Find out more about how to plan a new kitchen. We look at the steps to take when considering a new kitchen design.

Kitchens were formerly secret workshops, but they are now areas where we spend a lot of our time. They must be elegant spaces we like to spend time in addition to providing the cooking and preparation equipment that is suitable for all of the house's residents. 

The décor of the kitchen must blend nicely with the eating and leisure rooms because they are frequently a zone in an open-plan kitchen, diner, and living space. Our guide offers you ten stages that will help you, whether you're doing it alone or have enlisted the assistance of a professional. Effective kitchen planning is essential if you want a successful kitchen design that meets all of your objectives.

 List The Elements You Want

The aim is to balance what you already have in your kitchen with what you need and want from your new kitchen design. It is typically preferable to manage this yourself before visiting a kitchen planner or designer, utilising what already functions in your kitchen and adjusting what does not.

You may use this process to be creative, assess whether anything can be salvaged or repurposed, choose the type of sink you want, and figure out how many appliances will fit in the area.

 Consider The Best Layout

The kitchen layout should be created to exactly suit your lifestyle; to have a better understanding, keep the following in mind when looking at various kitchen design and layout ideas:If the room is open concept, then you should prioritise the arrangement of the kitchen's working area while also considering how it connects to the dining table if there is one or the other zones in an open-concept kitchen-living-diner.

Remember to use the working triangle. Use the kitchen's working triangle design principle to layout the area for preparation and cooking. The refrigerator, sink, and stovetop serve as the three points, while fictitious lines connecting them create the triangular shape. While each workstation shouldn't feel constrained, the three areas should be close enough to one another to facilitate quick meal preparation.

Consider what would compliment the form of your kitchen the best as well as the triangle imposed on the various kitchen layouts. These include open-concept kitchens, galley kitchens, U-shaped kitchens, L-shaped kitchens, and curved kitchens.

You can begin making plans for how to make the most of the space once you know precisely how much you have to work with. Additionally, it will offer you a clear notion of how much money you want to spend before starting the design process in earnest, ensuring that you end up with a plan you can afford. This method assists you in cutting expenses early on in the process if your designs don't fit your budget.

 Collect Kitchen Design Ideas 

Once you've thought about the aforementioned considerations, you can start browsing for kitchen inspiration to see how the project will turn out.

It's crucial to choose a look that enhances the functionality of your kitchen design. Considerations for aspects like colour, layout, and utility should be made before starting any task. The arrangement of your kitchen may be worked on after you've chosen a design.

 Choose The Best Materials

You may choose kitchen units, finishes, and other items once you have decided on the style you desire. The majority of this will depend on your budget, but investing in the highest-quality kitchen you can afford can increase the value of your house. Additionally, it should go without saying that your kitchen may endure longer if you use higher-quality materials.

The strongest and most resilient material for your kitchen cabinets is hardwood. A suitable alternative to solid wood is plywood, which is frequently somewhat less expensive. Fiberboard cabinets are often affordable, long-lasting, and provide you with that completely smooth surface for a trendy, minimalist look if you want a modern kitchen design that is sleek and stylish.

Wood veneered cabinets and cabinet doors often don't survive very long since the veneer layer might peel and chip. Particleboard is the same way. However, both of these materials are reasonably priced, so if you're attempting to keep your expenses low, they can be an option for you.

 Choose A Colour Scheme 

Since colour will be the first thing people notice about your kitchen, it may be just as essential as the type of cabinets you pick. A white or light-coloured kitchen design also gives you more possibilities for decor, including kitchen flooring and tiles, since you may be more daring in your selections.

White, cream, off-white, and light grey are the three most preferred and popular colours for kitchens nowadays. So if you want your kitchen to be a blank canvas where you can add your colour and personality to the décor while maintaining a classic kitchen design that won't age, these colours are a perfect and fantastic option to choose from.

 Choose Kitchen Wall Tiles And Flooring

When it comes to a hectic setting, the decoration and colour you have on your kitchen walls are crucial. Additionally, placing tiles close to work areas is a smart choice. Therefore, the kitchen flooring must also be durable in order to withstand any spills or heavy dampness.A kitchen can be made of ceramic, porcelain, or actual stone.

Due to the wetness in the space, solid wood is typically not advised for kitchens. Instead, we advise using engineered wood, which resembles natural wood but is made to be sturdy under the given conditions.Laminate is a cost-effective choice that expertly imitates the appearance of actual materials, whether you adore the look of wood or tiles.

It's usually advised to get the highest quality laminate you can afford because the less expensive ones can appear a touch glossy. Vinyl, a practical alternative that replicates natural materials, is recognised for its strength, scratch resistance, and ease of cleaning. If you're looking for flexible and modern flooring, you may also consider rubber.

It's a popular choice for kitchens since it's long-lasting, sanitary, and comfortable to walk on.Concrete is fashionable and has a very modern feel. Resin and concrete floors are quickly taking over as the preferred flooring for modern homes. Concrete and resin are robust and resistant to spills, filth, and stains, making them a useful material as well. They are ideal for kitchen floors and well-prepared bathroom floors.

 Kitchen Window Dressings

Every kitchen window treatment should be able to withstand the dampness in the space, be unaffected by splashes if they are next to the sink, and be simple to clean.

For a unified appearance in a kitchen addition, shutters function on both French doors and windows. While window films give seclusion and don't occupy any space on the windowsill, kitchen blinds are functional and come in styles specifically for the kitchen.

Where Should Appliances go in a New Kitchen?

You must carefully consider which areas of the kitchen you will use the most for cooking and how readily you can move between them if you want your space to serve its intended role as a kitchen. This is what's known as a "kitchen triangle".

When designing your space, the fridge, sink, and stove should be your top priorities; following consideration of these elements, you may begin to consider the placement of other appliances, such as the microwave, dishwasher, wine refrigerator, and so on.

The placement of plumbing, extractor fans, electrical outlets, and other fixtures can only be determined once the general layout of the room has been determined. By determining the layout first, any issues can quickly be resolved without you losing time or money.

What are the Main Types of Kitchen Layouts?

There are many different kitchen layout designs, and each has benefits and drawbacks. The layout you ultimately choose will be dependent on the available space, as well as your preferences.

It's important to avoid presuming that a new kitchen design belongs in a specific category since there are usually unique aspects of the space or the client's requirements that might inspire something that deviates from these established layout categories and produces something unique.

Galley Kitchen

The compact, step-saving kitchen triangle shape is ideal for use in galley kitchens; you won't need to buy as much kitchen flooring if you have a smaller kitchen. Galley kitchens are often the best for do-it-yourself renovation since they are smaller, and galley kitchens are frequently too small for two or more chefs to operate simultaneously.

Long, narrow spaces are frequently home to galley kitchens; counters follow the two parallel walls in these layouts. The galley design may be broader areas that function excellently for connecting rooms, allowing one room to easily link to the next. This is different from the little, narrow hallway that most people would associate them with. The galley design offers a cosy sense of seclusion.

L-Shaped Kitchen

The L-shape is a more conventional kitchen plan that is typically centred on a corner and is made up of cabinets and countertops that run along two parallel walls.

Two cabinets are connected to resemble an L in an L-shaped kitchen. The L-shaped kitchen is one of the popular kitchen designs as the layout is appropriate for both modern and classic kitchen interior design styles.

U-Shaped Kitchen

To achieve a "U" form, a U-shaped kitchen is built up against three walls. Every layout has advantages and disadvantages, but this one provides a lot of workbench space - something you can never have enough of in a kitchen - and it fits both open-plan and broken-plan rooms.

U-shaped kitchen concepts have something more to offer compared to a galley kitchen or an L-shaped kitchen as the design is the most practical of all kitchen layouts and can offer an additional run of possible storage or appliance space.

Peninsula Kitchen

The peninsula is similar to the island kitchen but is a little more flexible. It's made out of one counter that extends from the wall into the kitchen area.

If you want a kitchen island but don't have room for one, a peninsula is an option. A peninsula is different from a kitchen island in that it is attached to a wall on one end rather than being freestanding; in case you were wondering; with peninsula kitchen designs, the advantages of an island - increased workplace, clever storage options, and gathering space. However, a peninsula may scale to fit into a range of kitchen sizes.