Designing Cooking Kitchens - Practical Advice For Your Dream Kitchen Part 2

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 In Designing Cooking Kitchens - part 1 I discussed some of the things to consider when designing your new kitchen. In this second part we consider more items:

• Good natural light, especially the morning easterly sun can make kitchens welcoming and cheerful. Think carefully about the size and position of windows. Windows take away cupboard or storage space, but you also don’t want dark gloomy corners in the kitchen. Regrettably we always need to put the lights on in our kitchen during the day because there's insufficient natural light. Even adding a skylight will help brighten a kitchen.
• Try and choose light bright colours for counters and cupboards, maybe adding in splashes of trim colours. Remember, not everyone wants green, bright red or dark blue cupboards. Repainting a wall is easy, but changing the colour of kitchen cupboards can be costly, which future buyers could factor into the price they’re willing to pay.
• The overall style of the kitchen should match the rest of the house. A cottage kitchen will look out of place in a modern house!
• When choosing fitted appliances, such as ovens, cook-tops and cooking extractors, ensure you choose ones that are reliable and can be serviced and repaired. Preferably appliances that are a standard size. When appliances have to be replaced because they’re broken it will be very expensive if you have to call in a cabinetry contractor to redo cupboards and counters because the new appliance doesn’t fit.
• Having appliances such as fridges and dishwashers fitted, with matching finishes to the kitchen cupboards, seems a good idea and it can look sleek, but consider what happens when the appliance has to be replaced, or even repaired. New owners may in fact not like the fridge you’ve installed and they’ll incur additional costs to fit their fridge.
• You can purchase standard off the shelf kitchens, but then you should carefully plan the layout and size of your kitchen so that these standard units can easily fit without wasted space and without modifications. These calculations should allow for the completed thickness of walls, including plaster and render.
• Allow place for refuse bins – usually more than one bin, to allow for general waste plus recyclables. This area and the bins must be easily cleanable, so be vigilant when building bins permanently into cabinetry.
• Carefully consider the handles and latches on cupboards. Nice handles can add to the style of the kitchen with little extra cost. Check that they aren’t going to catch you, or hook onto your clothes as you walk past. They must be easily grabbed to open, so that even with wet or greasy fingers you can open them.
• Decide where kettles could be positioned, since these give off steam which could damage cupboards.
• Is installing a double oven and double cook-top essential? It may be trendy, but it’s expensive and uses space which might be more useful for storage.
• Ensure that the kitchen complies with the safety regulations. So for instance, electrical switches and sockets must be located a specified distance from water sources and sinks so they won’t get wet. Kitchen exhaust fans should discharge outside and be easily cleanable to prevent grease build-up. Cook-tops shouldn’t be near curtains that could catch fire, or by open windows where a breeze could blow out a gas flame.
• Sinks and counter tops should be the correct height. Counters that are too low result in excessive bending which is tiring on your back. Low counter tops may also restrict the height of dishwashers and other appliances fitted under the counter. But counters and sinks that are too high can also be difficult to work with. We’re all different heights, so what suits one person might not be suitable for others. If you’re short you’ll want the counter lower, while taller people want counter tops higher. The usual height is about 900 millimetres (35 inches) but heights could range from 850 to 1050 millimetres (34 to 41 inches). Check that your dishwasher will fit under the counter and remember that this dimension is usually to the top of the counter from the finished floor level (be careful to make this clear). The space under the counter is then reduced by the thickness of the actual counter and any supports for the counter. (Note: sometimes kitchen cupboards are placed on the concrete floor slab and then tiles are laid on the concrete around the outside of the cupboards. The thickness of the tiles and glue then reduces the usable height under the counter.)
• Ensure that there’re water and waste water connections provided close to where appliances, such as dishwashers, will be installed. Waste pipe outlets for dishwashers usually have to be at a set height and location. Check that electrical sockets are conveniently positioned for fridges and dishwashers where they can be easily accessed.
• Don’t get carried away with fancy gadgets and appliances that you’ll almost never use, but which will take up space and cost money. Always be practical and know what works for you, and of course what works for your partner.
• Always leave sufficient space around in-built appliances so that air can circulate around them to prevent overheating, and so that they can be manoeuvred out when there’s a problem.
• Consider installing a water filter system for drinking water.
• Find a convenient location for a small fire extinguisher.
• Employing a kitchen designer can help avoid expensive mistakes.

Conclusion 
Plan your kitchen carefully so that it adds value to your house, while being a safe and functional work area. For many the kitchen is the heart of their home, so spending a little more time over the design and a little extra money to achieve the desired result could be time and money well spent. Look for new ideas that will suit your lifestyle and incorporate features that are important to you.

What do you think are important considerations when planning and designing your new kitchen?

Next week I look at Bathroom Essentials - What You Should Consider When Designing Your Ultimate Bathroom

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For more valuable tips and advice read: 'An Introduction to Building and Renovating Houses - Volume 1 Hiring Contractors, Managing Construction and Finishing Your Home' and 'Volume 2 Finding Your Ideal Property and Designing Your Dream Home'

​This is an extract from: 'An Introduction to Building and Renovating Houses Volume 2' by Paul Netscher. Available in paper or eBook from Amazon.com, Amazon UK, Amazon CA, Amazon AU and all online bookstores. To read more

​© 2018 This article is not to be reproduced for commercial purposes without written permission from the author.

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