Kitchen Makeovers

Mollie King's Kitchen Makeover

BBC Radio 1 presenter and former member of 'The Saturdays', Mollie King, has a busy lifestyle that meant her new kitchen had to be a functional and social space. From design to installation, learn how Mollie worked with Howdens and her trade professional to make her kitchen makeover a reality. Or, if you are ready to get started on your design, book your appointment today.

A stylish space for entertaining

Mollie’s old kitchen was outdated and cramped, making it uninspiring and difficult to use. So, her new design had to transform her open-plan room into a stylish, multi-functional area where she could whip up quick meals, entertain friends and family, or unwind after a long day in the studio.

Why Mollie chose Howdens

Mollie’s sister had a Howdens kitchen, and Mollie fell in love with it as soon as she saw it. Eager to find out more, she researched Howdens and was impressed with the variety of styles, colours and finishes available. This gave her confidence that she could create a custom design that reflected her personality and lifestyle.

Mollie's kitchen tour

Working with Howdens

Mollie knew she needed to have a tradesperson on board to buy a kitchen from us. This would ensure her new design would be fitted to a professional standard and would last for many years to come.

Connecting with a fitter

With little experience of working with a tradesperson, Mollie found it difficult to know where to start looking for one, so she reached out to her local Howdens depot for help. Through their connections with the local community, Mollie was able to get in touch with Rickie, who had the expertise to carry out a full kitchen installation.

Selecting products

Mollie wanted a shaker kitchen with a contemporary twist, so she chose our Chelford style, which has a wide border and a smooth finish to bring shaker style up-to-date. Following the advice of her designer, Mollie opted for a dove-grey shade instead of navy to brighten her space.

Creating the design

Our kitchen designer went to visit Mollie’s home twice to measure up and ensure they understood exactly what Mollie wanted from her space. Maximising storage was key, so our designer recommended introducing linear elements, like tower banks and drawers, to make the best use of the room.

Mollie SAYS

"My kitchen designer was really helpful, and had so many useful suggestions on how to get the most from my design. My current space is quite dark, so I was advised to add plenty of light to draw attention to statement features and brighten the room."

Bringing it together

Once the design was finalised, Mollie’s local Howdens worked quickly with her fitter Rickie, to bring her kitchen to life. From organising the best times for delivery, to swapping out products during the installation, the depot staff and Rickie worked together to make sure Mollie's experience was smooth and hassle-free.

Delivering an efficient service

Thanks to the experienced staff at the depot and Mollie's fitter Rickie, her new kitchen took little more than a week to be installed, so there was minimal impact to her usual routine. Plus, all of our products are kept in stock locally, ready to be picked, which made it easy for the depot to accommodate any last minute changes.

Getting a professional finish

As an experienced kitchen fitter, Rickie, from New Leaf Carpentry in London, had the know-how to get the job done quickly and efficiently. From installing wall cupboards, to creating a custom breakfast area, Rickie's expertise ensured Mollie's carefully designed new kitchen was up and running in a matter of days.

Building in bespoke details

Mollie wanted a wine cooler to keep drinks nicely chilled for when friends came over for dinner. So, Rickie installed it under the breakfast counter to create a custom bar area. As well as saving space, having the cooler here means that Mollie's favourite drinks are always within easy reach.

Mollie says

“Having an experienced tradesman like Rickie on hand gave me confidence that my kitchen would be fitted to a professional standard. He was also able to recommend a qualified electrician who could fit all of my new lighting, which saved me time.”

Learn about Mollie's style

From luxe quartz, to a hot water tap, explore the products that Mollie used to create a custom design.

White quartz counters

Mollie wanted to use her room for entertaining, so adding a breakfast area makes it multi-functional. She chose a quartz counter in bright white, which has a premium look that makes a statement.

See white Miami quartz breakfast bar

Glass wall cupboards

Glazed units add visual interest and offer a place to show-off barware and trinkets- great when socialising. They also help to break up rows of wall cupboards, making the room appear more open.

Explore glass kitchen doors

Cupboard lighting

Mollie chose retro-fit lights inside her wall cupboards to create a stylish display that showcases her favourite glassware. She also went for down lighters underneath, to brighten work areas when preparing dishes.

Discover kitchen lighting

Instant hot water tap

As well as saving on energy, opting for an instant hot water tap meant that Mollie could have access to near-boiling water instantly. This made it simple to have a quick cuppa to ease those early mornings.

View instant hot water taps