Planning Your Perfect Kitchen

• Budget
• Draw up a plan
• Choosing a company
• Layout
• The look
  • Storage
  • Worktops
  • Lighting
  • Walls
  • Flooring

Budget
Knowing how much money you have to spend at the outset is essential, and if you stick to budget, you'll avoid any financial disasters. As a general rule you should spend no more than 10-15% of the cost of your house on your kitchen. A kitchen is an investment and a well planned and well designed one will not only make it an enjoyable space to use, it will make your property more attractive when it comes to selling.
Draw up a plan
Before you approach a designer make a wish list of your dream kitchen. Put together a scrapbook of kitchen styles, finishes, appliances and storage ideas you like, with pictures cut out from magazines. It's also worth drawing a basic plan of the size and shape of your kitchen to take with you. Accurately detail the width of all walls, including alcoves. Don't forget to mark in the position of windows, radiators and doors. You may also want to mark in the height of the room where there are sloping ceilings. Is there a good route between key areas? Do you have adequate electrical sockets? What storage works and what doesn't? Where will you eat? If you will eat in the kitchen you might want to consider buying a dining table - ideally one that can open out to accommodate guests. Or what about a breakfast bar? Next make a list of all the appliances you want, including smaller items such as pots and pans.
Choosing a company
When you have a good idea of what you want from your new kitchen it's time to approach a designer. Visit a few showrooms and talk to the experts before you make up your mind.

• It's often a good idea to pick a company within easy reach of your home as a few visits may be necessary.
• Never commission a company online or over the phone. Meet the designer face to face and have a good chat about what you'd like.
• Personal recommendations are best but if this is not possible check the credentials of the company. Ask to see kitchens that they have designed and talk to the owners.
• Check what's included. Will the company oversee the design from start to finish? Is plumbing and electrics included? Check that appliances have guarantees.

Layout
The shape and size of the room will dictate how you lay out your kitchen.

• Galley: This layout is best suited to long, narrow, small spaces with units and appliances against one wall. For best results keep the hob and sink close together; go for fully integrated under-counter appliances; and consider cut-out niches in walls for storage. Plumbed appliances are generally placed against an outside wall.
• Double galley: This layout features two runs of units facing each other on opposite walls. If your room is small but wide this design is ideal. Note that the distance between the two runs should be at least 42in wide to work efficiently.
• L-shaped: In this layout units run along two walls in a basic L shape. This has the advantage of continuous worktop space between the three points of the triangle, and a shorter distance between each of the working areas. Keep the cooker, fridge and sink no more than 3ft from each other for easy access.
• Linear: In this kitchen all the units and appliances are contained in one run. If you are using this layout in a long room, try to keep the sink, fridge and hob reasonably close to each other to minimise walking up and down between them.
• U-shaped: This layout is suited to more spacious kitchens with units running along three sides, leaving the fourth side open to use as a dining area. Positioning the fridge, hob and cooker in the middle of each wall can give you the perfect triangle, but in a larger kitchen it's better to place one or more of these in an island unit to make the space more manageable.
• Island: In an island kitchen a freestanding unit stands in the middle of the room and can accommodate a hob, cooker, sink extra storage and worktop. This layout is ideal in larger kitchens where space is not an issue, or in kitchens connected by dining or living areas - here the island can be used to define the spaces.

The look
Once you've decided on the layout of your kitchen and just what bits and pieces you need, it's time to think about the look of the place. Do you want a rustic kitchen or a steely modern one? Do you want fitted or unfitted? A fitted kitchen is easy to buy and will give you a neat and tidy look. An unfitted kitchen will give you a more personal look and you can take elements away with you when you move house. Remember you don't have to go for a standard look, you can mix and match shop bought pieces with your own stuff or customise an off-the-peg kitchen with some brilliant colour.
Storage
Good storage is key in a kitchen - you'll need space for food, crockery, utensils, cutlery, cook books and big pots and pans.

• If you have space, consider a larder or pantry cupboard. Choose one that opens out with a mix of storage options shelves, pull out drawers, door storage etc. Central shelves should be about 60cm deep, while mid-height shelves should be at least 15 to 30cm shallower. A cold granite shelf is a good idea and will keep fresh produce at room temperature.
• The most accessible storage area sits between knee height and eye level. Store items rarely used above and below this line. Turn dead corner space into a useful storage area with a magic carousel, fitted with doors that revolve around a pivot and swing shut into place.
• For easy access choose undercounter units that pull-out so you can get to everything that's inside.
• In larger kitchens, tall dual-sided pull out cupboards are an efficient option because items at the back can easily be reached. Place less regularly used heavier items on the bottom shelf.
• Extra deep and extra wide drawers are a standard feature in most modern kitchens, providing space for storing awkward items like pots and pans and small appliances.

Worktops
When choosing a worktop bear in mind practicality as well as appearance, as worktops need to be robust and durable. Different materials suit different situations - choose a look that you know you can live with for many years.

• Corian: A synthetic resin with rounded front edges. Sinks and worktops can be made from one piece of Corian for a seamless look.
• Laminate: Available in a wide range of colours and designs, laminates are affordable, easy to clean and require little maintenance.
• Stainless steel: This trend takes its cue from the professional chef's kitchen. Stainless steel gives the room a light and bright feel, is easy to form into any con0guration, is hygienic and needs no maintenance. It can, however, scratch easily and needs to be wiped dry or it will look smudgy.
• Glass: Strong but can scratch quite easily so choose a glass worktop with some kind of etching or ripple effect to conceal marks.
• Wood: Wood is warm and natural looking. Its natural acidity inhibits bacterial growth and scratches can be sanded out. Choose an oily wood such as Iroko or teak for the sink area.
• End-grain wood: This is wood turned on its end and glued together in blocks - it makes a brilliant chopping board and can be inserted into a different work surface.
• Granite: It's strong, extremely durable, heat resistant and waterproof but it's expensive as it is a hard stone to machine cut.
• Marble: Strong, beautiful and cool looking, marble is porous and can stain and scratch if not treated properly.

Lighting
A well-designed lighting scheme is essential for creating a pleasant working and eating environment in the kitchen. As electrical 0ttings have to be installed well before cabinetry and appliances, decide early where you want lighting to go.

• Avoid bare fluorescent lighting as it's too harsh and tends to create shadows.
• Track lighting is a good choice but don't just stick it in the centre of the room, position it closer to worktops, no more than 1m away from the cupboards.
• The most effective kitchen lighting is recessed downlights arranged regularly with
  wide beam lights. Don't forget to include under-cupboard lighting, dimmable spots, and back lighting into the design. Consider a pendant light hanging above the kitchen table which will create a separate lighting environment for informal dining.
• If you don't have a dining room, use candles to transform a meal in the kitchen into something special.

Walls
Selecting a suitable wall covering for your new kitchen is not simply a style issue. The
kitchen's hot and steamy conditions put special demands on walls.

• Wallpaper: It's not really ideal in a kitchen as the steam may cause it to peel but if you want paper make sure it's a washable, plastic coated paper - it's easier to keep clean.
• Tiles: Easy to clean, heat resistant and available in a wide choice of colours and styles. To avoid a heavy, overbearing look, cover just one wall in tiles and paint the other walls.
• Paint: Choose a paint that's suited to the conditions of a kitchen like Crown's Kitchen and Bathroom emulsion. Paint is very forgiving, easy to maintain and is inexpensive so you can easily update the look with a fresh coat every few years.
• Wood panelling: Useful for covering uneven areas, painted wood panels will also help insulate heat and sound.

Flooring
Kitchen floors have come a long way from plain old wood and stone, now there's a whole gamut of unusual and colourful man-made materials to choose from. As with any flooring, remember to ask about installation and make sure the flooring is both practical and hardwearing.

• Wood: Wood has a warmth of colour and give, but it must be well-sealed. Too much wood in a kitchen can be overpowering, so if you want wooden units, think carefully before adding in a wooden floor.
• Tiles: Ceramic tiles are hardwearing, waterproof and easy to keep clean and come in a choice of many colours. Always choose non-slip tiles for a kitchen. Terracotta tiles are popular in country kitchens and are water and stain resistant when sealed.
• Vinyl: This is a lightweight, warm and waterproof flooring that comes in sheets or tiles, which can form a near seamless surface - so no bacteria traps.
• Rubber: It's anti-slip, waterproof and burn resistant, and comes in sheets or tiles in a huge range of colours. Floortex Tel: 01 490 4420 supply Dalsouple rubber flooring, available in 70 different colours.
• Concrete: Gives a real industrial look to your kitchen. The basic cement, sand and water mix can be waxed or stained to obtain a more lustrous finish.

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