Top tips on how to plan a new kitchen

Planning a kitchen in detail is a must to get the most out of your kitchen space. By planning your new kitchen carefully you can foresee and prevent any potential problems, ensuring your kitchen workflow is smooth. A detailed plan will also help to keep your kitchen orderly and clutter-free, positively influencing the whole ambience of the room.

We take you through our top tips on how to plan a new kitchen, so you can be sure that you’ve thought of everything.

Deciding on your new kitchen layout 
 

One of the most important things you need to do is plan your new kitchen layout. If it’s not carefully thought out, it could go very, very wrong.
 

Types of kitchen layouts

There are five basic types of kitchen layout:

1. The open-plan layout

There’s a reason why open-plan layouts are so popular — it’s become the norm for a modern kitchen to be a multi-functional space for cooking, eating, relaxing, socialising and working.

For a twist on the traditional open-plan kitchen layout, welcome the broken-plan layout. This layout includes zones and small areas within the open-plan area, for more privacy. These zones are created using freestanding furniture, screens and modular shelving units.

2. The galley layout

Galley kitchens comprise two parallel lines of kitchen units. Galley kitchens can be wider spaces and part of an open-plan layout; it doesn’t have to be long and thin. Many people think of a galley layout as being restrictive, but there’s so much you can do so it meets your needs — we have put together some galley kitchen ideas for inspiration.

3. The U-shaped layout

A U-shaped kitchen runs against three walls to create a ‘U’ shape. The U shape can perfectly fit around a highly coveted kitchen island.

4. The peninsula layout

The peninsula layout is when one counter extends out from the wall right into the kitchen space (often used as a breakfast bar).

5. The L-shaped layout

This layout creates an ‘L’ shape, with the units bending around a corner.
 

Measure up your space

Modern kitchens need to meet a lot of demands. Often, they’re the central space within a home, used for multiple activities. You need to make sure that everything you want in your new kitchen will fit.

If you visit the kitchen designer, take accurate measurements of the whole room, so they can have something to work with. If the designer visits you, they’ll most likely want to take the measurements themselves.

To make sure you get it right, take a look at our step-by-step guide on how to measure for a new kitchen.

Set a budget

Kitchen shopping is exciting. It’s easy to get carried away by fast trends which dazzle now, but won’t be valued in the future (you probably don’t need a fridge as big as a walk-in wardrobe). To stay focused, your kitchen budget needs to be laid out at the start of your kitchen project. To help you rein in the spending if needed, consider the design expert’s 5-15% rule: the kitchen remodel should cost no less than 5% of the current value of the home, and no more than 15%.

Make sure to include money for the labour as that can often be overlooked when you first start shopping. It’s helpful to compare quotes from different kitchen remodelers to estimate what your labour costs will be. Then set aside some of the budget for the kitchen itself (kitchen cabinets and countertops), appliances, flooring, electrics, plumbing, lighting, appliances and decorating.

There is usually an unforeseen cost. Human beings tend to be overly optimistic planners. So set aside an extra 20% for this.
 

Consider kitchen appliances

Appliances — what would we do without them? They make our lives so much easier! So you need to consider their size, where they’re best located, which appliances need to be near each other and the ease of use (e.g. avoid opening a fridge door onto a wall).
 

Where should your appliances go?
 

Consider what you need…and what you don’t

Do you really need a constantly fuel-guzzling Aga and an electric oven? If you’re installing an instant hot water tap in your new sink to save you time (and water), then you won’t need a kettle… Consider the bills you pay, the size of your household and how the household functions.

Define the work zones

Consider your work zones : where you prepare food, where you clean up, or entertain – and place appliances accordingly. The sink, stove and fridge should be close to each other. A dishwasher is usually located near the sink for ease of rinsing the plates before uploading.

Factor in a clear path to tread

You need to make sure you’ve enough floor space in your new kitchen plan. Whether you simply want to move easily without any hazards, or you’re a bit of a kitchen disco fan so you need some extra space to dance, it’s something you can’t overlook. A kitchen can quickly become chaotic, especially if you’ve a large household, so think about how you move around.

And here’s a top tip: to stop kids from running into the kitchen on the hunt for snacks when you’re cooking on a hot stove (hazard!), designate a ‘snack zone’ near to the kitchen entrance and away from the hot appliances.

Leave room for cupboard doors to open

Not leaving enough room for cupboard doors to fully open is a frustrating mistake. If your fridge door doesn’t have enough space to fully open, you won’t be able to get the internal drawers and shelves out to clean them (you live and learn…).

Don’t forget about small appliances

You’ll likely have many small appliances: coffee machine, microwave, toaster… Ensure that you factor in space to locate or store them. You might want to factor in some drawers with power points so you can hide them away and use them in the same spot.
 

Choosing a kitchen design

Once you’ve ticked off the items above, you can start to imagine your kitchen aesthetics. For many people, this will be what they think of first when planning their new kitchen. There are many kitchen design styles: modern, glossy, Scandi, freestanding or traditional, the list goes on...

Before you decide, think about how the style you’re considering fits with the rest of the property. Consider the different types of finish, colour and texture. The kitchen sink is a focal point of the kitchen, so you want to choose a material that will prove durable, as well as choosing according to style and size.

A kitchen renovation offers the perfect opportunity to add desirable and highly useful features such as a kitchen sink waste disposal unit (so you can do away with the unsightly, smelly food caddy in your glamorous new kitchen). Or perhaps an instant hot water tap to make your life so much easier – and to impress guests.

Choice of kitchen tiles and the colour of the walls and kitchen cabinets also make a big difference. Not forgetting the material you choose for the kitchen worktops, which are one of the first things people notice when they enter the room. Before you start the project, scroll through kitchen images on the internet for inspiration.

We get it: planning isn’t exciting. But a new kitchen is, and ultimately, the success of your new kitchen depends on it. So keep focused on the task in hand and you’ll soon have the kitchen of your dreams.