Kitchen Design Tips, Inspiration & News | Koivu Blog

10 fascinating forest facts for International Day of Forests

Planet-friendly homewares and furniture from the best of British sustainable interiors companies.

Which of these incredible forest facts is your favourite?

There are plenty of expert opinions out there about home interiors trends for 2024. Here are some of the common kitchen-related themes we’ve spotted.

Small kitchen-based changes we should all be making this year

There are plenty of reasons to come along to the Homebuilding & Renovating Show this year. Meeting the Koivu team is just one of them!

14 eco-friendly Christmas decorations to make

Planet-friendly homewares and furniture from the best of British sustainable interiors companies.

Ditch the plastic and add some sustainable decorations to your home this Christmas with these fab eco-friendly projects to try.

A Koivu case study: Whitstable white & black

Take inspiration from this bright, bold kitchen designed bespoke for clients in northeast London.

Find out what happened behind the scenes of this Koivu kitchen project in Whitstable. What did the client think of the end result?

So you think you want a Koivu kitchen. Now what?

Whether it’s the flexibility to create the design of your dreams or the freedom to create a kitchen that fits perfectly into the space available, there are plenty of reasons we believe bespoke is better.

Want to know what you can expect from our kitchen design process? Here we’ve got the details and timescales so you can get planning.

Whether you love them or loathe them kitchen islands are here to stay. But would you want one in your new kitchen design?

How to create a truly sustainable kitchen

Find out how to make your kitchen more sustainable

Want to find ways to reduce your environmental impact? Make some changes in your kitchen. You might be surprised at the difference it makes.

Your invitation to visit our NEW kitchen showroom

Want to see a KOIVU kitchen in real life? Book an appointment to visit our Kent showroom.

5 ways to make your Christmas dinner more sustainable

Fancy creating a more planet-friendly festive feast this year? Here are just some of the ways you can make it happen.

Christmas is a very good time to reconsider your choices and get more planet friendly.

Case study: A plywood kitchen for a self-build in Wiltshire

If you want your kitchen to be the heart of your home it needs to be central to your design process. That’s why getting us involved at the start of the process is the best way to get a great result

Take inspiration from this blue birch kitchen and find out more about the way we work.

Large kitchen? 5 ways to avoid blowing your budget

A larger kitchen might mean a larger budget but that doesn’t make it any easier to stick to! Find out our designers' large kitchen budget tips for saving the pennies when the money gets tight.

Staycationing this summer? Head South-east

Decided not to travel abroad this summer? Let us introduce a few of the more unique accommodation choices in our beautiful part of the UK.

Take a look at some alternative options for your staycation this summer.

7 reasons bespoke kitchens are better

Whether it’s the flexibility to create the design of your dreams or the freedom to create a kitchen that fits perfectly into the space available, there are plenty of reasons we believe bespoke is better.

What does your choice of kitchen colour say about you?

What colour is your kitchen and what does that say about you? Let’s delve into the colour psychology of interior design to find out.

Take inspiration from this yellow birch plywood and Formica kitchen and find out more about the way we work.

Let’s talk about… butler’s cupboards

Extra storage space, extra workspace, what’s not to love about the idea of including a butler cupboard in your new kitchen design?

Take inspiration from this white kitchen to find out more about how we work.

How to create an energy-saving kitchen

Looking to save energy? Start in your kitchen. Here are just some of the ways you can make a difference on a daily basis.

11 interiors companies that have a clean, green ethos

Planet-friendly homewares and furniture from the best of British sustainable interiors companies.

Plants pair particularly well with natural plywood kitchens.

Eco-friendly Christmas gifts for the kitchen-lover in your life

Looking for perfect planet-friendly stocking fillers? We've trawled some of the UK's most eco-friendly independent retailers to find these great kitchen-related ideas.

It’s time to think about some special kitchen gifts for Christmas with an eco-friendly focus.

Are you dreaming of a white kitchen?

Undecided about whether a white kitchen would suit your home? Here we’re exploring a few of the reasons why you really can’t go wrong.

Take inspiration from this white kitchen to find out more about how we work.

Have you thought about your water?

A kitchen design will never be complete without the perfect tap, but do you know what the options are when it comes to finding the perfect one for you?

Taps are an essential part of any kitchen so let’s discuss your options.

A Koivu case study: The yellow one

Take inspiration from this bright, bold kitchen designed bespoke for clients in northeast London.

Take inspiration from this yellow birch plywood and Formica kitchen and find out more about the way we work.

Could a self-build be right for you?

Setting out to build your own home can be an exciting prospect. Here we explore some of the pros and cons of a self-build project. Could this be the right route for you?

Considering a self-build project? Read on.

How to smash the outdoor kitchen trend

Ever considered designing an outdoor kitchen to extend your living space into nature? Read on for plenty of tips and advice you should consider to get the best out of it.

Find out more about the latest trend in kitchens.

What is plywood and how is it made?

This month we thought we’d go back to our roots and look at the beautiful material we use to make our Koivu kitchens what they are. Plywood.

Find out more about Koivu’s chosen material for our kitchen – plywood.

What should you do when an appliance breaks down

Suddenly the oven doesn’t seem to be behaving quite as it should

Tips on coping with an appliance that stops working

Fun DIY ways to decorate your home this Christmas

Still wishing the house looked a little more Christmassy?

Take on a couple of these DIY Christmas decoration

15 Tips to help you create a more eco-friendly kitchen design

We don’t just say we’re environmentally friendly, you can see it in everything we do.

Tips to help you make sure your kitchen is that little bit greener.

How to choose houseplants to complement your kitchen

Why not include some greenery in your new kitchen design?

Plants pair particularly well with natural plywood kitchens.

5 Reasons to Renovate Rather Than Move

You’re outgrowing your house or it’s not quite giving you what you need?

Should you invest in your existing property instead of finding a new one?

Tips and tricks for when you’re without a kitchen

The amount of time you’ll have to cope without a kitchen will vary

Here at Koivu we build all your units in our workshop, meaning far less time fitting on site.

5 Reasons we love plywood

Plywood is increasingly recognised as a wonderful, versatile material.

The main reason we like plywood so much is because of the way it looks. And plywood is so strong we offer a guarantee of 25 years.

5 Food Festivals Taking Place in the South of the UK This Summer

A perfect way to taste cuisine from all over the world

A great family day out, with food, drink, live music and more. The best food festivals the south of the UK has to offer this summer.

What are VOCs and do you need to worry?

VOCs can be found in many common household items

Experts recommend trying to reduce the levels of VOCs in our homes to improve our health in both the short and long term.

Kitchen design ideas from the interior style pros

Where do you even start to create such a multifunctional space?

To get you started, we’ve asked some of our favourite interior designers from across the UK for their top tips. And here’s what they told us.

How can you choose a more sustainable kitchen?

What do we mean by sustainable?

It’s about protecting our beautiful planet and handing it down to our children’s children in a reasonable state. When it comes to choosing a new kitchen there is plenty you can do.

Appliances in focus: Induction hobs

What is an induction hob? How do they work?

An induction hob is a modern alternative to electric or gas. Many induction hobs have flexible cooking zones, inbuilt timers and warming functions making them incredibly versatile.

Is flexitarianism the future?

What are the benefits of reducing meat and animal product consumption?

scientists across the globe have experimented to determine a “planetary health diet” – the one that is the most beneficial to our health and the planet and should be encouraged in all countries if the Earth is to remain sustainable.

The Koivu Story

Doug and Keren, husband and wife team behind the Koivu brand

After seeing a kitchen made from plywood, Doug became fascinated by the strength, beauty and possibilities afforded by the beautiful material.

7 Questions to ask when you’re choosing a kitchen fitter

Get value for money and protect yourself from any mishaps

Who will be doing the work for you? You might pay one company to provide and install your new units and worktops, or alternatively you might decide to organise everything separately.

How to budget for your new kitchen

Filling in the blanks with costs and options.

Arguably the most difficult part of any new kitchen project is making the numbers fit. It’s easy to get carried away in showrooms and let your imagination run wild only to find that the kitchen you’ve set your heart on is simply out of reach.

Kitchen Trends – What’s hot for 2019?

Create a room that’s more than just for cooking.

Perhaps a cosy wallpapered snug corner with bespoke cushioned benches and a compact dining table, a comfy arm chair and side table for relaxing with a good book, or a smart multifunctional island – part desk, part breakfast bar, part kitchen workspace.

Christmas kitchen

How to design your kitchen for stress free Christmas Dinner prep.

If you’re the meal-provider in the family, along with the excitement of the day itself comes an awful lot of hard work. So why not make those festive preparations easier by designing your kitchen to take some of the strain?

How to design your kitchen – Part four

Other things to think about.

Here we bring you the final part including the importance of lighting and other things you will need to consider.

Here, we talk about the next part of Doug’’s speech at Grand Designs Live, about choosing worktops, units and making sure you get the look you want.

The ability to cook is a vital part of your kitchen and with so many different options available, it’s something you’ll need to give plenty of thought to.
We share our advice from 20+ years designing kitchens.

For many people the idea of planning your own kitchen can be a little overwhelming. It’s hard to know where to start, and even one trip to a kitchen showroom will make you realise just how many things you need to think about.