bit of planning early on saves stress later and makes the whole space work better.

Also, top tip, ensure you dot around a few plug sockets in the kitchen with USB ports, you will thank me later!

Layer lighting

I’ve mentioned this before, but I will mention it again for the people at the back, I really, REALLY dislike big overhead lights… even in the kitchen (which Tom doesn’t understand). I get that you need good lighting for cooking, but having options with different brightness levels makes everyone happy.

With that said, layered lighting is key because it lets the kitchen work for both practical tasks and relaxed cosy look and feel. In-unit and strip lights give the right light for cooking, pendants (especially over an island or breakfast bar) add character and focus, and dimmable or mood lighting softens things in the evenings.

I also love a good couple of wall lights above a shelf. Planning lighting early means the kitchen looks great and works well all day. Spotlights? Don’t get me started… I’d happily get rid of them all. Try replacing these with recessed downlights like these from Corston.

Don’t follow trends

I plead with you… please don’t follow a fleeting trend! The problem with trends, especially in kitchen design, is that they come and go so quickly. When you’ve invested a significant amount of money into a kitchen, you don’t want to love it today only to grow out of it a year from now.

Instead, focus on what suits your style and your needs, and choose something timeless that works for the way you actually live. So the real question is: are you designing a kitchen for now, or one you’ll still love years down the line?

Ultimately, a well-designed kitchen isn’t about rules or trends, it’s about creating a space that genuinely works for you and the way you live every day. When the layout makes sense, the lighting feels right, and the details have been properly considered, the kitchen becomes more than just a functional space – it becomes the heart of the home.

And if you need help… you know where to come (check out our Design & Refine services here).

Up next in Kitchen Chronicles Part 4: I’ll go into the finer details, show how the project is coming along, and reveal the elements that take the look to Devol-style perfection… stay tuned.