Bright here, bright now

My kitchen is having a facelift. We’re chucking out the chintzy tiles and textured yellow wallpaper and going for white and grey instead. Not only will it look bigger and cleaner, but we can accessorise with as many bright colours as we like.

Having said that, we’re on a budget tighter than an Olympic speed cyclist’s shorts since discovering rising damp in the walls. Any leftover cash is now earmarked to pay for a new damp course. How glamorous.

Still, there are plenty of bargains to be had, even when it comes to bigger pieces such as electricals.

My dream kettle and toaster combo, for example, would be from Kenwood’s gorgeous KMix Boutique range, above. Available in colour-popping blue/teal, sunshine yellow, grass green or fuchsia (above; also in orange, magenta/purple, cream and black), they cost £35 to £60 at www.amazon.co.uk and John Lewis, depending on size and colour.

However, while they’re not extortionate, they’re not exactly cheap. So, I’ve done some research. And it turns out you can buy some lovely bright electrical kitchen goods for pretty much peanuts.

Dunelm Mill’s great Spectrum range, directly below, for example, includes teal or pinky-purple kettles for £24.99 and toasters for £29.99 each. Sainsbury’s have funky silver and lime or cherry toasters for an impressive £19.99 each; while Wilkinsons (www.wilkinsonplus.com) have a teally unusual teal microwave for £45 and a line kettle for just £15. Finally, Next’s range includes a kettle and toaster combo, £45 for the pair and a microwave for £65, all available in lime (bottom), bright red or plum/purple. Tasty!