Experts in Electrical

glazed ones so the light can flood in from other rooms. Also keep the units and decor as light as possible if you struggle with natural light - the light will bounce around.

6. It’s a great time to change the heating If you are carrying out a full-scale renovation, it’s a great time to install underfloor heating. It is an investment to install, however wet underfloor heating is cheaper to run than conventional radiators given the lower temperature required (electric underfloor heating will cost too much to run).

Underfloor heating will free up some wall space where you previously had radiators. Tiles conduct the heat the best for underfloor heating but most engineered wood, laminate and vinyl flooring can also be used with underfloor heating. Read our guide to underfloor heating, to find out more.

If you don’t want underfloor heating then have a think about the positioning of the radiators. Keep them near the dining area rather than in the centre of the kitchen. If you don’t have much wall space, consider installing tall wall radiators.

7. How many electric points do you need? Have a good think about which appliances you use regularly and make sure you have the sockets in the right place when planning a kitchen. Many people now incorporate a pop up socket into the island unit, which can include a USB charger.

Make sure electric points are spread out around the kitchen so that you don’t have too many appliances clustered together. Countertop cabinets are a great choice where you can keep your electric points and appliances hidden behind the cupboard when you are not using them.

8. Think about the appliances carefully It’s a great time to consider the appliances, which ones you need and where to position them.

If you are choosing an island unit, many people go for an induction hob on the island unit with a downdraft extractor fan, this mean you won’t have a chunky extractor fan overhead. Induction hobs are also a safer option if you have children as only the area under the pot gets hot, which is great for little fingers.

Think about what new appliances you would like to introduce. Hot water taps are also very popular, as are integrated wine fridges, coffee machines and microwaves. Just make sure you will use it enough so that it doesn’t take up unnecessary space.

9. How do you want to use your kitchen? Do you want your kitchen to be a sociable space which you can use for entertaining? Do you see your children playing and doing homework or do you want to use it solely as a kitchen with a dining area? If you want to use your kitchen as a multi-functional space, incorporate different zones so you can keep homework separate to the food preparation. Some options to “zone” your kitchen include mixing the flooring, positioning the furniture and changing the lighting.

Also carefully consider the materials that you use throughout the kitchen. If you have a young family then go for flooring such as vinyl that will take a lot of wear and not mark or stain - they are also softer so work well if you have small toddlers falling over! If you love cooking, choose a worktop that is low maintenance and non-porous - don’t choose marble as you will have to continuously clean it (however beautiful it looks)! n

Established for nearly 100 years Chapmans really understand the word Vintage!

If you want to preserve the magic, sounds and memories of your vintage product Chapmans can help. Sometimes the sentimental memories need to come back or maybe you just want to pass it down to future generations. You may be a collector of Vintage equipment which is becoming increasingly valuable and incredibly collectable.

Vintage items were built to last and often produce a lovely warm and mellow sound, once restored they will bring many more years of enjoyment. Robert Chapman says “We really enjoy restoring vintage items and electronic equipment preserving high quality items from oblivion.”

Chapmans team of in house engineers can help with HiFi, Record players, Decks and Radiograms. Plus Separates, Cassette tape and reel to reel recorders. Chapmans source parts from all over the world and have their own car park at their Cradley Heath showroom making access really easy, they can even collect and deliver back your vintage treasures if that is required. Whilst sometimes it is advisable to replace old or faulty products with Chapmans help there are times when a vintage repair is by far the best way to go. n

Chapmans 112-119 Reddal Hill Road Cradley Heath, B64 5JN Tel: 01384 566497

Bromsgrove Domestic Appliances 124 Worcester Road Bromsgrove, B61 7AG Tel: 01527 871478