Kitchen renovation tips: from using a local joiner to getting the lighting right, Hollie Bowden’s golden rules

A project in Mildmay Grove, Islington

(Picture: Genevieve Lutkin)

Most of us can paint a living room or put a few pictures up, but a rip-it-out kitchen refit? Now there’s a challenge.

Like bathrooms, these are big expensive decisions that involve a lot of planning – which means it’s all the more rewarding when you get it right.