Goodbye fitted units, free-standing kitchens are flexible and full of personality

Home is a feeling that starts in the kitchen and sets the tone for the rest of the house and the family in it.

So why settle for a boring, proprietary – and often eye-wateringly expensive – kitchen when you can create an individual hub that instantly says “home”?

Freestanding kitchens are a fraction of the price of fitted kitchens and can add personality to a home with mix-and-match cabinets, pops of bright color and open shelves with storage jars, dog-eared cookbooks and ornaments.

And what’s more, when you move, you can take everything with you.

Desired sideboards

A good place to start is with a sideboard, cabinet, or pantry, depending on the size of your kitchen. This becomes an important repository and focal point to which the eye is drawn.

The Chester Charcoal Large Sideboard (£1,649, cotswoldco.com) gives you plenty of room to stash away everything you need in the four cupboard spaces below, while providing optimal shelf space for displaying books, ornaments or a vase of flowers.

For a smaller option, consider the Stow sliding door sideboard in warm white from (£1,250 cotswoldco.com).

Or John Lewis offers the Laura Ashley Dorset storage cabinet in white/natural with glass panel doors (£1,295, johnlewis.com).

Racks for everything

Stretching is key – and more importantly, cheap. Use any wall with no feature to arrange shelves or add a statement shelving unit. Check out the Witham oak plate rack (£198, rowenandwren.co.uk).

For a convenient way to store your herbs and spices, choose a handmade Rustic Berryfield spice rack, sustainably made in the New Forest (from £128.99, rusticdreams.co.uk).

For extra shelving around your sink, stove or worktop, consider an expandable kitchen storage rack in black or white (£69, aplaceforeeverything.co.uk).

Swish sideboards

Extra cabinets are always useful and can accommodate china, gadgets and electrical appliances.

The Larissa sideboard has a clean, uncomplicated design and is modestly priced (£174.99, wayfair.co.uk), but it requires assembly.

The large Farrow sideboard (£369.95, roselandfurniture.com) comes assembled. Add a lamp, fruit bowl and display your cookbooks on top with a pull-out wooden cookbook holder (£29, aplacefor everything.co.uk).

Light it up

A well-placed lamp with a neutral or funky shade can be a game changer in a kitchen.

Select the neutral Linnie table lamp (£135, cotswoldco.com) or add a splash of color with the larger Wobster in orange lacquered wood, paired with a straight empire shade in Matthew Williamson Pink Ikat (lamp, £170, shade £137, pooky.com).

Pooky also has a good selection of wall and pendant lighting, including a Pick wall lamp (£110) and a larger Dexter pendant in copper (£123).

Freestanding centerpiece

In a freestanding kitchen there is a need for functional surfaces on which food can be prepared and served.

You will also need a freestanding sink. Choose one from Murdoch Troon in a range of colors and specs with a butler or Belfast sink (prices start from £1,645, murdochtroon.co.uk).

A butcher block or trolley is a useful addition to most kitchens.

The John Lewis butcher’s cart is made from FSC-certified beech wood and its surface is suitable for cutting and food preparation (£280, johnlewis.com).

For a centerpiece, such as a breakfast bar, you should hire a master craftsman.

Harry Boyt of Birtle & Co will be handcrafting a bespoke island from any British wood of your choice in his workshop in Suffolk (POA, birtle andco.co.uk).

Storage tips

To create a homely foodie kitchen you need storage jars.

Store your flour and sugar in XXL 7 liter glass jars (£29, aplaceforeverything.co.uk), grains and pasta in a Pebbly bamboo lidded glass jar (£13.50, aplaceforeverything.co.uk) and pickles and homemade jam in Scion Mr Fox glass jars (from £14.50, dexam.co.uk).

And finally, add some understated style with Sophie Allport Bee pottery: Utensil service £28.50; jar £29.50, plus an Archive Sunflower Print, £55 (sophieallport.com).