Planning your perfect kitchen

We recently wrote an article in the Food Lover magazine on the art of planning your perfect kitchen. I thought it would be a good idea to share these ideas with you via this blog.

KEEP IT SIMPLE

• Just like the preparation of good food, this philosophy can also be applied to your kitchen….keep it simple… use good quality materials, in a functional and practical way and your kitchen life will be a daily source of pleasure.

KITCHEN FUNCTION

• For many, the kitchen is now the hub of the home and not just for preparing a meal. You should consider your lifestyle and what activities you will do in your kitchen: food preparation and cooking; food storage; dining; entertaining; working; laundry etc.

MAKE A LIST

• Begin the planning of your new kitchen by focusing on your existing kitchen and make a list of what’s currently right and wrong. Ask yourself lots of questions, for example; who currently uses the kitchen? Do you get in each others way? Are the key kitchen zones positioned well? Are you making the most of the natural light in the room? Is food preparation performed efficiently?

MUST-HAVES

•  Nail those items that you must have in your kitchen, whether it’s a feature central island, granite worktops or display cabinets. Have a clear idea of your requirements for the kitchen, what type of oven? Are you going to re-use any existing appliances? What appliances will you need?

GET CREATIVE

• Looking through magazines is a great way to get some inspiration. Start to collect images that you like, tear pages from magazines, look at kitchen company web sites and use sites such as Pinterest. Look around at appliances that could help you become more efficient and save you energy in the home.

SET YOUR BUDGET

• This will help your designer in the planning and design of your kitchen, where to invest in the kitchen and where savings can be made. Also, with appliances think about what you really need and what is a ‘nice to have’.

FIND A GOOD KITCHEN COMPANY

• Never underestimate what a trained eye can bring. A good kitchen designer will have experience, ideas and know-how and offer you solutions that will help create your dream kitchen. They should also have up to date knowledge of products, fixtures and fittings and the ability to source everything on your behalf. Looking at websites is a good way to find a kitchen company, as most will have portfolios and testimonials from past clients. I still believe that word of mouth is one of the best ways to find a reliable kitchen company, with that added assurance that the company will live up to your expectations.

ADDING VALUE

• A well designed, good quality kitchen can significantly add to the value of your home. You need to think about the cost of the new kitchen and the resale value it could add to your house. If done well, in general, a new kitchen will add more value to your home than they cost to accomplish.