Beau Bijou will make your kitchen dreams come true!

Nov 13, 2025

Michelle

In August 2024, I began a major renovation in my home, part of this included designing a new kitchen and utility room. I visited all the well-established high street chains, including Wren, Howdens and many smaller independent companies etc. The design process felt rushed, it was very expensive, and I found myself compromising a lot on what I wanted.

I came across DIY kitchens online, and they had lots of ranges which seemed reasonable and had many sizes of units that could accommodate my space. However, the reason the company can offer such competitive prices is because the customer designs the kitchen themselves using an online planner. I found this part of the ordering process intimidating and despite my husband and I attempting to use the planner on many occasions, it was really complicated and felt very daunting.

The fear of being inaccurate with our measurements, ordering the wrong product or forgetting about vital fixtures and fittings made us believe that we couldn’t move forward with DIY kitchens, until I came across a recommendation for Richard Harker at Beau Bijou Design.

From my initial contact with Richard, he assured me that he would be able to work with me to plan and design our DIY kitchen remotely. Richard knew the ranges and options available inside out, and his expert guidance and can-do attitude put me at ease from the start. I’m a very indecisive perso,n and I change my mind quite a lot when planning any work in my home.

Richard was so patient and understanding. I think he got used to me calling and saying ‘I’ve been thinking…’ He was happy to adapt our design to include any changes and amendments that I wanted. I still can’t believe that I’ve never met Richard face to face, but through e-mails, phone and, video calls and text messages, he got a clear understanding of my taste, he could envisage my space and designed the best layout and options for me. He transformed my vision into a stunning reality.

I had a wish-list of dream features, including a boiling water tap, but I soon realised that my budget wouldn’t accommodate this luxury. I had accepted this and mentioned it in passing to Richard. A few days later I was delighted when Richard magically sourced one for me at a bargain price.

That’s the kind of service he offers – he truly goes the extra mile.

The online design tools he used gave me a crystal-clear idea of how my kitchen would look in the end. With every edit of the design, he would send over new and amazing graphics which were much better than the ones I had been shown in the high street stores as they seemed to capture my space in a more realistic way.

The service didn’t finish when we finalised the design; Richard continued to work with me throughout the entire process. I chose to source my own appliances, and when I would drop him messages asking for advice, he was happy to guide me on the best products for my kitchen.

On one occasion, I was in a store on a Sunday afternoon, and Richard was at the end of the line giving me recommendations. He went above and beyond – chasing up deliveries, sorting out any damages, and making me feel like I was his only client. He handled the whole process, which took so much pressure off of me and allowed me to focus on other aspects of my renovation.

Even the kitchen fitters were impressed by Richard’s expertise. When they hit a snag fitting the induction hob, Richard stepped in, advising them on how to tweak the units to fit the vent mechanism. Nothing seemed too much for him. The price he charged for the service was unbelievable; his service was priceless.

I’ve already recommended Richard to many friends who are planning renovations and are excited to work with him. I can’t wait for them to have the same positive experience that I did.