Planning your kitchen

Most householders are unfamiliar with buying a new kitchen – after all it’s unlikely that we will have to do it several times in a lifetime – so it’s natural to feel daunted by the choice and pitfalls. An expense of this size is not to be undertaken lightly, so the more help and advice available the better.

Before you buy a new kitchen, think carefully about what you really need or you could end up with something totally unsuitable. Work out what works well and what doesn’t in your present kitchen, then make notes for your kitchen retailer so that a kitchen can be tailored to your precise specifications.

What to consider:

The style of your kitchen
Like any other industry, kitchens have their fashions – in recent years there has been a shift from traditional detailing towards a more modern, clean look.

In fact, the latest most popular look is the high gloss unit, which is available in many colour options and offers a very simple, clean look. A recent survey revealed that 38% of people having a new kitchen would choose a contemporary wood and 26% would choose a contemporary high gloss kitchen.

White and cream are still the most popular colours – totalling 62% of the people surveyed, with 5% choosing black, 4% blue, 3% red and 26% preferring another colour.

Grainy woods have also been a recent trend and Cherry is rising in sales along with the more unusual woods including applewood, pearwood and bamboo!

Simple stainless steel handles enhance th effect and make a compact kitchen look larger, and there are even drawers available now that open with a simple push, so handles are no longer needed!

Stainless steel is still a major trend in both modern and traditional kitchens and it is likely to remain a strong influence in kitchens for some time to come.

Granite has also become much more popular as a worktop material. A large 47% of those surveyed prefered a granite worktop with 11% choosing wood and 10% preferring a composite material such as Corian.

If you’re thinking of buying a new kitchen, make sure it’s one which will be a real showstopper – try to get an idea of what you like before you visit your kitchen retailer by looking for inspiration in magazines such as our own “Specialist” or other home interest magazines and take along pictures of kitchens that you like.

The layout of your kitchen

There are a number of recognised types of kitchen layout (as seen below) and your kitchen retailer will help you to decide on the design which will best suit your needs and space.

:: Galley kitchen
The simplest of layouts is the single galley for narrow rooms. Suitable for one or two people to use at once, single galleys are best planned with the sink in the middle of the line and built-in or built-under appliances to make the most of valuable space. There should be adequate “setting down” space beside or above the oven, plus an area of worktop between the hob and sink.

:: Double galley kitchen
A double galley, with two facing lines of cupboards, is slightly more versatile with the possibility of the sink opposite the hob, providing the room is not a through-room. There should be at least 1.2m between the two lines of units.

:: L shaped kitchen
An L-shaped kitchen has cupboards along two adjacent walls and benefits from a lack of through-traffic. The hob, fridge and sink should ideally be separated by areas of worktop, to provide adequate preparation space. A corner cupboard gives the opportunity for a generous amount of accessible storage, either in a carousel or a magic corner.

:: U shaped kitchen
U-shaped kitchens are an extremely effective design solution, utilising three full walls of a kitchen. The cooker, sink and fridge can all be surrounded by a large amount of worktop and there is usually sufficient space for a good selection of appliances and cupboards. A peninsular unit that juts out into the centre of the room from one end of the L- or U-shape is a particularly effective way of creating additional storage and food preparation space. Often used to separate cooking and dining areas or to create a breakfast bar arrangement, it is worth making cupboards accessible from either side for crockery and cutlery.

A peninsular unit that juts out into the centre of the room is a particularly effective way of creating additional storage and food preparation space.

:: Island kitchen
The remaining standard design is the island layout, which is only suitable for larger rooms. Careful planning is needed to prevent wasted journeys around the island, but it can be used for either storage, a hob or a sink. A stunning cooker canopy can make a focal point of this area of the kitchen.

Small kitchens

The average kitchen in the UK is of a modest size. Glossy magazines and catalogues feature kitchens that are large and this makes smaller ones seem inadequate. However, good kitchen designers relish the challenge of small kitchens and take pride in creating space while incorporating generous storage facilities and all the appliances you want.

Quality kitchen manufacturers make a huge range of cabinet sizes to customer order so there is no need to waste precious inches with filler panels. Ingenious internal fittings give easy access within cabinets and again ensure that every inch of space is available for use.

Wall cabinets can be extended to reach the ceiling to accommodate rarely used items and reduce dust traps.

Choose light colours such as white, cream, pastels, pine or limed wood effects or go for a high gloss unit as this will reflect the light. Worktops have a strong visual impact and they too should be light in colour, giving a mild contrast to your choice of cabinet. You can then go for stronger contrasts with your choice of tiles.

There are even special cupboards and hardware for cutlery, spices and implements between the floor and wall cabinets. The wasted space at plinth level can be fitted with drawers or even heaters.

Special slimline appliances offer modern facilities in a reduced space. Cooling and laundry appliances can be stacked and you may even select a double oven that fits under the worktop. A two ring hob will allow extra worktop surface and glazed wall cabinets will give the impression of more space.

Appliance brands also offer fantastic built in steam ovens, coffee machines and microwaves will leave your worktop clutter free. Some national kitchen manufacturers are even installing flat-screen TVs within wall units to offer you a hi-tech kitchen in a small space!

 

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