Trying to design a non-fitted kitchen - help!

[EmilyGB]

I just love those country kitchens with painted and unpainted antique furniture pieces in different colours, rather than fitted cupboards and worktops. But I'm panicking that I don't have the design skills to make it look exciting and it will just be a mess of oddments which looks like we can't afford a proper fitted kitchen (which we can't tbh). Also, how can I get a proper vintage look but still include an ordinary washing machine, tumble dryer, fridge etc.? We have a Victorian cottage but the kitchen will be in a new extension so we can do whatever we like, but the room will just be a rectangle with no vintage character to start with and quite a low ceiling. Any tips? links? suggestions?

You need to be looking online in free cycle anscharity shops

Aim for reds blues and cream

Look at Asda for retro crocks bowls mixing bowls and utensils

You need shelves - chunky ones for storage and jars etc

Go for colour and texture and avoid matchy matchy

Pinterest is great for ideas on vintage retro unfitted kitchens with some great ideas for free standing Belfast sink stands, open chunky shelving, stand alone cookers. White goods can be hidden behind curtains.

You don't need to have design skills, just put together a board of all your favourite things you like and then pick out the bits that you definitely want to incorporate.

If you want to do some of the work yourself it's great to watch Youtube videos on DIY!

hi i'm in the middle of doing mine- the green items ive up cycled myself and the blue ice commissioned- the sink is being put in tomorrow and i'm still awaiting the decorator

things to think of- i'm getting a joiner to box in pipes, you will need your floor doing first, preferably tile or stone.

That looks fantastic, 1MoreRep, I just looooove the green cupboard with pillars and the console table thingy.

Look on ebay for large pine cupboards - i bought one over 20 years ago which is now a larder cupboard in my kitchen.

We have an unfitted kitchen. Ours came from a company in Norfolk. It cost £1500 for 5 cupboards with very heavy tops- in wood. We have integral white goods eg washing machine etc that are hidden in the special cupboards, a Belfast sink and shelving.

Could you put up a curtain to hide the white goods? This sort of thing but in a nicer fabric

Yeah, I'm a bit uncertain about a curtain, it's a nice idea and more in keeping, but I just think they get all dirty and greasy quickly in a kitchen (or maybe it's just my cooking?)

If you make the curtain out of washable fabric you can bung it in the wash with the tea towels? That's what my mum does anyway.

My kitchen is mostly old cupboards I got from a local upcycler. I covered the washer and dryer with curtains, they need a wash now, but they have been up for 4 years People LOVE my kitchen. The rest of the house, however... It's way too outing to post a pic, or I would.