Home Improvement Podcast by Lima Kitchens

Home Improvement Podcast - Season 4, Episode 4: Christmas Kitchen Hosting & Festive Tips 🎄 Welcome to a festive special episode where we dive into everything about hosting Christmas in your kitchen! Whether you're planning to host for the first time in your new kitchen or dreading another year of chaos, this episode is packed with practical tips and honest conversations about the joys (and challenges) of festive hosting. What We Cover: The excitement and pressure of hosting Christmas gatherings To decorate or not to decorate your kitchen for Christmas? The great debate! Smart space planning: managing food prep, guest flow, and cooking timelines Our personal hosting experiences and lessons learned (including a dress-on-fire story!) The difference a new kitchen makes: dishwashers, double ovens, and proper fridges Life hacks for stress-free hosting (or how to avoid hosting altogether!) Delegating tasks to guests and making it a communal celebration The great tinsel comeback of 2025. We Want to Hear From You: Are you hosting this year? Do you decorate your kitchen for Christmas? What are your biggest hosting bug bears? Share your festive kitchen hacks in the comments! Don't forget to share your festive kitchen photos with us using #festivekitchen

Neurodivergent Home Design & OrganisationJoin us as we welcome back Kate from Ace Your Space to explore how neurodivergent brains can create homes that actually work WITH us, not against us.WHAT WE COVER: - Why traditional home organisation systems fail neurodivergent people - Sensory-friendly design choices for kitchens and living spaces - Managing the overwhelm of home renovations with ADHD/Autism - Visual clutter vs. "out of sight, out of mind" - finding YOUR balance - Budget-friendly adaptations that make daily life easier - How to communicate your needs to designers and contractorsABOUT KATE: Kate is a professional home organiser and interior designer specialising in neurodivergent-friendly spaces. She understands firsthand the challenges of creating functional homes when your brain works differently. Her company, Ace Your Space, has helped hundreds of neurodivergent individuals transform their living environments.

Welcome to Season 3, Episode 2 of the Home Improvement Podcast! In this episode, Elizabeth sits down with Joanna, Design Director at Kitchens Geddes in Kilmarnock, Scotland, to discuss the intricacies of kitchen design and running a family business in the KBB industry.What We Discuss:🔹 The Budget Conversation - Why talking about money early is crucial and how to make clients feel comfortable discussing their budget🔹 Asking the Right Questions - How personal consultations (including asking about pets!) save time and deliver better designs🔹 The "One Design" Philosophy - Why offering three different layouts can confuse clients and undermine designer confidence🔹 Industry Terminology - The importance of clear communication and avoiding jargon that excludes clients🔹 Working in a Family Business - Joanna's journey to establish her own identity and win recognition through industry awards🔹 Award Legitimacy - Which awards truly matter and how consumers can identify credible recognition🔹 When Things Go Wrong - Why the best recommendations often come from challenging projects and the importance of caring deeply about client experience🔹 The Unsung Heroes - Recognizing installers and support staff who make beautiful kitchens possibleAbout Joanna & Kitchens Geddes:Kitchens Geddes has been serving Scotland for over 40 years, offering comprehensive kitchen design and installation services from luxury to budget-conscious projects. With their own design team, installers, and logistics support, they cover Scotland and beyond, including recent projects in London and the Scottish islands.📍 Based in Kilmarnock, Scotland 🏆 Award-winning designs 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Family-owned and operated

Communication and Tools – the tips, the tricks and the real talk on how to make the most of the design service.A good design is a matter of investment - time, sometimes money, and creative energy. Wondering how to get the best out of your kitchen design experience? In this episode we unpack where communication often breaks down between designers and clients and how to overcome the hurdles in your way to getting what you want. We discuss what is available to help on your way – from visiting suppliers to Test Driving your kitchen design, we have the tools!What You’ll Learn:Sometimes it can be difficult to determine what is missing to make your kitchen design sing. A good designer will look at your mood boards, your lifestyle and your wish list and find the pattern of what will work for you, but what if that is not what you had in mind? In design, there is rarely only one solution, so in this episode we will walk you through what happens on our side, the potential reasons we’ve made certain decisions and why they may not meet your expectations full on. The importance of communicating effectively will ensure you are offered different options and as your priorities change, your designer can offer alternatives too! Good design takes time, so prepare to invest some in getting what you want.Key Questions Answered:How do designers really feel about clients picking their designs apart?What can you do to make decision making easier?What can clients expect from the service in a bespoke kitchen retailer studio?What really sits behind good design and good communication – investing time working with a single studio or hopping around to get as many ideas as possible?How can we communicate more efficiently for better results?Communicating with your kitchen/interior designerWho Should Watch:Homeowners amid picking the company to work withPeople who struggle with expressing their true opinions for fear of hurt feelingsClients who want to work with a specific company or designer, but their design wasn’t a 100% matchClients overwhelmed with all the decision makingIf you’re feeling like there is simultaneously too much and not enough information to make all the decisions

Bonus Episode! Get yourself and home 'Christmas' ready!Join Elizabeth & Kate as the share tips on making the festive period more fun and less stressful. From preparing for guests, getting the decorations out or even saying no, they cover many tips on how to create more time to enjoy the festive season, your way.