Kitchen renovation in the City of London

Draw the tasks before the cabinets

We start by following an ordinary meal from unpacking groceries to washing up. That exposes difficulties which a new door finish cannot fix: a fridge behind the person cooking, waste storage across a busy passage, or nowhere to put a hot dish beside the oven. The proposed layout gives each task an accessible place and tests whether two people can use the room together. Appliance doors are drawn open, not only as neat rectangles in a closed plan.

Storage is measured against the things it needs to hold. Tall cupboards can accommodate bulky equipment, but they may take away the best preparation surface or reduce daylight at the end of a narrow room. We compare drawers, shelving and corner arrangements using actual contents and reach. A small kitchen benefits from decisions about what belongs there, including cleaning equipment and recycling, rather than filling every wall with cabinetry that is awkward to use.

Establish the external changes separately

The City Corporation advises that works allowed on a house may require permission on a flat. For a kitchen, the relevant question may be an external extract opening or changed window rather than the choice of cabinet. We mark proposed alterations to the building envelope explicitly, so that the planning enquiry describes the work accurately. Keeping the room in its current location does not remove the need to understand where the air and water connections lead.

In a listed building, the assessment also considers historic features affected by the installation. The Corporation directs applicants to its listed-building consent requirements for such alterations. Our survey records surviving joinery, wall finishes and openings before a design assumes they can be covered or removed. A cabinet arrangement can sometimes retain a feature by changing its depth or fixing method, but the appropriate solution depends on inspection and any necessary consent, not on a standard kitchen detail.

Sources: City Corporation: residential planning permission · City Corporation: listed buildings and alterations

Coordinate extraction, water and electrical demand

The appliance schedule is a design document. It identifies the chosen equipment, connection needs, clearances and maintenance access before the cabinetry is released for manufacture. We compare the proposed extraction route with the equipment specification and the building information available. A recirculating unit and a ducted installation have different requirements, so the choice is recorded rather than left to the fitter when the ceiling is already closed. Noise is considered at the seating and working positions as well as beside the appliance.

Water and waste routes are checked against floor levels and accessible connections. Moving a sink across the room can affect cabinetry depth, usable storage and the space below. Electrical work is planned with the relevant installer so that appliance demand and accessible isolation are accounted for. We also locate sockets for the small appliances you actually use. Trailing leads across a sink or cooking zone are a poor outcome even when the kitchen has enough sockets on paper.

Resolve worktops and cabinetry through the access route

A measured room is only half of the installation survey. We check entrance widths, lift arrangements where relevant, stair turns and the final doorway into the kitchen. The access route can determine worktop divisions and the size of assembled cabinets. These choices should be visible in the design review, especially where a joint would interrupt a feature surface. Building-management arrangements for deliveries and protection are confirmed for the particular property before a delivery is booked.

The fitting drawings record filler pieces, end panels and the relationship between units and uneven existing walls. We look at doors beside walls, drawers near handles and appliances beneath worktops as moving parts. The specification also identifies which panels can be removed for maintenance. Concealing a valve or filter permanently may produce a tidy photograph but makes an ordinary repair unnecessarily disruptive. Installation quality includes the ability to service the kitchen after the original fitter has left.

Test the details under real use

Finish samples are compared with the floor and the lighting intended for the room. Worktop edges, handle profiles and splashback junctions are considered together, including how they will be cleaned. For a kitchen open to a living room, we review visible appliance panels and task lighting from the sofa as well as from the hob. A brighter preparation area need not leave an uncomfortable glare across the rest of the home.

The completion review includes opening every door and drawer, checking clearances around appliances and confirming access to the agreed service points. We inspect sealant, cut edges, worktop joints and the finish around penetrations rather than judging only the main elevations. Equipment instructions and relevant installation records belong with the handover information. If a product or detail changes during the work, the final record should identify what was installed so future maintenance does not rely on an obsolete drawing or an uncertain recollection.

Official sources

City Corporation: residential planning permission · City Corporation: listed buildings and alterations

Sources checked on the dates recorded in the source register, most recently 5 November 2026. Maps, list entries and directions must be checked for the individual property and proposed work.