Kitchen makeovers

Fifi's Rustic Revamp

Interior renovation blogger, Fifi McGee, wanted to turn her city home into a cosy, country retreat. Inspired by the humble charm of rustic style, explore how her kitchen makeover made the most of natural materials, earthy tones, and period features to create an inviting space. Or, get started on your new layout by booking a design appointment today.

About Fifi

Fifi and her fiancé, Neil, live in the seaside city of Brighton. As lovers of the countryside and rural living, they bought their 1930's home a few years back and decided to turn it into their very own country retreat with the help of Howdens. You can discover more about their entire home renovation on their blog.

Read Fifi's blog

The transformation

Narrow and neglected

Fifi’s old design was stuck in a style rut due to years of neglect, making it an uninspiring space to spend time in. The cramped layout made it difficult for Fifi and her fiancé to entertain guests, so this was a focus for them when updating the room.

Classic and cosy

The warm shade and classic, shaker styling of Fifi’s Fairford kitchen introduced a homely, farmhouse feel. The new layout was more open and easier to work in, and offered more space to store items.

Explore Fairford fitted kitchens

The design details

A breakfast area

As well as offering a causal space to socialise and work, Fifi’s new breakfast counter meant extra units could be fitted underneath. She has been able to include integrated waste bins here, making it easy to keep everything neat and tidy.

Timber textures

A lover of natural materials, Fifi wanted timber surfaces in her new design to add warmth. The organic texture also worked well with the wood-grain detail of the Fairford cupboards, creating a characterful look.

Open shelving

Instead of a whole row of wall units, Fifi decided to include some open shelving to break up the layout, and create visual interest. Here, she can show off trinkets and ornaments to add extra personality to the space.

Fifi McGee

“My favourite feature of the new kitchen has to be the built-in bins. It tidies away any mess and smells to keep the space looking neat and inviting. It’s the small details like this that really improve day to day life when there’s so many other things on your to-do list.”

Working with Howdens

Finding a fitter

Fifi’s trade professional was recommended by a friend thanks to his previous experience of working with us. He explained that the service was prompt, with stock found locally, and changes could be dealt with quickly. For help on finding a fitter, contact your local depot.

Find a depot

Product choice

Quality and style were important to Fifi, so she was pleased that there was a wide product selection available at Howdens. Set on a shaker scheme, Fifi was able to find a design that was affordable and offered the heritage style she was looking for.

Design service

To make the most of the space available, Fifi’s designer suggested switching from a u-shape layout to a peninsula design. This would add extra storage where Fifi could store less-frequently used items, and create a subtle divide between her dining room and cooking area.

Installation

Fifi’s fitter had plenty of experience in fitting kitchens, which meant her installation went smoothly. His expertise also meant he was able to create custom features, such as repurposing the tongue-and-groove, end-panel offcuts to create shelves.

Fifi McGee

“In my blog, I recommend Howdens to my community of first-time renovators all the time. They are good value for money, high quality, experts in kitchen design and fitting, and genuinely care about getting you the kitchen of your dreams.”