Our DIY Kitchens Helmsley Kitchen Renovation

Updated June 2026: We have now been living with our DIY Kitchens Helmsley kitchen for four years. Everything in this post still stands – the quality has held up brilliantly and I still get asked about it regularly. I have updated this post to reflect how it has worn over time and to answer the most common questions I receive. 

Nearly six months on from our renovation completing, I finally got round to writing up our kitchen reveal, featuring our new DIY Kitchens Helmsley kitchen. Then life happened, as it does, and I’ve since updated this post to include something I think is actually far more useful than any shiny “just finished!” reveal: an honest verdict after four years of real family use.

Because anybody can tell you a kitchen looks gorgeous on day one. I want to tell you what it’s like on day 1,460.

We carried out a full remodel of the whole of our downstairs during the renovation, including separating the living room space, converting the garage into a playroom, and creating a brand-new downstairs shower room and utility room. But the heart of the whole project was the new kitchen, diner and sitting area, and the DIY Kitchens Helmsley range was the centrepiece of it all.

How our kitchen layout came together

When we moved into our home (and honestly, even before we moved in), I could see exactly what the downstairs could be. The old layout wasn’t actually that much smaller in footprint than it is now. We’ve only really added one new corner to the extension, where the sofa and bookcase area sits. But by completely reconfiguring the space, we’ve made it so much more liveable as a family.

The old kitchen was a decent size, but the layout was all wrong. There was no proper dining space. You’d walk through the kitchen, around through an old middle room that had basically become a glorified play area, and into a boxy little extension where the dining table lived. With three young children, it wasn’t working at all. Taking a couple of walls down was always going to transform it.

The first step was enlisting an architect to draw up some plans and work out how the downstairs shower room and utility would fit. The utility ended up taking over the footprint of the old kitchen, with a stud wall built to separate it from the new kitchen. The new kitchen itself landed largely in that old middle-room dead space, which felt like a complete transformation even before anything was built.

We decided to keep the foundations of the original boxy extension rather than dig new ones. Going out even half a metre more would have cost close to £20k for new foundations. We didn’t need the space that badly at that price. Instead, we extended across the width of the house to incorporate what had been a covered outdoor area, adding large crittall-style bifold doors and a new pitched roof with three generous Velux windows running along it.

As well as the 4.8-metre bifolds from Aspire Doors, we added a floor-to-nearly-ceiling window in the sitting area too. It means anyone sitting on the sofa with a cup of tea gets a full view of the garden. (In our case, that means a view of a trampoline, a tyre swing and approximately eleven footballs, but still. It’s a lovely view.)

Our builder was recommended to us locally by friends, and we also discovered him on VIP Realty as a recommended trade. After plans were approved and a covid cancellation freed up a slot, the work was brought forward to start in May, completing in August. Three months start to finish, which looking back was genuinely incredible given the scale of what was done.

The team were brilliant. We couldn’t fault their work or their work ethic. Time was very much of the essence because we had five humans, a grandad and a very stressed ginger cat still living in the house while it was happening. I never want to see a portable oven and hob ever again.

Choosing the DIY Kitchens Helmsley range

Our kitchen came from DIY Kitchens, and I can’t fault the price or the service. I was genuinely daunted by the measuring process, particularly worried I’d miss something crucial like a filler panel. But with the help of our builder and the DIY Kitchens team, it was more manageable than I expected.

We went for the Helmsley in-frame range in Dove Grey for the main units, with Carbon for the island and the units that formed part of it. The two-tone look was something I’d seen on their website and had my heart set on from pretty early on in the planning process.
I sourced the white Quartz worktop (colour ‘White Storm’) from a company in Leytonstone that we had used before, as they came out cheaper than DIY Kitchens for this, and double Belfast sink, lighting and appliances were also sourced separately. To add texture and visual interest, I also considered using mosaic tile detailing for the splashback area — it’s such a great way to bring personality and contrast into a neutral kitchen design. We kept our lovely mint green SMEG fridge, as well as being quite indulgent and purchasing an American Fridge-Freezer style unit. I bought a lovely larder unit from a store on Ebay (pictured, next to the SMEG), industrial-style dining table and bench also from Ebay, and vintage-style chapel chairs from Etsy. I will link to everything I can think of below!

A note on the chimney breast cooker alcove

We utilised the existing chimney breast in what was the old middle room. Our builder built it out slightly so we could fit our Rangemaster range cooker into it. This looks incredible but there’s one thing I’d tell anyone planning to do this: get your builder to fit a proper chimney sleeve down the flue, as well as an extractor fan. If you’re in a semi-detached or terraced house and you skip this step, all your cooking smells will travel straight through to your neighbours’ chimney. Not ideal for anyone’s relationship with next door.

Flooring that works for a family

When it came to flooring, we wanted something that could flow throughout the majority of the downstairs of the house, and in the end went for a really reasonably priced SPC click-together flooring from Underfoot Danube Flooring in ‘Vintage Light Oak’ which at the time was a budget-friendly under £20 per metre squared. We’ve been really happy with this, it’s wearing really well with kids and pets so far, and I get asked about it quite often when people come over, or over on my Instagram! I’m really pleased we went with this in the end and it’s worked out well, as flooring is such a big thing that it’s a nightmare if you make a mistake! It really made me realise how important it is to pick the right materials when you’re renovating. Even in the kitchen it’s important to think about how the materials you choose will help protect your kitchen and countertops from daily wear and tear.

Open shelving and the finishing touches

Once the main build was finished, we brought in a carpenter to build open shelving in the kitchen and utility room, a coat cupboard, a shoe cupboard and the bookshelves in the sitting area. Our decorator friends came in to finish the painting.

I won’t pretend the whole process was stress-free. Living in a build with three young children while trying to work around a portable hob is its own particular kind of character-building. But the end result has been completely worth it. If I did it again, I’d have moved half our furniture and rented a self storage unit for the duration; it would have saved endless shuffling of boxes between rooms.

What the DIY Kitchens Helmsley is actually like after four years

Right. This is the bit I actually wanted to write, and probably the bit you actually came here to read.

Having lived with our Helmsley kitchen since the renovation completed, here’s my honest assessment.

The quality is genuinely better than I expected for the price point. The in-frame doors are 20mm thick with solid European oak frames and a veneered centre panel. They feel substantial. After four years of a busy family kitchen, three children, cat-related chaos and regular dinner parties, the doors haven’t warped, the paint hasn’t chipped badly, and the hinges are all still functioning perfectly. We did have one small incident early on where a door needed a hinge adjustment, but that’s true of virtually any kitchen.

The Dove Grey has stayed true. I was slightly worried it might yellow or dull over time, but it genuinely hasn’t. It still looks fresh. The Carbon island has held up equally well. I’d been warned by some Mumsnet threads that in-frame kitchens show every mark and fingerprint, and yes, that’s true around the sink area and anywhere the kids touch regularly. But it wipes down easily enough and I’d rather have a beautiful kitchen that needs wiping than a boring one that doesn’t.

The biggest compliment I can give DIY Kitchens is this: I still walk into this kitchen and feel genuinely pleased with it. Four years in. That’s not nothing.

The things I’d do differently

Honestly, not much. But a few things worth knowing:

The measuring and planning process requires proper attention. I relied heavily on our builder for this, and if you’re project managing without a builder, I’d strongly recommend going through every unit, every filler, every end panel with the DIY Kitchens team before you finalise your order. They’re helpful and they will check your plan, but the responsibility is ultimately yours. A missing filler panel mid-installation is not a fun discovery.

I wish I’d budgeted a specific amount for “things I’ll source separately.” Worktops, sink, taps, lighting and appliances all came separately for us, and whilst we got some great deals (particularly on worktops), the cumulative cost of everything adds up quickly. Kitchen unit costs from DIY Kitchens are genuinely competitive, but it’s only part of the total kitchen cost.

On the open shelving: I love it visually but I am not a naturally tidy person, so keeping it looking nice requires effort. If you’re the same, just factor that in.

DIY Kitchens Helmsley vs Howdens: is it worth it?

We’ve used both, so I’m in a decent position to compare. The Helmsley in-frame range is a noticeably better-looking kitchen than anything we had from Howdens. In-frame is inherently a more premium construction style, and it shows. Quality-wise, I’d say the Helmsley is comparable to Howdens’ mid-to-upper range, but at a significantly lower price.

The main trade-off with DIY Kitchens versus a trade supplier like Howdens is the service model. With Howdens, a sales rep manages your account and you can pop back in for extra bits relatively easily. With DIY Kitchens, you’re doing more of the planning yourself, and if you miss something, getting additional units takes time. It’s a different model, not a worse one. But you do need to be thorough upfront.

For us, the saving was worth it, the quality has more than delivered, and I’d choose the Helmsley again without hesitation.

DIY Kitchen Review and Key Details

I’ve linked here where many things in this renovation are from- if you want to know where something has come from but I haven’t included it here, just drop me a comment below!

DIY Kitchens Helmsley – DIY Kitchens Helmsley range

Quartz Worktop – Leytonstone stone

Flooring – Underfoot Flooring – SPC Rigid Danube in ‘Warm Vintage Oak’

Duel-fuel cooker – Rangemaster

Vintage-style pendant lights – Spark and Belle

Industrial dining table – Ebay

Chapel Chairs – Etsy 

Grey Larder Unit – Ebay

Double Belfast Sink – Similar here on Amazon (ours was from Ebay but it was from a specific seller who doesn’t do them anymore)

Crittall Bifold Doors – Aspire Doors

Frequently Asked Questions About DIY Kitchens

Is the DIY Kitchens Helmsley good quality?

Yes. The Helmsley is an in-frame kitchen with solid European oak frames and a veneered centre panel, 20mm thick. It’s at the premium end of what DIY Kitchens offers, and the quality reflects that. After four years of heavy family use, our doors, hinges and paintwork are all in excellent condition.

How does DIY Kitchens compare to Howdens?

DIY Kitchens is a direct-to-consumer model, which cuts out the trade markup. For comparable kitchen styles, you’ll typically pay significantly less than you would at Howdens. The trade-off is that you take on more of the planning responsibility yourself. For the Helmsley specifically, it’s a noticeably more premium look and feel than most of what Howdens offers at a similar price point.

Is the DIY Kitchens Helmsley worth the extra cost over the Malton range?

The Helmsley is an in-frame construction; the Malton is not. If the in-frame look is important to you, there isn’t really a like-for-like comparison. If you’re primarily interested in style rather than construction method, the Malton is genuinely good value. But the Helmsley’s solid oak framing is what makes it feel as substantial as it does, and that doesn’t come free.

Can you source worktops and appliances separately from DIY Kitchens?

Absolutely, and I’d encourage it. DIY Kitchens sells worktops, but getting quotes from local stone suppliers (especially for quartz) can save a meaningful amount. We saved several hundred pounds by going to a local worktop supplier for our White Storm quartz. For sinks, taps and appliances, shopping around separately is very much worth the effort.

How long does a DIY Kitchens kitchen take to arrive?

Delivery times vary, but typically DIY Kitchens gives a lead time of several weeks. Make sure you have your builder’s schedule aligned with delivery before you order, so units aren’t sitting in your house unprotected while groundwork is still happening.

 

I love these videos that show the DIY Helmsley kitchen in all its glory!

 

Liked this post to add your DIY kitchens reviews? See some more posts do with our home (and ones before it!) here