the design process
the kitchen is the heart of the home. with that in mind, there is more than meets the eye when it comes to designing a kitchen. so, how do we design a kitchen? with this space being such a high activity area of your home, it’s worth finding out what goes into designing a kitchen. knowing what’s involved at each step of the way will help you have a more detailed understanding of the process of designing a new kitchen.
01
the first thing we recommend is to think in terms of how you want a space to function before making interior design or furniture choices.
most manufacturers have units in various standard sizes but we can always work from the kitchen cabinet dimensions that we provide for a more bespoke kitchen.
02
now, we have to create a plan for your kitchen space which consists of both the floor space and the wall space. we’ll measure floor dimensions, niches, windows, doors, electrical supply, and where the water pipes (and gas supply if applicable) come up from the floor. furthermore, we will take your ventilation system and location into consideration. now it's time to draw up the plan.
03
it might be really obvious what shape your kitchen is going to be. if you haven’t decided, these are some options to consider: U-shaped, G-shaped, L-shaped, galley kitchen, or a kitchen with a curved or rectangular island or two.
if you have a bigger room to work with, one of the main things to decide is whether the kitchen will occupy the whole room with an eating area open to the kitchen, or whether you want to try and maintain a bit of privacy at the workstation.
we will also take a look at the actual location of your kitchen within your house and see if we can incorporate additional functional spaces, such as an adjected mudroom or office space.
04
we’re sure you’ve heard of the “kitchen triangle”, which separates the sink, range and refrigerator. over time this concept has evolved into a more practical “work zone” concept. with that in mind, we have to increase clearances and look at adding comfortable spaces.
once you’ve decided on the kind of flow you want in your new kitchen space, we’ll work on finding the perfect location for all your appliances within your space.
05
storage is a huge part of designing a kitchen, probably the most important.
think about how you’d like to store everything in your space.
the kitchen has to accommodate everything from the storage of dry ingredients to fresh food, herbs, cooking oils, crockery, cleaning materials, and cooking utensils such as pots and pans.
06
maybe you’ve considered integrated lighting options for your new kitchen. we can work on that, too!
the most obvious reason as to why kitchen lighting is so essential, is that it maximizes the visibility in working areas. well placed ceiling spot lights help to illuminate work tops for food preparation, whereas under unit or cabinet lighting styles assist darker spots within the kitchen.
Furthermore, think of light as another decorative element. Light will draw attention to certain areas such as a modern glass cabinet or an art piece next to your dining area.
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plan the electrical points (outlets and switches for appliances) for your kitchen.
there are several options for general outlets.
if you have an appliance garage, a cupboard mounted microwave or want a tv in your kitchen, think carefully about the best position for outlets.
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what other activities will happen in your kitchen apart from those related to food? how about a sitting area with a tv or gaming console? office type activities such as computer time and paying the bills are also popular in kitchen spaces.
take a moment to think about how your kitchen will relate to the spaces surrounding it. if it’s an open plan to a dining space or living space, what kind of view do the people in these areas get from the kitchen?