PERFECT PLANNING
If you want a new kitchen or to revamp your existing one, it’s tempting to go straight to the brochures. But there are a few important things to think about first
1 SHAPE YOUR SPACE
With narrow kitchens, your options for reconfiguring the space will be limited. If you want an island, your room needs to be at least 3.6m wide – and more like 4.6m if you want a decent island depth and stools on the far side. This is key to a practical and safe kitchen that looks good and is pleasing to live with.
2 MOVE IT
If you can’t fit your dream kitchen into the current available space, you either need to be open to other possibilities (see point 6) or move the kitchen to another room. You could consider this even if you’re not already doing a refurbishment, as it could transform the house.
3 THINK LATERALLY
If you have a smaller-sized room and moving the whole kitchen isn’t an option, you might be able to put elements of it elsewhere. For instance, could you create a utility room in another part of the house to store the washing machine and dryer? Or turn a storeroom into a larder to reduce the amount of cupboard space you need? A dresser in the dining area could also provide storage for kitchen implements.
4 GO WITH THE FLOW
Don’t think about a kitchen as an entity in its own right. Ask yourself what it can do for the rest of the house – could it make a good link space to improve flow, or help bring light into a darker area?
5 HEART OF THE HOME Remember that kitchens are becoming more and more sociable, and we spend an increasing amount of time in them. Consider giving it the best view, best access to daylight and best lighting scheme – and think about where people will hang out when they visit.
6 OPEN YOUR MIND
There’s nothing worse than shoehorning an inappropriate layout into a space that isn’t big enough to accommodate it. Either extend to adjust the area or accept the space you have.
7 OVERESTIMATE STORAGE Evaluate your current kitchen and the storage needed. If you farm out parts to other areas (point 3), you may be able to have a simple shelf rather than wall units. If you want more storage, you could add a ‘butler’s pantry’.
8 START WITH APPLIANCES Open-plan layouts need quiet dishwashers and less noisy extractors. Find models accredited with the QuietMark logo.
9 CHOOSE COMMON SENSE
The ‘kitchen triangle’ theory suggests the stove, sink and fridge should form three points a maximum distance from each other – but I think you should apply common sense instead. If your kitchen is a passthrough area, you could place the hob on the same side as the sink to avoid walking across the space with pots of boiling liquid.
10 MIX SUPPLIERS
You can save money by using affordable Ikea or Wickes units with a high-end worktop, for example. Or you can get a local joiner to replicate something you like.