INSTALLING OR REFURBISHING A KITCHEN, short of a total rebuild, is one of the biggest home improvement projects that anyone is ever involved with. To make the process understandable and enjoyable, here are some of the suggestions that we make to our clients about what to expect and consider along the way.
BE INSPIRED
While it is possible to hand everything over to the interior designer, we prefer to work with our clients to achieve the kitchen of their dreams. It certainly helps if you have an idea of what you want, though. Following Instagram or looking at magazines will begin to inspire you and we suggest to our clients that they open a Pinterest account that we can share with them – nothing can quite beat a shared image to get a project on the right road. Bear in mind the style of your house and whether you feel more comfortable with something modern or classic, but don’t worry if you’re unsure, we will discuss all this with you before beginning any plans. The ideas we formulate together at this stage will help keep track of the project throughout.
SPACE PLANNING
Renovating a kitchen is a big investment and often, in our experience the installation of a window or skylight, the blocking up of a door or similar works can make a magical difference. “If working to a tight budget,” advises Marion Falchi our senior designer, “you can recreate something fresh by revisiting the structure of your kitchen without moving appliances. Moving appliances is costly.”
THE WHAT, WHERE AND HOW
What do you use your kitchen for? We have clients with open plan kitchen/dining/seating areas who now use the sitting room as a TV/cinema room, a music room, or for more formal family gatherings. Will you need space for homework to be done? A ‘soft’ office for day-to-day admin? Do you want a separate utility room? Is access from the garden directly in to the kitchen? Will you need somewhere for dirty shoes and coats? This list can go on and on, but it needs to be your list.
THE TWO MOST IMPORTANT SURFACES: THE FLOOR AND THE WORKTOP
Flooring has the affect of setting the ‘feel’ for the rest of the kitchen. It can unite a kitchen with the rest of the house or separate it off according to your preference.
Your worksurface will perform almost as hard, needs to be practical and work with your choice of cabinetry. Both are extremely costly mistakes, if made, so this is one area where professional advice is almost indispensable.
AN ISLAND OR NO?
A kitchen island is like the modern-day equivalent of a farmhouse table. It can be a hub or a workplace according to your requirements, but what it needs to be is set in a space that is safe for purpose. Can any nearby appliance doors open? Is just one cook involved in your kitchen (in which case one metre is the minimum space advised) or several? If you don’t really have the space for an island better to consider a peninsula or a more functional working space.
KITTING THE KITCHEN
Kitchen appliance availability changes on an almost daily basis and it’s hard today to identify exactly what the basics are as so many variations are to be found. We work with our clients to guide them through the latest products but here are a few things to consider:
1. Revealed or concealed? Do you prefer your white goods integrated or visual?
2. Eye level or a range ovens? What size and how many?
3. What size fridge and freezer do you need in the kitchen? Do you have alternative freezer storage, if required?
4. Microwave? Steam oven?
5. Quooker or taps?
6. Do you need space and equipment for wine storage?
7. How large and how many sinks do you want?
8. Do you want waste removal?
9. Where do you accommodate your recycling? Do you need space for this in the kitchen?
FINALLY, THE LIGHTING
The most memorable kitchens always have great lighting plans. Lighting needs to be planned at the beginning of a kitchen project, at the same time as the electrics and the plumbing. It has to be functional when you are working but able to be toned down when other things are going on. We advise our clients to think about three types of lighting: task, ambient and accent. We are then on hand to advise their choices from the myriad of different types of lighting available.