This week we invited Jordan, from our Chislehurst showroom, to share her knowledge and expertise on kitchen design as part of our ‘Harvey Jones Expert Q&A’ series.
1. Tell us a bit about yourself and what you do.
My name is Jordan and I have been a kitchen designer at Harvey Jones for five years. I studied graphic design throughout school and college, so I have always had an artistic flair.
2. What is your design mantra?
“Always ask yourself the question, how do you want your kitchen to look when you first enter your home?”
3. What is your kitchen like at home?
I live with my nan and it is a super ‘countryfied’ scheme – I love it.
4. What inspires your work? Where do you go for inspiration?
I use social media as a tool, however, when I’m browsing the web I do go to Houzz.com for a lot of my inspiration. A guilty pleasure of mine is watching Grand Designs; I think the projects are incredible and you can grasp the ideas and concepts surrounding each house.
5. What are your first considerations when designing a new kitchen?
First and foremost, I always ask customers is about their lifestyle; I will then fit their design around that. It’s important to accommodate to their day-to-day needs, then work on the additional elements afterwards.
6. What projects have you found the most rewarding and why?
Firstly, I designed a kitchen and, the customers were thrilled with the final design. Secondly, Harvey Jones was so proud of the design that it now features on the Harvey Jones delivery vans!
7. What do you try to avoid?
I’m finding a lot of projects now are based on moving to a new house rather than improving an existing space. Therefore, customers are in the mentality of getting bulk wall storage. To avoid this happening, I ask customers to put away all their kitchen utensils to see how much space they really ‘need’. This saves on the cost and allows you to be clever and creative with the overall kitchen design.
8. How has kitchen design changed over the last five years?
When I first started at Harvey Jones, everyone was buying Shaker kitchens. However, I now see customers leaning more towards Linear designs and mixing this contemporary concept with different materials and styles.
9. What kitchen trends do you predict in 2018?
Dark colours are definitely here to stay, along with the resurgence of greens. Two-tone kitchens will also be slowly coming back into trends, with colours such as blues and blacks.
10. Do you have any tips for homeowners embarking on a new kitchen project?
Always go and speak to a kitchen designer before you go to an architect. After all, the kitchen is the heart of the home and it’s where people congregate. Everything else, such as skylights and positioning of doors, should be secondary.
Browse our case study page to see more about the Linear kitchen designed by Jordan. Alternatively, request a copy of our brochure here for more kitchen inspiration.
Our expert designers hold a wealth of knowledge to help you progress with your project. Call 0800 389 6938 or visit your local Harvey Jones showroom.
