How To Design A Kitchen


How To Design A Kitchen

The most important room in the house when it comes to buyer appeal and convenience for yourself is undoubtably the kitchen. Simply putting in new cupboards, benches and appliances, however, will not get you anywhere unless you know how to design the entire kitchen properly in order to reduce congestion and save yourself time preparing and cooking food.

  1. Set A Budget When Designing Your Kitchen        Add Comments
    Before you begin going through the process of how to design a kitchen the first thing that you should do is to set a budget and then decide whether you can afford to install a completely new kitchen or have to settle for a simple kitchen facelift like changing the cupboard doors, benchtop and tiles. Make sure that when you are setting your budget that you are realistic about what you can afford and also factor in a buffer of about 10% for unexpected expenses and cost overruns.
  2. List Bad Things About Your Current Kitchen Design        Add Comments
    When considering what should go into your new kitchen design you should begin by making a comprehensive list of all the things that you don't like about your existing kitchen. For example are there not enough cupboard space, is the pantry too small, are people constantly getting in your way, is the sink too small, does the kitchen need more light, is the bench space to fragmented or small, etc.
  3. List The Must Have Features Of Your New Kitchen        Add Comments
    In order to make it easier to design your own kitchen you should make a list of the must have features that you would love your new kitchen to have. For example a dedicated shelf for the microwave, double sink with garbage disposal, a wall oven so you don't have to bend over all the time, breakfast bench, more bench space, larger pantry or more natural light. By listing what you like and dislike you will be well on your way to designing the kitchen on your dreams.
  4. Best Way To Develop A Workable Kitchen Design        1 Comments
    Before you need to know anything about how to renovate a kitchen you should come up with a creative layout which suits all of your needs. The best way to develop a workable kitchen design is to draw your kitchen room to scale on an A4 piece of paper and then cut cardboard shapes to scale for all of your major kitchen components, such as fridge, sink, pantry, benches, dishwasher, oven, cooktop, etc. You can then move these shapes around your scale room trying out different scenarios until you come up with the most workable and elegant design that suits your home.
  5. Always Create A Small Work Triangle In Your Kitchen        Add Comments
    One of the best tips on how to design a kitchen is to try and minimize your work triangle, which is the triangle shape that you get by drawing a line between your sink, fridge and cooktop. This work triangle represents the most commonly used pathways in your kitchen and therefore should be kept small in a good kitchen design. The total length of your work triangle will depend on the overall size of your kitchen area, but as a general rule of thumb it is a good idea to keep the total work triangle distance between 4 and 6 metres.
  6. Remove Main Thoroughfares From Your Kitchen        Add Comments
    The best kitchen designs always ensure that there are NO main thoroughfares or walkways, so that there are never people constantly walking through your kitchen causing congestion. If this cannot be avoided in your home then at least ensure that the traffic does not cross the work triangle, otherwise you will always feel that people are getting in your way in the kitchen.
  7. Make The Kitchen Sink Central To Your Design        Add Comments
    If it is possible you should ensure that the kitchen sink is in the middle of the work triangle when you design your new kitchen layout. This is because the kitchen sink is the most used item in the entire kitchen and having it in a central location will cut down on the amount of walking that you need to do when preparing food for the family.
  8. Incorporate Multiple Bench Spaces Into Your Design        Add Comments
    When planning your kitchen you should pay a lot of attention to exactly how much workable bench space the design will provide. It is always a good idea to have at least 2 reasonable sized beach work areas where you can prepare food. Also a good kitchen design will ensure that there is counter space next to the stove so that it is easy to dish up hot food, as well as on either side of the kitchen sink.
  9. Add A Little Colour To Your Kitchen Design        Add Comments
    Many people choose neutral colours for their new kitchen design so that it won't date easily and look old after a few years. Doing this, however, can leave the kitchen looking a bit plain so it is a good idea to use your splashback to add some colour to your kitchen. Adding some colourful or patterned tiles to the splashback behind the sink and cooktop is the ideal place to brighten up your kitchen and it can also be easily replaced later on to change the look of the kitchen.
  10. Benefits Of The Various Splash Back Types        Add Comments
    When designing a kitchen renovation there are a number of different materials that you can use for a splashback and each one has its own advantages and disadvantages. Stainless steel splashbacks gives a professional look but will look very cold and don't add any colour. Special heat-resistant glass can be a bit expensive but when painted on the back will give your kitchen colour and look great. Finally ceramic tiles are easy to lay yourself, relatively cheap and come in a wide range of colours and patterns. It is also possible to obtain a great panoramic photograph and have this professionally made into a splashback for that really impressive look in your kitchen
  11. Save Money By Not Moving The Stove Or Sink        Add Comments
    Unless you absolutely have to it is a good idea when designing a kitchen layout to not move the position of the stove or kitchen sink. You can save money on your kitchen renovations by not moving these items because the cost of moving the gas, water and drainage pipes can make the whole job a lot more expensive.
  12. Gas Cooking Is Preferable To Electric        Add Comments
    When buying appliances for a new kitchen make sure that you get a gas cooktop or hot plates. This is because no-one wants to cook on electric hotplates any more and having a gas cooktop will make your property more desirable to potential buyers or renters (as well as being much easier for you). Electric ovens are generally ok with most people because they are relatively cheap and easy to use when cooking.
  13. Make Sure You Have Enough Power Point Outlets        Add Comments
    When designing a new kitchen don't forget about or try to save money by reducing the number of electrical power points available in the kitchen area. You should always ensure that you install double power points at numerous locations around the benchtop and in certain kitchen areas it may be necessary to have a 4 port power point installed.
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