After spending so much time inside our homes due to the Covid-19 pandemic lockdowns, many people are feeling inspired by having the time to rummage around social media platforms and spotting creative people showing the world their clever home projects.
It has also made some people feel tired by the decor that surrounds them or now they have the need to create a more multi-functional space if working from home, either full or part time, is now part of life.
And the kitchen, being the heart of the home, is one space where many people dream about an update, but it is probably the most expensive space to totally renew.
READ MORE: How to transform tired outdoor furniture rather than buying new
With more than 25 years of experience in the industry, Paul Jenkinson, founder and managing director of British kitchen brand LochAnna Kitchens says: "Over the last year, we found new ways to store away our clutter at home - including all of our office supplies! The trend for innovative and beautiful storage solutions will continue to dominate kitchen spaces throughout 2022.
"As homeworking continues to be a reality in many of our working lives, homeowners are reclaiming their space from clutter and tidying it away into practical designated spaces. From bespoke lifestyle larders to pull out storage, we have seen a huge increase in demand for integrated storage that makes the most out of the space that you have."
Buying a new kitchen, or even reworking our current kitchen spaces, can be costly. But there are options to cut the budget needed down to a more manageable and tasty sum. One option is to spend the time and care to repaint your current kitchen using specialist paint, and another possibility is to buy a second hand kitchen and repurpose it in your space.
Companies such as Used Kitchen Exchange offer potential buyers a kitchen to repurpose at a lower cost, from ex-display designer kitchens to good quality kitchens being taken out of homes to be replaced by new.
There are options to update your kitchen yourself by being clever and savvy too, repurposing and upcycling stand alone pieces such as dressers, sections of display or pre-loved kitchens, and open-shelving, which is very 'on trend' for 2022.
But one trend that's been around for years and still gaining momentum is a larder, the more affordable and easier to add storage solution compared to a walk-in pantry that not every person has the space to accommodate in their home.
A good quality, free-standing new larder unit can cost from £600 to significantly over £1,000, either as a single purchase or as part of a whole new kitchen, so it's not an item that is within everyone's budget.
So that's where an eBay bargain and a dad who can bring his DIY skills to your kitchen space can save you money whilst creating something bespoke for your home.
Emma Freeman, 53 and from Essex, has shared her transformation of a triple wardrobe into her dream kitchen larder on the Facebook group Clean, Declutter, Organise Your Home UK.
She was longing for a larder as part of a revamp of her kitchen but loved the idea of upcylcing rather than buying new; especially when thinking about the impact on her budget.
Emma says: "So I came up with the idea just by looking at larder cupboards for sale online. They had all the shelves and draws in them and were very nice but way out of my price budget. It literally occurred to me that they were basically wardrobes with the additional shelves and racks in them."
The space Emma wanted to fill in her kitchen was occupied by a tall cupboard and a small sideboard and she always felt it looked a bit odd. She felt that she could utilise the space in a much better way, so she started looking for triple wardrobes on eBay and Facebook Marketplace.
Emma says: "I wanted to use the whole space so had to be a triple. I eventually found the one I purchased on eBay. I sent a picture to my Dad and asked if he thought it would be strong enough for shelves, racks etc. He said he did not think it would be a problem.
"It was up for a starting price of £250 with quite a few watchers. My dad is very good at bidding so I told him to go up to £350 if needed. We won it at £250. It was local to my dad so he collected it, bless him. It came apart but still took up most of his car."
There then came a father and daughter wardrobe transformation conversion where the design of the inside of the wardrobe could be reimagined into the longed for larder.
Emma says: "We discussed how I wanted the shelves, how many, and the depths as I wanted to be able to see everything. Dad measured it all up, bought a sheet of mdf for £10 and cut the shelves and brackets to size. He painted them all white for me then came and fixed them all in."
Dad, also known as 77 year-old John McCarthy, then made the racks out of the two old kitchen cupboard doors that were originally there, so the recycling continued.
The wardrobe didn't even need sanding and painting as Emma loved its current colour. She then filled the wardrobe larder with products and the addition of a few handy storage baskets.
Emma says: "I’m always asking my day about DIY things and he very rarely says 'no, it won’t be possible'. He also made me a beam last year for my fireplace. He bought a lump of oak for £20 then just sanded it all and somehow made it look better than the £150 one I was going to buy!"
After posting the wardrobe upcycle on the Facebook group, Emma was overwhelmed by the positive and complimentary comments from the group members.
She says: "Everyone loves it and although it is a large cupboard because of the colour everyone says it makes the kitchen feel even bigger. I am going to paint all my kitchen and update it this year using green so was very lucky with the colour. I’m also going to add a corner banquette seat and some other bits so it’s an ongoing project."
Emma's Facebook post already has over 5,000 likes and over 700 positive comments, so the wardrobe larder has certainly sparked the imagination of the group members.
But, of course, none of it would be possible without the skill and time of John, so the comments have also been about him, with a certain amount of playful jealousy that Emma is so lucky to have a dad who is happy to use his useful DIY skills to make his daughter happy.
Catherine Pol comments: "I love it !! That would have been exactly the project my own late father would have loved. It looks amazing and is so practical! Great idea!"
And Dawn Anderson is excited by the upcycling element, a very sustainable way to change your decor. She says: "Fantastic, nothing better than recycle, repurpose and reusing and lovely to see your end result, it looks great, and so lovely your dad did this for you!"
Elizabeth Phillips wonders if maybe she could borrow John for her own DIY projects but fears he'll be 'booked out until 2026!'
And Emma couldn't agree more with the group about how amazing her dad is. She says: "He is very clever! He put my whole bathroom in for me, he has also laid all my floors so I have been very lucky. Dad can't believe all the fabulous comments, he said he was only doing his dad thing. Love him, he is the legend!"
But even if you're not lucky enough to have a family member like John or a friend with handy DIY skills, Emma says don't be put off having a go at upcycling.
She says: "I would say to people to just go for it. What can happen? I also try not to look at Instagram and try and do what I want and not what’s trending.
"I think it’s very important for your home to reflect your personality and not what’s 'in fashion'. Most of us cannot afford all the beautiful things we see on the internet anyway." And don't miss out on finding out about interior design to delightful dream homes, sign up to our twice weekly Amazing Welsh Homes newsletter and be kept up-to-date.
