Designing Your Dream Kitchen where to begin
Firstly, how very exciting!
Cooking in a kitchen that has been designed precisely to your needs is such a privilege and one that a huge percentage of the population never get to experience BUT where on earth do you begin? You may have spent hours on Pinterest and have a heap of magazine tear outs piling up but how do you translate these ideas into a fully functioning kitchen that works perfectly for you AND fits your budget?
I have been lucky enough to design 2 kitchens in my homes and have written this handy guide to get you started. Have you got a cuppa and perhaps a biscuit or 2? Then I shall begin……
The kitchen and how it is used has undergone a radical transition in the recent years, where it was once used my one member of the household – usually the female, it is now considered the hub of the home and used by the whole family not just to cook but to entertain, eat, work and even relax.
1. Create a wishlist
First, make a list of all the items you would love to have in your dream kitchen – allow your imagination to go wild and don’t be constrained by practicality at this stage.
Think about styles you love, appliances or luxury gadgets you covet.
It is also important to consider what doesn’t work in your current set up.
Next, do some fine tuning of your wishlist - perhaps visit some showrooms, get some brochures - the more you see, the more you’ll begin to get a feel for the style of kitchen you prefer.
IMAGE 1 - Emily Murray - Pink House Living - Proving that pink & green should always be seen
2. Set a Budget
That got boring quickly didn’t it?! Seriously though you must understand and have a clearly defined budget before you start your project.
How much you can achieve from your wishlist will depend completely on your budget. Also don’t forget that labour costs will be high when replacing your kitchen, kitchen installation alone typically costs 1/3 of the cost of the kitchen and you will also need to make allowance for lighting, flooring, appliances, decorating and finishing touches.
Always allow an additional 10-15% contingency for any unforeseen costs.
3. Consider How You Will Use Your Space
This is so important, yes a show kitchen will look lovely but it will annoy the crap out of you if it doesn’t work for your needs. Be really honest with yourself – do you mainly microwave – in which case forking out for a £10,000 range probably isn’t worth it. Do you bake constantly? In which case you may need 2 ovens. Do you have a huge dinner service that needs storage, do you want a drinks area?
Designing a kitchen isn’t just making a kitchen fit your space, it must centre around your use of the room and your needs.
Think about the areas you will need, do you wish to accommodate seating, what storage do you need, where will you eat, is there really space for an island or breakfast bar?
IMAGE 2 - Greg Penn aka Man with a Hammer kitchen in his Georgian home in Plymouth showing how traditional style can be mixed with modern materials.
4. Measuring your space
Modern kitchens have to work hard and perform a variety of crucial roles : dining, relaxing, working & entertaining. A good kitchen layout and adequate storage are more important than ever but ensuring you can fit in everything you want depends on accurate measuring. This should be conducted before you visit a design professional, though if they come to you, you can hand this responsibility over to them. You can find a handy guide to this on my website.
TOP TIP
· Islands and tables need sufficient circulation area around them to allow the chairs to be pulled out and get passed without squeezing.
5. The Perfect Layout
Although you may well wish to jump straight to how it is going to look it is essential to begin by planning your layout – get this wrong and you will be cursing every time you use your kitchen.
Effectively planning an ergonomic kitchen layout, and maximizing the space, can make time spent in the kitchen all the more enjoyable.
Whatever size your room is you should aim to have the prep, cook and wash areas close together. You may have heard of the “triangle” this is the principle of having the sink, fridge and cooker in a triangle shape, it isn’t essential that it’s a triangle but you will want them near to one another.
IMAGE 3 - Zoe Ball deVOL Kitchen in deep green with parquet floor
6. Storage
I always encourage clients to write down everything they wish to store in their kitchen – EVERYTHING!
This may sound boring but you will be so pleased you did when you are working in your new kitchen and everything has a home.
careful planning and great kitchen storage ideas will result in a space that is as calm as it is practical.
Zoning your space by function and then planning appropriate storage for each area and creates an easy sense of flow around the room
TOP TIPS
· Drawers store more, are easier to access and allow you to see the contents better
· Pantries and/or larder cupboard are very fashionable at the moment but they are worth their weight in gold as they allow ample storage
7. Don’t be afraid of Colour
Don’t just choose neutral units because it feels like a safe option! Spend some time thinking about how you’d like the space to make you feel and think about the colours you have used in any adjoining rooms that could be carried through or used to compliment your new kitchen.
It is likely that you will spend a lot of hours in the space so why not be brave and indulge in a colour filled kitchen?
IMAGE 4 - Sophie Robison pink and yellow kitchen with wallpaper designed in collaboration with Harlequin
8. Plan your Lighting
Firstly, consider the natural light your space has and harness it to make the most of it. If you receive a lot of light you will need to consider how to block it when not needed, blinds, reflective film or sheers are good options and can provide an opportunity to provide some softness to the space.
Next you need to think about the 3 different types of lighting: task, accent & ambient.
Task Lighting
Intended to help you accomplish, you guessed it – a task! This is localized lighting and can be provided by a variety of different sources, allowing you the option to adjust the lighting for a work space or chosen area and brighten or darken it in order to suit your needs. Effective task lighting needs to reduce glare and should be bright enough to prevent eye strain.
Ambient lighting
Provides an overall glow to a room. In addition to setting the tone for the space, ambient lighting creates enough light for you to see and move around comfortably and safely. In some cases, it can also double as task lighting.
Accent Lighting
Creates or highlights a focal point. It builds upon the ambient lighting of a room by adding dimension, and can be used to draw attention to a feature, like a piece of artwork or a plant, or to highlight a unique design element, like wall texture or decorative coving.
'To add drama and effectively draw the eye, accent lighting should direct at least three times as much light towards the focal point compared to the rest of the room. When done well, accent lighting draws your attention to the object or feature without drawing your attention to how it’s being lit.
TOP TIPS
· Do your lighting plan early as first fix electrical work is one of the first trade works to occur in a kitchen renovation.
· DO NOT LISTEN to your builder or electrician when they say to put all your lights in a grid THIS IS NOT TRUE! Focus on where you need light and not how it looks on the ceiling
· Consider dimmable lights – they help create atmosphere
· Think about lighting circuits, you will not want all your lighting types on and once, think about the zones you have created, the types of lights are you putting in and then how you would like to control them
· Don’t light areas that don’t need it, a few years ago there was a trend for lighting plinths, all this does is highlight the dirt on your floor – avoid at all costs!
9. Choose Kitchen Flooring
Flooring needs to be considered at the planning stage; do not leave it until last!
While a kitchen floor needs to be durable and preferably easy to maintain, it can also be a feature that enhances the style and success of your room. The choice of material depends on your budget and attitude towards character, beauty and practicality.
Ease of cleaning is a must-consider when designing a kitchen – and that's especially relevant for the flooring.
– I’d love to hear about your kitchen renovation plans over on our social media accounts @beckyharrisondesigns.
Until next time,
Becky x