Your kitchen will handle a host of critical everyday activities, and it is must withstand these activities without falling apart while looking stunning and turning heads. Whether your kitchen is cleaning, cooking, hosting friends, dining, the kitchen space should be a place you enjoy, and careful kitchen design will make that happen.
Following these tips before embarking on your New Kitchen Build will help you create an infinite space that you will love while giving you a fully functional and efficient kitchen.
Budget
Setting up a budget is the first thing you should do when building a new kitchen. Many things you will do or have in your new kitchen will depend on whether you can afford them without going over your budget. The average cost of building a new kitchen is between £7,000 to £75,000 depending on your taste and activities.
Factors that Wii Affect Your New Kitchen Cost
Your Lifestyle
This is the first thing that impacts the kitchen cost. What kind of person are you, and what will you be doing in the kitchen? If you are a wayfarer (a traveler – never around), you can stick to the barest essentials. This is not the case of you are a baker or a chef – you see where this is going
The Kitchen Size/Layout
The size and layout (U-shaped, L-shape or Galley-shape) directly affect your new kitchen cost. An ample kitchen space will accommodate more accessories and other essentials, thus, driving up the price.
Cabinet Materials and Finish
The type of material used in the cabinet and finish will either drive the cost up or down. The market has many options to choose from, ranging from acrylic, polymer, membrane foil, and laminate. Of these materials, acrylic and laminates are the most popular among buyers and designers.
Acrylic is the most expensive because of its glossy look and scratch-resistant property, followed by the poly UV finish. If you are on a budget (or even when not on a budget), go with laminates – they are scratch-resistant, water-resistant, heat resistant and some of them are scratch-resistant. Also, the finish for the interior and exterior of your cabinet impacts the price.
Countertop and Backsplash Materials
Countertops and backsplashes are functional and add style and a high-end finish to the kitchen, but the materials they come in can make them an expensive option. The most popular options are stone, glass/mirror, and quartz for splash backs while Granites, Quartz, Corian for worktops
Appliances
Built-in appliances are a bit more expensive than their free-standing counterparts, and there is the option of buying from top brands or just any regular appliance if you can give up consistency, peace of mind, and energy-saving appliances for cheap on the shelf appliances.
Purpose of Your Kitchen – Personal Preference and Kitchen Activities
A crucial part of planning your kitchen is understanding kitchen ergonomics. Ergonomics, in this case, simply means, your ability to work effectively in your kitchen environment. With this perspective in mind, you realise that the most efficient design for a kitchen is the kitchen that is bespoke to you.
A kitchen is personal, so your lifestyle and personality must be considered. Do you host friends and colleagues regularly? What are the activities you carry out in the kitchen? This is key because the beginning of beauty is efficiency and functionality. It is your kitchen, and so it must be built around you and your preferences, and make you the best chef.
Your kitchen activities will determine what you add to your design. Primarily, you will prepare meals in the kitchen, eat, and cook. These activities will choose the kitchen appliances for you, whether you may want to get a kitchen worktop, a splash back, and an island that doubles as a breakfast table.
Quality
You should consider getting a kitchen as an investment that will serve you for years to come and consider longevity, contemporary and strength, because, whether you like it or yes, cheap and quality don’t go hand-in-hand. At first glance, a low-cost kitchen may look and feel like a designer kitchen, but when you consider factors like durability, endurance, ability to withstand heavy usage, a low-cost kitchen begins to fall apart.
Use quality materials that will give you a kitchen space that you will love for the rest of your life without much maintenance or remodeling. A quality kitchen is one that when done right will serve you for over 15 years without thinking about any replacement or repairs.
Your Kitchen Space – Kitchen Layout
With kitchen spaces ever–shrinking, you need to be creative about kitchen design and layout choices, so you can efficiently manage your space and get a jaw-dropping kitchen. The best way to achieve this is by choosing a bespoke kitchen tailored to meet your need and optimise space.
The 6 Types of Kitchen Layouts
The One-wall Kitchen
If you have a small space and are looking for how to completely optimise the available space, then your best bet is the one-wall kitchen. With cabinets installed against one wall, the kitchen can have upper and lower cabinets over base cabinets to create a clean aesthetic and highly functional kitchen.
The Galley Kitchen
For a sleek and minimalist modular kitchen setup, the galley kitchen is the choice. With two rows of cabinets facing each other, it creates an inner passage or “galley” between them. This layout eliminates the need for corner cupboards and has an uncomplicated feel to it. The galley kitchen layout is a great way to take advantage of every inch of available space.
The L-shaped Kitchen
A fantastic option when used in an open plan home, the L-shape allows for greater flexibility in appliance placement and supports the work triangle. The L-shaped layout is an efficient layout for small or medium kitchens with cabinets lined up on two perpendicular walls.
The U-Shaped Kitchen
This layout provides plenty of storage but can feel enclosed because all the walls are filled with cabinets. You can include an island in the middle (great with open plan kitchens), and choose upper cabinets along only two walls with open shelving. This layout allows for great workflow and multiple users in the kitchen.
The Island Kitchen
Very popular with open plan homes, the island kitchen gives a large work surface or storage in the middle of the kitchen. A kitchen island helps to direct traffic flow in the kitchen and also very functional. You can design your modular kitchen around the island.
The Peninsula Kitchen
This layout incorporates a kitchen counter that juts out of the wall. This is a fantastic alternative that offers a kitchen island’s benefits when there is a space limitation for installing an independent island. The peninsula is multi-purpose and can be used to prepare, eat, or any other task – an excellent solution for a small kitchen space.
Choose a Kitchen Style
The most renovated part of any home in the UK is the kitchen, and a significant reason for that is not because of functionality. The upgrade by most homeowners to the kitchen is because of keeping up with the trend. You want to consider what style of kitchen suits you.
There are three kitchen design styles; Traditional kitchen, modern kitchen, and contemporary kitchen
Traditional Kitchen VS Modern Kitchen VS Contemporary Kitchen
Traditional kitchens are homely and welcoming with ornaments and great artistic detail to create a luxurious space. With classic design elements from the 18th century, the traditional kitchen design is timeless with heritage and time-honored tradition. Characterised by natural materials and free–standing kitchen appliances on the worktop and table.
Verdict: Not suitable where space is a challenge and chores can be lots of work.
The Modern Kitchen Design
The word modern kitchen design means designs that originated in the 20th century and follows a strict design principle – minimal and functional. The emphasis is on having a usable space with little concern for design. This kitchen maximises space with in-built kitchen appliances. The modern kitchen design relies on the use of technology to make chores easy.
Verdict: high on functionality, but low on design and beauty
The Contemporary Kitchen Design
Although the word contemporary and modern are often used interchangeably to describe kitchen designs, they mean two different things. Modern designs speak of design trends in a particular movement (the 20th century), the word “contemporary” means trendy or current. The contemporary kitchen design is more of a rule-breaker with greater fluidity to give off a sophisticated kitchen. What should come to mind when you think of a contemporary kitchen is cutting-edge designs using technology.
Verdict: Timeless, Sleek and Highly Functional
Kitchen Work Triangle
Before you think of any design to choose from, you must first get the work triangle right. The work triangle, also known as the kitchen triangle is the kitchen design principle that every kitchen designer considers when designing a kitchen. Created in the 1920s, it was used to measure whether a residential kitchen was efficient. Think of the kitchen triangle this way – your kitchen is divided into three areas; the sink, the cooker, and the fridge. These three must be arranged in a triangle as this will provide you with the most efficient layout for your kitchen usage.
The Principles That Guides The Work Triangle
- The leg of each triangle length is between 1.2 and 2.7m
- The length of all the legs put together should be between 4m and 7.9m
- No appliances or cabinetry should intersect any of the legs of the triangle
- No significant traffic should go through the triangle
Accessories (Cabinets)
Accessories make your kitchen use more comfortable and help you go through chores like a hot knife through butter. Go with the accessories that are essential to you. You have a choice between different cabinet systems; from drawer system, corner systems (to take advantage of spaces in the corner), sink system (a drawer under the sink), inner-dividers. Just ensure it meets your needs.
These accessories will not only make your life simpler by organising your kitchen space and helping you power through your chores, but they will also help you maximise every inch of kitchen space available and provide you with innovative storage solutions.
Kitchen Lighting
The last place you want to leave in the dark in your home is your kitchen. Think about it, the accidents and the things that can go wrong. Aside from the discomfort of groping in the dark, or the accidents that could happen with sharp knives and edges, the kitchen is the worst place to have lousy lighting.
There are two ways that you can think about this; natural light during the day, and artificial light during the night.
Kitchen Flooring
A lot of activities will take place in your new kitchen. You will cook, eat, host, walk around and handle other activities. It should take the foot traffic, the spillages and stains, without giving up or falling apart. So, besides being practical and durable, your kitchen floor is a statement that affects the entire kitchen design and to choose which material is the best for kitchen flooring, you must consider these 4 factors;
Comfort – Whether cooking or hosting, you will be on your feet for a while, and so you need a soft and resilient floor. You want to be very comfortable when you are stirring your meal, slicing, dicing.
Cleaning – Between dirt and food spills, your kitchen can get very messy, and you don’t want a kitchen floor that makes cleaning very difficult. You need a kitchen floor that is easy to clean, stain-resistant, mould and mildew-resistant, and water-resistant.
Personality and Lifestyle – Consider the people in your home when choosing a kitchen floor. If you have pets or young kids, chances are that there will be spills and dirt brought from outside, sauces and silverware will drop on the floor, non-slip becomes a vital factor to consider.
Durability – This is a no-brainer. You don’t want a kitchen floor that needs to be maintained every now and then or prone to wear and tear. You need a kitchen floor that can last you for a lifetime without repairs or maintenance
Which Material is Best for A New Kitchen Floor
Hardwood – Hardwood or engineered wood is a combination of beauty, comfort and warmth underfoot. Properly finished hardwood is very durable and resistant to moisture, but spills must be wiped immediately. No matter how protected wood is, it is still wood and can be damaged by water.
Pros of hardwood
- Comfortable and warm underfoot.
- Reduces feet fatigue
- Holds well against moisture
- An excellent choice for kitchen
- Non-slip floor.
Cons of Hardwood
- Spill must be cleaned up immediately to avoid mould which is almost impossible to the bathroom
- Wood can be damaged by water
- Bad choice for bathroom
Vinyl Sheets – Vinyl is both water-proof and stain-proof, and as a plus, it is easy to clean up splashes and spills. Vinyl is a look-alike for stone and ceramic tiles, and its resilience makes it soft underfoot. It is very forgiving of dropped glasses and bowls. It is a great option where plenty of water is expected, like the kid’s bathroom.
Pros of Vinyl Sheets
- Cost-effective
- Water-proof
- Can be installed by DIY
- Moisture and mould-resistant
- Can be easily cleaned
- Durable and requires no maintenance
- Non-slip
Cons of Vinyl Sheets
- It has low resale value
Porcelain Tiles – for good looks and durability, porcelain tiles are a great option. An excellent choice for a kitchen where spills are expected because it is easier to clean, and you don’t have to worry about moulds or mildew, or moisture. It has a non-porous property makes it great for a kitchen, especially if you have kids who spill food on the floor and put it back in their mouths. Very unforgiving of dropped bowls or glasses though.
Pros of Porcelain Tiles
- Cleans up well
- Works well with radiant heating
- Good resale value
Cons of Porcelain Tiles
- Cold underfoot
- Slippery
- Hard underfoot
On, a final note, don’t begin a kitchen project without speaking with a kitchen designer and fitter. They will save you the headache of planning your new kitchen alone, give you the best estimates for your kitchen, helping you decide on what you need without breaking the bank, and develop creative bespoke kitchen designs to get the most out of your space while giving you the kitchen of your dreams.
