Starbeck, Harrogate · 2026
An oak kitchen in a Victorian terrace, without moving a pipe
Same footprint, new everything: oak-effect units to the ceiling, open shelves instead of wall cupboards, and a concrete-look splashback.
This was a kitchen with a sound layout in a tired state. The sink sat under the only window, the cooker on the chimney wall, and there was no good reason to move either. So we did not, and the budget went on storage and finish instead.
Taking the tall units to the ceiling gave a third more cupboard space. The wall cupboards over the worktop came down and three open oak shelves went up, which made the narrow room feel twice as wide. The oven moved into a tall housing at eye level, freeing a full-width pan drawer underneath the hob.
The numbers
A medium Essential kitchen with no layout change is £19,800 on our price list. The owners added a lighting package and the new consumer unit the electrician found they needed at survey. Final bill: £21,400, three and a half weeks on site.
“They kept everything where it was, and somehow it is a different room. The shelves were the designer’s idea and they are what everyone comments on.”
