The most important part of buying a new kitchen is the planning. What shape will the kitchen have, how big is the family that will use the kitchen and how often will the kitchen be used? In this part of the site we will take you through all the steps of planning your kitchen as will quote my kitchen selected cabinetmaker so that you can make the best decisions in buying your new kitchen.
First it is important to choose whether you want a fitted kitchen or a freestanding kitchen. Both have their advantages and disadvantages. When you choose for a fitted kitchen, you will make the most of your space, as all the difficult corners can be hidden and used for storage. You can decide on flat pack kitchens, rigid or custom built to suit your needs and budget. A fitted kitchen will also add value to your home.
Different people have different lifestyles and since the kitchen is the centre in the house in which the food to live will be prepared, lifestyle is the key to planning a kitchen that works for you. It is obvious that a single person or a couple will have different expectations from their kitchen than families with growing up children. For example, if you're a single person that eats out a lot, your kitchen will look completely different from a family that takes their evening meals together. Assess your kitchen area accordingly. Plan how much storage space you need for your groceries, cutlery and crockery, which equipment you will use (oven, grill, cooktop and time saving electrical appliances) and how much seating area you need.
In a small kitchen it is obvious that a large seating area is out of the question, but a small breakfast table might just fit in. In a big kitchen, the seating area will take a big part of the space. Decide which part of the kitchen area you want to commit to seating and work your kitchen around it. There are a lot of handy storage solutions to maximize your space.
The shape of the kitchen is an important feature in the planning of your kitchen. It narrows down the possibilities considerably, which will make it easier for you to plan your kitchen. The most important thing to remember is, whichever shape your kitchen will have, try to plan your kitchen with your cabinetmaker as efficiently as possible. This means that food preparation, sink and cooking must not be too far apart. A rule of thumb is that there must be a piece of benchtop between sink and hob, where the food can be prepared.
The place of your fridge in your kitchen is very important as well. Place your fridge between the main entrance and the main cooking area. This way the other members of the house have easy access to the fridge and you can get rid of your shopping as soon as you enter the kitchen. Try however to avoid placing the fridge next to the hob as the difference in temperature will make both appliances work less efficiently.
Kitchen Cabinet Doors can make a huge difference in the look and feel of your kitchen and should be strongly considered. Kitchen cabinet hardware will also allow some excellent space saving in smaller spaces.
Galley kitchens are kitchens in which all the important areas are next to each other. One of the biggest problems in this type of kitchens is storage space. There will not be a lot of below-benchtop storage space, so perhaps it is an idea to have a big storage cabinet or a high refrigerator at the end of the galley.
Another point in galley kitchen is the walking distance between the main work areas. Try to minimise this distance, but keep in mind that you need benchtop between the sink and the hob.
Two-way galley kitchens provide a lot more storage space below the worktop and will usually also have a better layout than a single galley kitchen. Whereas in a single galley kitchen the distances between cabinets are reasonably big, in a two-way galley they're just behind you, so you have to walk less. This will save time. The shape of a two-way galley makes that the layout of your kitchen becomes more compact. Very important with this type of kitchen is though to have enough space between the two galleys. There has to be enough space for example to look into your oven without bumping into the galley behind you. If this space between the two galleys will turn out to be too narrow, then maybe you should think about re-shaping your kitchen.
The L-shaped kitchen will give a lot of workspace and storage space below the benchtop will not be a problem. Also the walking distance between the main zones in your kitchen will be minimized. Another big advantage of the L-shaped kitchen is that one of the corners of your kitchen will be free to use as a dining area. The problem area in an L-shaped kitchen is often the space under the benchtop in the corner a quality Lemans unit or magic corner will sort out this problem.
A U-shaped kitchen will give you a lot of work and storage space. It can, however, become a bit of an enclosing space if the wall cabinets run all around the room. Also the floor area will be a lot less than in any other shape of kitchen. Consider this when choosing this shape of kitchen. If this type of kitchen is used in a bigger room, then one of the legs of the U can be used as a breakfast bar.
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