Julia says the key to your dream kitchen is planning (Picture: Metro.co.uk/ Davonport)

A new kitchen is usually the biggest spend when it comes to home renovations – and silly mistakes can cost more than just money.

DIY SOS star Julia Kendell is used to being called in to rectify all manner of disasters on the TV show, but she believes the key to designing the perfect kitchen is planning.

‘Get it right and it will last 20 years,’ says designer Julia. ‘Get it wrong and you’ll be changing it in five years. That’s bad for your bank balance and even worse for the planet.’

Here, Julia shares her design tips to help create your dream new kitchen – or update your old one.

Evaluate your needs

There’s often a mismatch between a client’s aspirations, available space and budget. It’s important to be realistic from the outset, prioritising what is ‘needed’ as opposed to what is ‘nice to have’.

Walk through your current kitchen, working out where most time is spent, identifying the ‘clunky’ areas you want to change and deciding what is needed to make a seamless kitchen experience.

Over the past 18 months, the kitchen has played a key role in home-working, home-schooling and time together, so initial design considerations need to address all the demands made on this critical space.