A new kitchen in London is rarely just a new kitchen. It is weeks without a sink, a skip that needs a parking suspension, carcasses carried up four flights of stairs, and a fitter booked months ahead. Kitchen wrapping avoids most of that. A thin architectural film is applied over the doors, drawer fronts and panels you already have, heated round every edge and sealed in place. The units, worktops, plumbing and appliances stay where they are, and most kitchens are done in a day or two.
This guide looks at kitchen wrapping from a London point of view: the homes, the access, the rentals and the timescales. It is written by KWrap, a kitchen and architectural wrapping company based in Kensington.
Why wrapping suits London homes
Flats with stairs and small lifts. Wrapping arrives in a few boxes and a toolbag. Nothing large has to be carried in or out, so access and building managers are rarely an issue.
No skip, no parking suspension. Old doors are not thrown away, so there is no skip on the street and no waste to cart off.
Small and galley kitchens. A compact kitchen has few doors, so a wrap is quick, and a lighter or warmer finish can change how the whole room feels.
Period houses and terraces. Many London kitchens have shaker doors. They can be wrapped, with every inner edge worked by hand, so you keep the shape and change the colour.
Busy households. Because the kitchen stays in use around the work, there are no weeks of takeaways while a refit drags on.
Wrapping for landlords and rented flats
Wrapping is a practical way to refresh a rental kitchen between tenancies. Tired, dated or mismatched doors can be brought back to one clean finish in a short gap between tenants, without a full refit. Peeling vinyl doors, a common sight in older rental kitchens, can be stripped back, repaired, primed and re-wrapped.
If you rent the flat yourself, ask your landlord before any work is done. Architectural film can be removed later, which sometimes makes the conversation easier.
What can be wrapped
Kitchen doors and drawer fronts, slab or shaker. See kitchen door wrapping.
Cabinets, end panels, plinths and fillers, so the whole run reads as one. See cabinet wrapping.
Tall units, larders and islands.
Worktops that are flat, firm and dry. See worktop wrapping.
What cannot be wrapped
A wrap is only as good as the surface underneath it. Doors that have swollen from water cannot be made flat again, and a worktop that is soft or swollen around the sink is not a good candidate. An honest wrapper will tell you this at the survey instead of wrapping over the problem.
Choosing a finish in London light
Architectural film comes in hundreds of finishes: matt and gloss solid colours, soft-touch matt, embossed wood grains, marble and stone effects, concrete, metallics and textures. KWrap's colour pages list over 400 finishes with their codes.
Many London kitchens get little direct sun, especially basement and north-facing rooms. A colour that looks right on a screen can look much darker in a room like that, so always judge physical samples against your own walls, floor and worktop, in your own light, before you choose.
How long it takes, and what affects the price
Most kitchens are wrapped in a day or two. Large kitchens, islands and worktops add time, and the timescale should be in the quote.
The price depends on the number of doors, drawer fronts and panels, the door style, the condition of the surfaces (and whether old vinyl has to come off), the film you choose and whether worktops are included. That is why KWrap prices each job after a survey with samples, not from a price list.
Looking after a wrapped kitchen
Clean with warm soapy water or a mild, non-abrasive cleaner and a soft cloth.
Avoid scouring pads, solvents and bleach sprays.
Keep a trivet beside the hob: a wrapped worktop is not heatproof.
Five questions to ask a London wrapping company
- 1.
Is wrapping your main trade, or one service among many?
- 2.
Will you survey the kitchen and show me physical samples?
- 3.
How do you finish edges and corners, and do you post-heat the film?
- 4.
What happens to doors that are peeling or damaged?
- 5.
What guarantee do you give on the work?
About KWrap
KWrap is a kitchen and architectural wrapping specialist based in Kensington, covering all of London, the South East and west to Bristol. Work carries a 2-year guarantee, and the team is open 7am to 9pm, every day.
For a free quote, send a few photos of your kitchen on WhatsApp to 07904 099566, email quotes@kwrap.co.uk, or use the quote form on kwrap.co.uk.