After leaving school at the age of 16, Jonathan trained as a carpenter and joiner with a focus on kitchens. "I've always been drawn to working with wood. I honed my skills in cabinetry and kitchens," he explains. 

Installing kitchens put him in close proximity to interior designers who helped him learn "good design".

Further on the pair talked about designing kitchens and the most common mistake made - space. "It doesn't matter how big your room is, space is almost limited," he says.

"If you want to put an island in your kitchen, there needs to be a minimum of 1m gap between the island and the cabinets. You will need to be able to open the oven or dishwasher doors. There also needs to be a safety pass when dealing with hot pans," Jonathan explains.

He also notes that an island is not always the best solution if one is planning to swap the dining table for an island. "The most practical is table and chairs."

Jonathan also talked about kitchen design and installation misconceptions and popular trends. Islands are popular today, he says. "With regard to colour, the 1970s colours of dark green and brass are back."

The key function of a kitchen is family living, Jonathan notes. "It's the real heart of the house compared to what it used to be because we've opened it up from being a purely cooking area."

Further in the show, he discussed budgets, installations during the build, and tips for those looking to self-build their kitchens.

Listen to the full episode here.