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Stop buying "boxes": how to get a kitchen that actually works
Sebastian Aronowitz · Episode 24 · 23 October 2026
Many showrooms start with the units they already sell and fit them into your room. Kitchen designer Sebastian Aronowitz works the other way round: work out how you live and cook first, then get the kitchen made to suit.
Sebastian joins Bart and Tina to talk through layouts, materials, worktops, extraction and the hidden costs that catch homeowners out.
Layout first, looks second
A kitchen can look right on a plan and still be frustrating to use. Bart recalls a large fridge fitted so close to a wall that its door could not open properly. The appliance fitted the gap; the way it needed to work had been missed.
Sebastian starts with how the room will be used: who cooks, how many people share the space, what needs storing and where food and equipment should be within reach. Exploring different layouts reveals choices that a showroom display or a saved photograph may never suggest.
An island can help you cook while facing the family, but it should earn its place. The useful starting point is your everyday routine, before choosing the doors, colours and finishes.
01
How you live
Cooking, family life, entertaining and storage.
02
Layout
Plan the space around how you use it.
03
Appliances
Choose them early. They shape the design.
04
Finishes
Pick the looks last.
What does "bespoke" actually mean?
Three kitchen quotes can look comparable while describing very different things. Sebastian separates standard cabinets in fixed sizes, made-to-measure ranges with adjustable dimensions, and a truly bespoke kitchen made to your design. A standard range may suit both your room and your taste perfectly; the label alone does not tell you which route is right.
The useful question is what you need to change. Is it a cabinet width, a colour, the arrangement of storage or the whole design? Sebastian explains why he begins with an independent consultation: understanding what is possible makes it easier to compare proposals, rather than letting the price become the only clear difference.
Why the extractor decision starts before the build
An expensive extractor cannot make up for a poorly planned duct. Sebastian explains why the size and route of the ducting matter, and why leaving that discussion until the kitchen arrives can close off options.
Bart recalls projects where a kitchen supplier asked for an extraction route under a floor that had already been poured. Add underfloor heating and changing it becomes harder still. The same problem appears at the edge of a room: an opening planned tightly around a standard worktop depth can restrict the appliances, sink or tap you later choose.
The kitchen and the building need to be designed together. Agree the appliances, extraction route and services with the people doing the work while changes are still straightforward. The full conversation explores how those small assumptions become expensive compromises.
Worktops in plain English
Would you enjoy a worktop that develops marks and character, or would those same marks annoy you? Sebastian uses that question to move the discussion beyond the sample in a showroom and towards how you will live with the surface.
Laminate: a lower-cost option that Sebastian describes as very functional. A modest price does not automatically make a surface impractical.
Wood: be realistic about oiling, spills and water around the sink. Sebastian gives the example of a wet towel left beneath drying dishes: an everyday habit that can damage a timber worktop.
Natural stone: the stones vary, but spills, stains and suitable cleaning need thought. Ask about the care required for the particular surface you choose.
Quartz and porcelain: the man-made options Sebastian uses most often for clients who want less maintenance. The decision is about the upkeep you will actually do, as well as the look you want.
The kitchen quote isn't the kitchen cost
The cupboards, worktops and appliances are only part of the bill. Change the layout and you may discover that the flooring stops where the old units began. Move the electrics and plastering or redecoration can follow. Plumbing and fitting also need a place in the budget.
That is why Sebastian finds “How much does a kitchen cost?” impossible to answer without defining what is included. Before comparing prices, check whether each figure covers the same finished room, including the work around the kitchen.
Installation deserves particular attention. If your builder is arranging it, ask who will actually do the fitting and how regularly they fit kitchens. Sebastian favours a specialist who can anticipate the details and problems, rather than having to work them out as the installation progresses.
Three decisions to take into your project
01 Design the kitchen before you build.
Get the design done while services and ducting can still change.
02 Choose appliances and plan extraction early.
Size and route the extraction ducting before the build fixes it.
03 Budget for the complete kitchen.
Allow for fitting, flooring, electrics, plastering, plumbing and decorating.
The full conversation
Kitchen photography courtesy of The London Kitchen Company. Photographers: Chris Snook, Emma Johnson, Alexandria Hall. Workshop photo by Sebastian Aronowitz.
Episode 24 · 23 October 2026
Meet Sebastian Aronowitz
Sebastian started out as a cabinet maker and now runs The London Kitchen Company. He helps homeowners design their own kitchens and then gets them made.