Kitchens work hard in homes and so can become worn and weathered. As the heart of the home, and often the room that sells a house, it’s good to keep on top of these spaces.  However, replacing with a brand new kitchen every few years won’t be workable for many people’s budgets! Here are a few ideas that could help update elements of your kitchen, giving the effect of a shiny new space you’ll want to cook, eat and relax in all the time.

The winter period after Christmas and New Year into January and February can be tough, with the dark mornings and evenings and little daylight to be had. With snow forecast into the end of January, you might be sick of wrapping up against the elements and craving some sun to tide you through until spring. However, Christmas may well have stretched the budget, so we’ve rounded up some European destinations closer to home that will be friendlier to the bank balance and easier to jet off to for a quick weekend break.