Autumn is a time of year that involves many changes; the weather, the mood, the lighting all completely differ as soon as it hits the later months of the year and this involves a completely different perspective on the home and how you want it to look and feel. As the days are now shorter and the evenings are getting colder, it often means savouring as much of your time outside as possible. It may be risky to travel long distances as the weather is unpredictable and your day outside may be rained off, but the stubborn summer lover within us will still relish in any warm weather and sunshine for as long as possible. But when it just gets too chilly and dark in the evenings to be outside and you have to throw in the towel, that's when you realise how important a cosy, comfortable environment is; that you can just come home and relax in. There are many things that you can do to make your home as relaxing as possible, and as your kitchen is the hub of your home, it is vital that this room is as inviting as it can possibly be.

Here at Naked Kitchens, we're finally getting used to the fact that summer has ended, and Autumn has well and truly settled in. Gone are the sunny days (what few there were in Britain anyway) and the rain has truly started to pour, bringing with it some very chilly mornings and evenings, and we're just about ready to start that winter hibernation. So in true Autumnal style we've cracked out the jumpers, begrudgingly flicked the heating on a couple of times and thought about our favourite kitchen designs that perfectly transition your home into the new season. With consumers turning to colour more and more and no longer sticking to a comfortable neutral as their kitchen colour of choice, one trend that we have seen stand out in kitchen design is the use of earthy colours and materials. Consumers are embracing colour so much more now, and are looking to inject colour into their homes, but choosing a more natural way to do it, with greens, reds, oranges etc, all colours from the warmer palette that are perfect to create a warm, inviting atmosphere in the cooler Autumn months.

There are certain things that can often put people off upgrading their kitchen; including time, money and effort. Having to be without a kitchen for a long period of time whilst going through the hassle of ripping out old carcasses, or not having the budget to install a whole new designer kitchen are all reasons why people choose to keep their existing kitchen. But there is a way to upgrade your kitchen and get the look of a designer kitchen without all of the hassle. Choosing to upgrade your existing kitchen with replacement cabinet doors and drawer fronts as opposed to installing a whole new kitchen is one of the easiest ways to do this. At Naked Doors we offer luxurious bespoke solid hardwood cabinet doors and drawers to upgrade your room and get the kitchen you've always dreamed of owning, without the hassle and at a much lower cost than replacing a whole kitchen. In order to ensure the smoothest journey possible when upgrading your kitchen with Naked Doors however, there are a few steps that we recommend you take to help you make your choices and transform your kitchen as quickly as possible. Measuring your old cabinets: This is a necessary step, as in order to ensure your new doors and drawers fit your cabinets perfectly, you will need accurate measurements of your cabinet carcasses. As you may not have decided which cabinet door style you want for your kitchen, measuring methods for both styles have been included so that you can be as accurate as possible for both styles when you make your choice. If you're choosing an In-frame door you will need the internal measurements of the carcass, as the door will be slightly smaller than the cabinet. A frameless door will sit on top of the carcass, meaning the external measurements of the cabinet are needed. This is one of the most vital parts of the Naked Doors process, as we make our doors bespoke to your measurements, meaning if they are not accurate, the doors will not fit perfectly.

If there is one thing we have realised over the many years that we have been creating bespoke kitchens, it's that nearly everyone wants a 'modern shaker' kitchen. A contradiction in itself, as the shaker is a very traditional kitchen design that has been in history since the 18th century, and is not actually a new, modern kitchen style. However, we understand what customers mean when they say this, as they generally want a timeless kitchen design that isn't old fashioned or super modern but will continue to look elegant in years to come. And that is a design that we love to create, time and time again.

As you may already know, colour has made quite a dramatic comeback to the kitchen. Gone are the days of an all white kitchen, and whilst neutral greys are still popular in the classic country kitchen styles, there is one colour that has definitely caught our eye recently and a lot of our clients too- the beautiful blue. Gone are the days when people can spend an obscene amount on a kitchen, and with houses generally decreasing in size alongside budgets, people are generally investing in smaller kitchens. Those who are looking to invest in a new kitchen are often turning to the calming colour blue, and are choosing Naked Kitchens to create the kitchen for them, as they can get a high end quality kitchen without the high end price tag. Contemporary Compact Kitchens Pale pastel blues can look incredible in a smaller space, bouncing light from windows to create the illusion of much more space and keeping the room light and fresh. By choosing such a bright and unusual kitchen colour, the eyes are instantly drawn to the area, and with minimal accessories throughout, there is no distraction from this incredible space. Design: 2LG Photography: Megan Taylor

Here at Naked Kitchens, one thing that is really important to us, is to try and balance functionality with style. Whilst a beautiful minimalist kitchen with uncluttered worktops is a dream for many people, the reality is that you actually need lots of extra storage for every day items and you need to be able to access them quickly. As we are 100% bespoke, we can create any storage solution for your kitchen. Whether it be larders with extra drawers, pull out shelves in cupboards, wine racks, bespoke oak storage units or islands with sleek extra storage on each side. These all help to keep kitchen items hidden, meaning style isn't compromised, but ensures your kitchen remains as practical as possible. Traditional kitchens that have contemporary, clever storage solutions create a mix of modern and classic in the most practical way.

As a company, creating products that are 100% bespoke is something that just came very naturally to us. After years of only being able to purchase kitchens that didn't really fit your room perfectly, and always seemed like something was missing or not quite right, we decided at our sister company, Naked Kitchens, the only way we would be able to create dream kitchens was to work to the clients measurements completely, and make something that would fit their space perfectly. And this is an ethos that we have carried through into Naked Doors. We understand that the cabinets you already have in place may not be standard sizes as you've had to fill a space that is very unique in sizing, and to ensure that you can get the dream kitchen you've always wanted, we manufacture doors and drawer fronts that will fit your cabinets exactly. By offering this service, budget doesn't ever have to compromise style. We can create a designer kitchen for you without a large amount of the cost if you keep existing cabinet carcasses or install new, lower cost carcasses, and purchase our doors and drawer fronts.

Working with compact spaces is something we're experts at here at Naked Kitchens. Whilst a spacious, open plan large kitchen is an amazing space to work with and we can create absolutely stunning kitchens, sometimes the real magic lies in creating a kitchen to work in the smallest of spaces. With concealed drawers and hidden storage in every nook and cranny, we can create a design that has function at its heart, but is also a truly beautiful kitchen. One of the main ways in which you can make the most of a small space is with storage: think pull out shelving, a wine rack in that few centimetre gap that would otherwise be wasted, islands with cabinet space on both sides, integrated appliances and many more options. Choose drawers with bespoke cutlery holders or custom peg boards to easily store your crockery and cooking utensils to save space in cupboards and keep surface areas clutter free.

A highlight of 2017 that we haven't yet shared with everyone is that Naked Kitchens has been invited to contribute to the 2017 Parliamentary Review for the Manufacturing Industry. Sister company to Norfolk Oak, experts in solid hardwoods, Naked Kitchens are a leading manufacturer of fully bespoke kitchens. Until Naked Kitchens, the concept of an excellent bespoke product which more than challenged the very top end, but at a sensible price, was seen as unattainable. With the incredible reputation of Norfolk Oak behind it, the development of Naked Kitchens was the chance for a completely clean and fresh start, to really inject the industry with some new innovative thinking. We have a deep respect for the wood we use, a commitment to sustainable forestry and the crafting of long-lasting products with minimal waste.