How To: Kitchen Design
Tiny corridor kitchen: well lit, with a balance of warm wood and white and a clever use of awkward spaces to make it practical and welcoming.
The kitchen is the heart of the home: we want it to be inviting and we want it to make life easier while meeting all the demands of a kitchen. It is often the most challenging room to get right and usually the most expensive; however ultimately what you spend will be reflected in its sale value. Kitchens and bathrooms sell houses.
The average kitchen costs between £15 and £60k, so you want to invest in a plan that is going to give you long term happiness.
Big open doors allow for simple pleasures, like feeling as if you are baking alfresco in the summer.
We can guide you through it all, including lighting, heating, flooring, decoration and building work. A kitchen is more than cabinets and new appliances.
Here are few things to consider in your thought process when planning a new kitchen…
Where do you spend most of your time in your home?
Do you like cooking?
Do you like to have your tools at hand?
Do you need a big fridge?
Are you messy or tidy?
Are sustainable material options and energy efficiency important?
When you have asked yourselves as many questions as you can think, it’s time to make a plan.
Then the fun bit: research on Google and Pinterest and make a mood board or collate magazine clippings you like.
Combine buzzwords from your checklist answers and paste on your images to emphasise your most important points: ‘light’, ‘wood’, ‘easy to clean’.
Measure your space, draw a plan (there are a wealth of digital tools online to help here) to plan your kitchen to scale. Don’t forget to mark on existing appliances such as sink, work tops and electrical points. A tracing overlay with appliances and work tops cut out helps you to play with your lay out ideas. Try different arrangements and see which catches your eye.
If you can, try to get a sample of each element you are interested in, for instance: flooring, work top, cupboard fronts, backsplash and paint colour.
Provide as much information as possible about how you want to use the space. I will help you focus your idea and make it easier to explain to a professional and get useful feedback.
Another useful checklist with questions to ask yourself:
Who will use the space, and how many? Is it for social gatherings? Will it be used by children, pets etc?
What other activities will the space be used for: relaxing, hobbies, drying clothes, TV, music. How often?
What existing furniture do you need or want to keep? Personal objects to display, books, pictures, favourite crockery etc.
What new items would you like? Kitchen island, dining table, extra storage for toys… what do you need that you don’t have now?
What do you need more room for? This could be a declutter opportunity, or a chance to look at what annoys you and needs to be out of sight? Storage for laundry, cleaning, your utility space, rubbish organising?
What appliances and gadgets do you need or want to keep? Sound system, water boiler, double oven, hob - do you like gas or electric? Any particular brands?
Heat? Take into account the size of the room. Radiators - which walls? Under floor heating?
Space and light: can you move walls and add windows?
Extending the kitchen into the living space by making use of the space below the stairs.
Lighting: we often suggest three levels. Think about where you will be preparing food or relaxing and would just like ambient soft light.
Maintenance: an easy clean is everyone’s desire but a sterile laboratory isn’t. This means working with your comfort level: be honest about how much effort you are prepared to put in to keep your kitchen clean. If you like a clean look then lots of open shelves or wood floors that patina with age are perhaps not for you. It is possible to balance a practical kitchen to keep clean with a homely feel.
Examples of kitchens and costs: small cottage, large open plan with extension, mid range.
Other considerations: lighting, kitchen triangle/ island needs a metre all around so is not always best option for space. Adding investment yes and explanation.