Plan Your Kitchen in 6 Easy Steps

Custom  Media Custom Media
WENDY'S KITCHEN, Diane Berry Kitchens Diane Berry Kitchens Modern Kitchen
Loading admin actions …

The kitchen is one of the places in a house that can become old and outdated the fastest. There are not only rapid advancements in the technology of items in the kitchen, there are also constant changes to kitchen designs and trends. Last century the kitchen was a room separate from the rest of the house where meals were prepared and eaten. More recently kitchens have been updated and now form the part of many open plan living areas. Kitchen technology has had great advancements in recent times; refrigerators have become larger, stoves and cooking areas have become more streamlined and nearly all kitchens now have modern conveniences such as microwave ovens and dishwashers. The designs have kept up with these technological advancements, hiding these machines behind doors and cupboards, allowing the designs to remain simple and streamlined. So, you have an old kitchen and want to update it, but don't know where to start?  homify has simplified this process by highlighting 6 steps for planning your new kitchen.

​Choose a Functional Layout

The three most used items in a kitchen are the sink, the stove and the refrigerator. Working in a kitchen often becomes a choreographed dance between these three items. Kitchen designs are based around this concept. The majority of kitchens can be divided into 3 kitchen designs; U-shaped, L—shaped or an Island designs. In a U-Shaped kitchen there is a triangular path between these items over three sections. In the L-shaped kitchen these three items are located along two sections that form an L shape.  An island designed layout includes the presence of an independent island section in the middle of a kitchen with one or two sections along the walls.  The placement of these items is one of the most important considerations when designing a kitchen. This decisions forms the main design of a kitchen.  This kitchen shows a U-shaped design and illustrates how the stove, the sink and the refrigerator are in the three different sections.

Decide on a budget

Now that the big decision has been made to get rid of the old outdated kitchen for a new updated design, the planning can begin. One of the first considerations to make, is the budget. How much can you afford to spend on the new kitchen? Whether you have an unlimited budget, or a very small budget there are some important decisions to be made in order to get the kitchen design of your dreams. Savings can be made by recycling parts of the old kitchen that can be refurbished. This can include the major equipment such as the refrigerator, the oven and the stove. Other savings can be made by looking for second hand kitchens. Many second hand kitchens are sold due to being the wrong size or the wrong style, even though they may be new. It also pays to keep an eye out for sales when considering items such as tiles, a kitchen sink and fittings.

Choose Your Colours Wisely

The colour of a new kitchen is a difficult decision to make. It may be tempting to choose a bright colour to liven up the kitchen space, although how will you feel about this in years to come? If you choose a more neutral colour scheme will this become drab and boring later? The majority of kitchen designs are dominated by the neutral white, black and grey tones. There is an occasional splash of colour to bring energy into a design.  This kitchen design includes a refreshing and unusual colour palate. The main colours in this kitchen are white, grey and bright pink. This may seem like a rather confronting combination on paper, but in the actual kitchen it works well. The bright pink of the bench tops brings a fresh energy to the kitchen inviting the guest to enter. The white and grey are calming influences. This combination would bring a spring to your step as you make your breakfast every morning. This kitchen was designed by DianeBerry Kitchens.

Maximise Storage Space

Whether you have a large kitchen in a house, or a small kitchen in an apartment there is always the need for storage. The kitchen is one place in the house that requires a large amount of storage. This makes sense as it holds not only all the food, but also what we eat the food from and how we prepare it. A kitchen with plenty of storage is not only an organised placed to be, but also pleasant place to spend time with clean streamlined surfaces free of clutter.  This kitchen has a very clever way of providing a large amount of storage space in a very small area. This deep cupboard makes full use of every part. As well as the usual shelves in a cupboard it makes use of the doors which have been converted into spice shelves on one side and a blackboard for notes on the other. The space at the bottom of the cupboard is where a moveable workbench lives. This too has storage underneath in three separate baskets. This is a great use of a very small area. 

​Counter Tops

Deciding on a  counter top for a kitchen can take some time.  Much food preparation will be done on this countertop in the future. It may be tempting to make this choice based on aesthetic qualities alone, but thought should also go into the choice of materials. Consider the durability, maintenance and cost of the different materials. Consideration should also be made based on how the bench tops will be used.  Will there be children in the house? Will this be a busy kitchen making many large meals, or just a kitchen for a couple? One popular countertop choices include granite. Granite comes in a variety of colours and finishes. Other popular options include marble, limestone, concrete, timber and laminate. This finish is an engineered stone finish. It comes in a variety of finishes, it durable and very easy to maintain.

​Don’t Forget the Stylish Accessories

One of the most important accessories in the kitchen would have to be the coffee machine. The coffee machine has in recent times gone from being a sought after item to a necessary item. There are many varieties of coffee machine available today, from the stove top and the French press to the fully automated espresso machine, like this one. This machine is made by Franke of Germany from a Swiss design. This machine is a marvel of technology. The LED screen allows you to place your order, requesting size, type of coffee and any additions such as flavourings. This is then fed into the machine, which quickly makes your coffee. It is an amazing machine and a wonderful addition to any kitchen. This would certainly be the hero of any new kitchen design.

Kitchen designs can quickly become outdated. The prospect of updating an old and outdated kitchen can sometime seem daunting. This need not be the case. These 6 simple steps have outlined how creating a new kitchen design can be challenging, but also very fun and a little bit exciting. When designing a new kitchen consider how it will be used and who will be using it. Once these considerations have been made, you can have a bit of fun with the design. Don’t be afraid to use colour and unusual designs. For more inspiration visit the profile of -TotoKitchen Design Studio

Need help with your home project?
Get in touch!

Highlights from our magazine