Co-living homes

Shared kitchen Budget and Scope for Co-living homes

Compare like-for-like scopes by separating base work, specialist items and upgrades before requesting a quote.

Explore the ideas
White L-shaped kitchen with gold-tone handles, under-cabinet lighting and a chimney
Kitchen inspiration: an L-shaped work surface and integrated lighting.

Compare the options

Set the brief
List the functions the finished space must support, then assign items to base scope or upgrades.
Compare
Get quantities and materials described consistently across quotes. Ask who covers making good and waste removal.
Before buying
Set aside a contingency for survey-dependent work and price likely substitutions before choosing finishes.
Worked example

A quote combines new cabinets, stone counters and upgraded appliances, making alternatives hard to compare.

Request separate line items for cabinet fronts, carcasses, counter material and appliances, then compare equivalent quantities and exclusions.

How to test it

Read the exclusions back with each supplier and ask what must be purchased or arranged separately.

Apply it to this space
Layout
Separate prep, cooking and washing zones; assign clearly marked personal storage away from shared staples.
Detail
Use durable, easy-clean surfaces and task lighting across the full counter run.
Trade-off
More individual cupboards improve fairness but reduce space for shared cookware.
  • Simulate two people preparing meals
  • Check labeling and cleaning access
Parallel kitchen with teal cabinets, a pale backsplash and profile lighting
Kitchen inspiration: two opposing work runs in a compact plan.

The Elixir portfolio

Details worth a closer look

Photographs for design inspiration
L-shaped kitchen with pale green lower cabinets, white upper cabinets and a tiled backsplash
Kitchen inspiration: a light palette and continuous counter run.
Straight kitchen with sage base cabinets, white wall units and under-cabinet lighting
Kitchen inspiration: a single-wall arrangement with task lighting.

Related design guides

Talk to a Designer