Top 5 kitchen design tips you need to know

Designing a kitchen seems like an easy task, but when you start to think of all the styles available and the different ways you and your family use this space, it can quickly become a challenge that can leave you confused and frustrated. However, by following our top 5 tips you’ll be able to design a kitchen that is practical, stylish and suitable for you and your family’s needs.

Tip # 1 – Layout

One of the fundamental considerations, and it probably comes as no surprise, is the layout. A kitchen can look beautiful but a poor layout can result in it being unsuitable for your day-to-day needs. Ideally your sink, cooker and fridge should be located in three adjacent positions – imagine a triangle on the floor and the location of each item at the end of each point. This layout will enable you to easily manage your culinary tasks and will also maximise the space in your kitchen. With the increasing popularity of open plan kitchen and dining rooms, and kitchen islands, you may not be able to achieve this, but you can work out what’s best for you by standing in your space and imagining how you would use it and where the best place for each item would be for the way you use your kitchen.

Tip # 2 – Doors, worktops & flooring

These three elements can change the overall look of your kitchen – you can choose from a variety of options to create a contemporary, classical, or traditional look; so, begin with a style that you like and then think about colours and handles (or handle-less options) to create your ideal look. Door and floor choices are enormous, and there will be something that suits every style and budget. The same goes for worktops – wood, granite, or man-made stone – again, the choice depends on how you will use the space. However, when it comes to worktops, ensure you have enough space to prepare and serve your meals. Often worktop space can get taken up by floor to ceiling cupboards, and freestanding appliances so careful thought needs to go into how you balance your workspace and your storage.

Tip # 3 – storage

All too often, when people begin to design their kitchen they think about how they want it to look, but forget to think about the practicality of storage. Storing plates, pots and pans, as well as food and store cupboard essentials all needs to be considered at the outset. Increasingly, soft close drawers and cupboards are becoming standard, and deep drawers in place of cupboards make accessing items easy and do away with the difficulties of reaching the back of a low cupboard. Fitted appliances – such as microwave cookers – can also reduce the need to have these items taking up valuable worktop space; fitted fridges, dishwashers and ovens also take up less space.

Tip # 4 – appliances

Energy saving induction hob’s, instant hot water taps, steam ovens and self-cleaning ovens – just a few of the many appliances that will make cooking both easy and enjoyable and will wow your guests when entertaining. It is useful to spend a bit of time thinking about what would help you and what you really do need and would make use of. For example, hot water taps are great for a family that does a lot of cooking, but if you live on your own and have a busy work and social life, a steam oven may be a better use of your budget, and enable you to cook healthy meals both quickly and with very little mess.

Tip # 5 – lighting

An error many people make is not thinking about lighting design in their kitchen. Directional lighting can help ensure your lighting is where you need it most. However, with advances in technology, built under lighting is becoming very affordable as they use less energy and they are very easy to install. Lighting strips that fit under your wall cabinets will directly light up your workspace and prevents your body from casting a shadow which can be a problem with lighting that comes from a centre ceiling source. With modern low voltage LED strips, and even voice activated and smart home linked options, your lighting can be practical and easy to control.

These tips will help you think of the core considerations you need to make when designing your kitchen. At Willenhall bathrooms and kitchens, we’ll help you with every step of the process, so together we can design a kitchen that suits your personal style and needs.