Case study · East Kilbride, South Lanarkshire
Open-plan kitchen-diner in an East Kilbride semi (G75)
An East Kilbride open-plan kitchen-diner replaces a dated 2000s kitchen in an already-knocked-through semi. The new layout is a two-tone navy and oak shaker with a peninsular for casual seating, completed in 4 weeks for £24,000–£28,000.
Privacy: Exact street and client details withheld for privacy. Postcode district and project facts are accurate.
Project at a glance
- Area
- East Kilbride, South Lanarkshire
- Postcode
- G75 (district level)
- Property
- 1980s semi-detached with previously knocked-through kitchen-diner
- Completed
- 2024
- Cost band
- £24,000 – £28,000 (supply and installation)
- Time on site
- 4 weeks on site, 6 week lead time on units
The brief
The owners had previously removed the wall between kitchen and dining room but the original kitchen layout didn't suit the open-plan space. They wanted the kitchen and dining areas to feel connected, a peninsular that defined the zones without putting up a wall, and storage solutions for a family of five.
Scope of work
- Strip out of existing kitchen and dining-area carpet
- Two-tone painted shaker units — navy lower carcasses, oak veneer wall units and peninsular end-panels
- 2.4m peninsular with quartz waterfall end and seating for three on the dining side
- Tall larder with internal LED strip and integrated bin pull-out
- Integrated double oven and induction hob with overhead island extractor
- Engineered oak flooring run continuously across kitchen and dining areas
- Repositioned radiator and rerouted gas supply to allow the peninsular layout
Challenges and how we solved them
Defining zones without a wall
The owners wanted the kitchen to feel separate from the dining area without losing the open-plan benefit. The peninsular's height, the change of worktop edge profile on the dining side and a single pendant over the peninsular create a soft visual break.
Two finishes meeting cleanly
Navy painted carcasses sit alongside oak veneer wall units. The transition has to be precise — paint tolerances and veneer tolerances differ. We sequenced the install so the wall units went in last, scribed to the painted run, with a 3mm shadow gap rather than a flush join.
Family of five storage
Standard cupboards weren't going to hold five people's worth of cooking kit. We specified deep pan drawers (one 900mm, one 600mm), a 600mm pull-out larder and an 'appliance garage' on the worktop where the kettle and toaster live behind a roller shutter.
Outcome
Completed in 4 weeks on time. Final cost £25,900 against a £24k–£28k estimate. The owners report the peninsular has become the morning hub and the appliance garage means the worktop is permanently clear for prep. No callbacks 11 months in.
"The two-tone we'd been nervous about — we worried navy would feel heavy. The oak wall units and the daylight from the dining-room window mean it doesn't. The peninsular is the best thing in the house."
Frequently asked questions
How much is an open-plan kitchen-diner in East Kilbride?
Budget £20,000–£32,000 for a mid-spec open-plan kitchen-diner refit in an East Kilbride semi, supplied and fitted. This project landed at £25,900.
Does a two-tone kitchen date quickly?
Two-tone kitchens that pair a painted colour with a natural wood (rather than two paint colours) tend to age well, because the wood reads as a neutral. Strong colour-on-colour combinations date faster.
Do you need a peninsular extractor for an island hob?
Yes. An overhead extractor sized to the hob (minimum 600mm wider than the hob each side, or a downdraft) is required for effective extraction. A standard wall-mounted unit is not suitable for an island or peninsular layout.
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