5 Tips When Planning and Fitting Your Kitchen Design

 

Photo by Adam Winger on Unsplash

The kitchen is often referred to as being the heart of the home and as such having a well designed kitchen that is both functional and in keeping with current trends is pretty important to most people. On average, we change our kitchens every 10 years so getting the design right is crucial unless you want to be stuck with a dysfunctional space for the next decade. 

With this in mind, we thought it might be useful to provide a few tips to ensure you get the design right first time so you can enjoy your dream space for years to come and ensure a stress free kitchen fitting experience.

1 - Consider How You Will Use The Space

Kitchens can be very different things depending on who is using them. For some it is an area that is simply used for cooking, for others it is a space for cooking and eating, for families it may be a space to be together or have more of a multi-functional use and for some people it might be a space purely for entertaining. 

The point is that you need to understand what your kitchen is to you and to plan it accordingly. If you have a separate dining space then perhaps a dining space in the kitchen isn’t needed and a  breakfast bar with stools will suffice. If you purely want to use it for cooking then how much space do you need for that and can you use left over space for better uses or even for creating a different room?

Planning at the beginning will save time and money in the long run and is probably where most of your time should be spent.

2 - Think Substance Over Style

Although style is important it is worth remembering that trends come and go. You should look for a kitchen that is functional above all else and that has space for storage rather than filling your kitchen units with fancy plate warmers or wine coolers. 

If you want uncluttered worktops then your storage space will be key so plan this into your design.

3 - Choose An Evergreen Colour Scheme

There are plenty of colour decisions to make when planning your kitchen and whether it is the worktops, the cupboard doors, the handles, the tiles, walls or floors, every colour choice you make will change the style and impact of your kitchen. 

We would suggest opting for neutral colours on units and worktops. Colours that are not simply seasonal trends and that will outlast the latest fashions. Of course, if you are happy to re-paint or replace doors and worktops regularly then you can ignore this advice but it could be costly to do so.

4 - Plan All Design Elements

When you are thinking about your use of space you should consider all aspects of the design. Think about the functional areas such as the sink, oven, hob and fridge and consider how close each of these are to one another. 

Creating a triangle of space between the oven, sink and fridge can be really helpful in terms of practicalities. 

Also think about how you plan to use the space. If you want the kids to be up there cooking with you then plan space for tall stools at your worktop and ensure there is space around it.

5 - Don’t Leave Interior Design To The Last Minute

Planning your interior design should not be left to the last minute. Your kitchen units and worktops will of course take centre stage but they will be complemented by a whole range of other design features such as lighting, flooring and decoration such as ornaments, pictures and furniture.

If possible, try and use 3d modellers so you can see your kitchen before you start the fitting. 

These tips should go some way to ensuring you have a smooth kitchen fitting experience and the more you plan in advance the less stressful the fitting should be.