5 things to consider when designing your new kitchen
The kitchen is the heart of the home, and the joy of a bespoke kitchen is that is personal to both your needs, budget and style. Our designers pride themselves on going the extra mile to ensure your dreams are made into a reality; here are the 5 main things to consider when talking things through with our team.
- Worktops: Always choose the worktops first as these will be the most visible element of your new kitchen. There are many different surfaces available and your designer will be able to talk you through which one is most suitable for both your needs and budget. Make sure when you’re choosing your work surface that you choose it under natural light and in the same position that your own new work surfaces will be i.e. horizontal. There’s no point holding up a sample to the light and holding it up vertically; work surfaces are, by their very nature, horizontal, so hold it horizontally and see what it looks like.
- Lighting: Gone are the days of nasty, fluorescent strip lighting! The correct lighting in a kitchen can enhance a party, mellow out a dinner gathering or simply perk up a grey day. There are so many different varieties of lighting available; under counter lighting, floor level unit lighting, pendant lighting over a breakfast bar or island and even back lights in glass fronted units. You can even have lighting that changes colour when you ask it to!
- Flooring: The kitchen is undoubtedly the heart of the home and as such the flooring in your kitchen will need to be exceptionally hard wearing. Everyone uses the kitchen each day, and if you have small children or pets, the easier to maintain your flooring is, the happier you will be! There are many options from open weave brickwork, tiles, slates, and even laminate wood or lino. Your designer will be able to source the perfect flooring to complement your dream kitchen.
- Appliances: Think about what appliances you’re going to need and where they would be most suitable. If you really want an enormous American fridge freezer then you are going to need the space in which to put it and your kitchen may well have to be designed around the placement of that appliance. Sinks traditionally go near windows but they don’t have to; the joy of a bespoke kitchen is it is designed around your needs and your space, so if you want your sink in an island that’s not a problem. Your oven and your hob need not be in the same place. Do you want a double oven or even quadruple oven, depending on how much cooking you do and for how large a family? Are your washing machine and tumble dryer going in the kitchen or is there a separate utility room? Once you have a rough idea of where your appliances are going to be your designer will be able to bring together the elements of your new kitchen to find a dream result that matches style and functionality.
- Units: There are many different styles of units available from the contemporary to the more traditional and although it may seem off to choose these last, there is a reason. When selecting your units there are several aspects to take into consideration, most obviously the style but also the colour. This will need to work with both your flooring and your work surface choices as well as your lighting requirements. For this reason, selecting the units last means your designer can work around the placement of appliances and ensure you have the maximum amount of storage you want.
