Things to consider when designing a kitchen

Planning a new kitchen is exciting. Whether you’re renovating your old kitchen or building a new one from scratch, designing a kitchen that suits your needs, style, and budget can be a huge task. But don’t worry, here are some useful tips on things to consider when designing a kitchen.

The first step in planning your new kitchen is to understand your budget. Without a budget, you could end up overspending, which is never fun. Decide how much you are willing to spend on your new kitchen and stick to it as much as you can.

The next step is to decide on the layout of your kitchen. Think about how you will use your kitchen and what will make it easier for you to prepare your meals. Consider the flow of traffic around your kitchen, the placement of appliances, and the workspace. The idea of a "work triangle" in the kitchen has long been recommended. It involves ensuring that the kitchen’s 3 main work areas, the cooker, fridge, and sink are positioned in a triangle for easy movement between them. However, you should also consider creating special task zones too, these include areas for prepping and storing food. When designing your kitchen, it's essential to think about your daily routines. If you love a morning coffee, you might want to prioritise a space for your coffee machine and its supplies. Similarly, if you enjoy baking, you may want a proofing or warming drawer.

Another thing to consider at the planning stage is your flooring. The choice of material you use for your flooring will depend on your budget. You should consider the look you want to achieve and its practicality. There are so many options for flooring. Some options include laminate, LVT, real wood, porcelain, stone, and engineered timber. When you are choosing flooring for your kitchen, as well as considering the style and design, there are three main things to consider: safety, durability and simplicity of cleaning.

To avoid clutter on your worktops, think about including units to hide appliances like your kettle and toaster. Nowadays many modern kitchens feature a pantry to store dry goods and appliances. Like this beautiful example by @humphreymunson.

(Image credit: Humphrey Munson)

Modern pantries usually include a combination of shelving, drawers and door racks. They are a clever way of including multiple storage solutions.

Drawers are a necessity to neatly hide your utensils and crockery. There are also lots of other storage options available nowadays, such as spice racks, shelf separators, and drawer organisers. All of which prevent cluttering and ensure everything has a designated space. Including compartments for chopping boards or oven trays, incorporating a wine rack, or other customised features can simplify your life even more.

This drawer insert pictured, is designed by @humphreymunson to store cutlery and coffee pods. It is a great example of clever storage. Bespoke details like this add a touch of luxury to the kitchen.

(Image credit: Humphrey Munson)

The cabinets and worktops you choose are two of the most important elements in your kitchen. They not only provide storage space and a workspace but also help define the style of your kitchen. Wall cabinets with glass fronts can give a more spacious feel and they are a nice way to display your glassware.

Splashbacks can make an amazing feature in your kitchen, as they add a touch of luxury. Mirrored splashbacks are timeless and smoked mirrors can look very elegant. Nowadays it is quite trendy to continue your worktop up the wall.

Pictured, below is one of my recent projects, in which I used these beautiful herringbone tiles from Mandarin Stone to create a classic, neutral splashback.

Herringbone kitchen tiles

Choosing the right worktop for your kitchen is very important. It can really set off the whole kitchen. Marble is a timeless, classic and luxurious option, but it can be a bit pricy! You could consider just using it on your island for a little touch of luxury? Carrara marble is a bit more affordable. Just keep in mind that marble can be quite high maintenance - it stains easily and can even scratch or crack. It would need to be sealed. If you're thinking of something more practical, there are plenty of composite stones out there that are very durable. Silestone, Caesarstone, and Neolith composite are all great options. Corian is another option which is a man-made material that's stylish and resistant to both scratches and stains. Plus, it can be moulded into sinks. Many kitchens combine worktops nowadays, and that often includes wood. As it is a natural material, it requires upkeep, but it can add warmth to your kitchen.

Choosing the colour of your kitchen is a very personal choice. Hand-painted kitchens are a good choice for the future. You can choose a colour you love now but you can easily change the cabinet colours as your taste changes, or you could give your kitchen a freshen-up when it begins to look tired. There are a lot of kitchen retailers that offer paintable kitchens nowadays at varying prices.

Here is great example of a paintable kitchen by Howdens Joinery

(Image credit: Howdens)

Another very important element of a kitchen is the taps you choose. Everyone has to consider their budget when buying their kitchen taps. They can vary massively in price. Cheap and cheerful is definitely not the best option, it is important to consider value for money. A poor-quality tap may not last as long as a better-made, higher priced one. The old saying “buy cheap, buy twice” is very relevant when it comes to taps. A mid-range product rather than the cheapest or most expensive is a good place to start when looking for a new kitchen tap. All-in-one boiling water taps are very common now and they are often replacing the standard mixer taps. I personally love my Quooker tap, it saves me so much time and it’s so easy to use and keep clean.

Lastly, good lighting is essential in any kitchen. It's important to bear in mind that you'll be using your kitchen during the day and at night-time, so consider adding a mix of task lighting, ambient lighting, cabinet lighting and accent lighting to create the perfect atmosphere. If you are considering spotlights, it's recommended to maintain a gap of at least 30mm between your wall units and spotlights. If you have ceiling-reaching kitchen units, ensure that your lights do not interfere with your doors. Additionally, it's important to set up a variety of lighting options so that you can adjust the lighting according to different needs - such as dimmer lights for an intimate dinner gathering or brighter spotlights to highlight cooking areas for example.

Finally, add your personal touches to your new kitchen. Whether it’s adding decorative elements or choosing a colour scheme that reflects your personality, make sure your kitchen feels like a reflection of you. Planning a new kitchen can be overwhelming, but it doesn’t have to be. With these tips, you can design a kitchen that is efficient, stylish, and within your budget.

Happy kitchen planning!