13 minute read
KITCHEN PLANNING Five steps to create the perfect layout for you
Five steps to the PERFECT KITCHEN
Our step-by-step guide will help you make the most of your kitchen to create a space that’s super stylish and up to the task
Advertisement
Smaller seating tucks away neatly under the breakfast bar
The more prepared you are at the start of a kitchen renovation, the more likely it is to succeed as a space that’s both practical and beautiful. From choosing a layout and including plenty of storage to selecting fixtures and fittings, careful planning will prevent costly mistakes further down the line.
Getting the right layout for your space is key to getting your kitchen right. It may look fantastic but if it fails to function as a workspace, it’ll be a huge disappointment. If you’re using a kitchen designer they will be able to advise on a design that looks good and works perfectly. Before thinking about a design, it helps to have an idea of room formations. Every space is different but most suit one of five basic layouts…
1. Plan the layout Start with a scale plan of the space. Measure and include features such as windows, chimney breasts, doors and boilers. Cut out to-scale shapes of every fitting you’d like to include, and rearrange them until you find a layout that works. Alternatively, look online for free kitchen design apps. Incorporate plenty of space between the individual elements and consider how the room will work with more than one person in there at the same time.
KITCHEN PLANNING
Do it
Galley Usually a long, narrow room where units sit along one or both walls in a line AVOID WALL UNITS IN A NARROW SPACE to prevent the room feeling too cluttered. Go for open shelving instead. GO MODERN, using handleless units and fitting semi-or fully-integrated appliances. LAY YOUR FLOORING WIDTHWAYS – it will help to make the space appear wider. ARRANGE THE WORKING TRIANGLE so your hob and fridge aren’t opposite each other – that way people won’t end up back to back when cooking together. BANISH CLUTTER by investing in internal storage solutions such as multi-layer drawers, pull-out racks and pan dividers to keep things organised.
L shaped This layout offers lots of flexibility without feeling too enclosed KEEP AN OPEN FEEL by placing wall units along only one side of the room. ENSURE THERE’S PLENTY OF WORKSURFACE AREA on either side of the sink and the cooker, too, for the most efficient use of space. PLAN A PLACE TO EAT IF SPACE ALLOWS. A table or raised breakfast bar at the end of the longest run of units creates a spot for informal dining. UTILISE THE CORNERS with special pull-out kidney-shaped units or carousels. FIT TASK LIGHTING over the prep areas and supplement natural light from any windows with spots and downlighters.
U shaped Allowing for units on three walls, this shape offers plenty of workspace USE TWO SIDES OF THE ROOM for your working triangle to keep it compact in a large space. Or, consider placing one element, such as the sink, on an island. ALLOW FOR LOTS OF WORKTOP between your cooker and sink if they are on the same run of units. At least 80cm is preferable. MAXIMISE YOUR STORAGE by adding clever solutions in both corner cupboards. GO FOR INFORMAL DINING in larger rooms by placing a peninsula at one end of a long run of cabinets.
Island Great for roomier designs, an island provides extra workspace while helping to create a tighter working triangle ALLOW ENOUGH SPACE around an island to open cabinets and dishwasher or oven doors. A workable minimum is 90cm, but 120cm is preferable. INSTALL A HARD-WORKING ISLAND . Consider a prep sink and possibly a dishwasher or wine fridge, too. Extra drawers for storing pots and pans are a good idea if your hob is on the island. THINK SAFETY FIRST and choose curved corners, which will do less harm to toddler heads and adult hips.
Open plan Great for kitchen-diners, this layout has plenty of room for dining and seating ZONE IT by separating the functional areas –for cooking, eating and relaxing –using different but cohesive materials and textures to create distinct spaces. INVEST IN QUIET APPLIANCES so you don’t end up trying to talk over a noisy extractor or washing machine. However, make sure your extractor is powerful enough to banish lingering cooking smells. HEAT THE SPACE EFFICIENTLY –a large room with a stone or porcelain tiled floor might be best suited to underfloor heating for an even spread of warmth.
2. Identify improvements Walk through your current kitchen and make a comprehensive list of what you love and, more importantly, the things you don’t, about your existing space. This will help you to focus on your priorities for the room, and concentrate on your must-haves and your don’t-wants.
COLOUR CLASH Dilute block colour in a kitchen by separating bold shades with patterned tiles
WHAT IS THE WORKING TRIANGLE?
The working triangle dictates where the three key elements of hob, fridge freezer and sink sit in your kitchen and is an important consideration to reduce the distance you have to walk when cooking. You move between these three features all the time when preparing meals, so they need to be in a practical arrangement and within easy reach of each other. Ideally, the sides of the triangle created by these three points should be no more than 2.7m and no less than 1.2m long.
RULE OF THREE Create chic symmetry by echoing a row of three pendant shades over a breakfast bar with three bar stools beneath
3. Make the space work for you Think about how you live as a family and how you intend to use the space. For instance, do you cook from scratch and entertain guests a lot? Will the room be used for tasks other than cooking –homework, for example? Finally, think to the future to ensure you’re prepared for how your needs might change as your family grows.
KITCHEN PLANNING
Do it
4. Consider your storage needs Now’s the time to make sure you plan a place for everything. Measure your tallest mixers and biggest plates and take a good look at your kitchen appliances and accessories, thinking about what you want to place, and where. Arranging everything according to its function will mean you’re not having to walk too far around the room when cooking. Visit storage specialists Blum.com for tips on how to best organise your space.
5. Put safety first
Essential if you have small children in the house, the most efficient and safest layout will route traffic away from your oven and hob to ensure kids aren’t likely to get themselves under your feet and into danger when you’re moving hot pans around the room. Make the fridge accessible but don’t put it at the very heart of the room. Try placing it to one side, nearest the entrance to the room, so children can help themselves to drinks without venturing into the cooking space.
Try using lighting fixtures to add an unexpected pop of colour to your kitchen
SPACE SAVER Not only will benches save on valuable floor space in a kitchendiner, but you can also squeeze more people on to them!
FLUSH STASH .
Narrow wall cabinets don’t take up too much room, yet will provide a small kitchen with plenty of storage space
SURVIVE THE WORK
FEATURE TI-MEDIACONTENT.COM Plan a way to cook and keep food and drinks chilled when your kitchen is out of action. Look into buying an inexpensive mini fridge for essentials like milk, while a microwave and kettle can be plugged in anywhere for paredback food prep while your kitchen is out of bounds. If a new floor is being fitted or the waste pipe is being relocated and you don’t have another one, it might be best to decamp to a friend’s house. Minimise the inevitable mess. Cover hallway floors with old sheets to protect them while products are being taken through the house. Ask for any cutting of tiles and plasterboard to be done outside to minimise dust, and seal off the doors to other rooms.
COCKTAIL HOUR ‘The bar cart is a little bit of fun! This is a great place to relax and gaze out of the window’
‘Open-plan is
Buy it Love Poppy’s worktop? Shop the look
PAGE 94
COME ON IN!
90 | ABOUT ME I’m Poppy Marples, 27, and I work in the education department of a theatre as a youth and outreach officer. I live with my partner, Dan Paige, 26, a surveyor, in a two-bed Victorian flat in Hove, West Sussex. We moved here in July 2018.
THE CHALLENGE The kitchen was small and poky, and was housed in a tiny room off a large entrance hall. We decided to move the kitchen into the living room to create an open-plan space.
MY WISH LIST A dark blue kitchen! Something sociable, stylish and in keeping with the rest of the flat. I also really wanted a butler sink and a nice big breakfast bar.
MARCH 2020 IDEA TO STEAL ‘Match the wall paint to a contrasting grout to help tie your scheme togetherÕ
TOTAL £6,900
KITCHEN MAKEOVER
Love it
BETTER FOR US’
COLOUR BURST ‘I was set on this blue shade for the units – it adds vibrancy and style to the large room’
By moving her kitchen into the living room, Poppy was able to create a stylish, open-plan, multi-use space
Having enjoyed doing up our previous home, we were on the lookout for our next project when we found this Victorian one-bedroom, first-floor flat,’ says Poppy. ‘It was dated and unloved, but we relish a challenge and the flat was such a good price –we knew we could put our own stamp on it and make it work for us. Soon after we moved in, we decided to completely rework the layout. There was a bedroom, bathroom, small kitchen and massive living room, so to maximise the space, we turned the kitchen into a second bedroom and built a brand-new kitchen in the living room.
Choosing the kitchen We started by checking that it would be possible to move the gas and water connections from their existing locations into the living room. Once we’d had this confirmed, we worked with Howdens to come up with the perfect kitchen layout and design. I had lots of ideas and knew what I wanted, but I was careful to take my time, do my research and think about the space we had to work with. For example, ideally I wanted a sink under the window to enjoy the view, but it’s a huge sash window, which is too low for the worktop. So we compromised and adapted the layout. I’d set my heart on a dark blue kitchen and fell in love with the Shaker style of this Fairford design.
Watching the pennies As our budget wouldn’t stretch to marble or quartz worktops, we settled for solid rustic oak, which my partner Dan chose. We had it sanded, stained and oiled to better complement the blue units. We did most of the work on the rest of the flat ourselves, but decided to get a local carpenter in to fit the kitchen and
Do it! CHOOSE YOUR FLOORING
Search for a material that works with your overall look – this could mean mirroring the worktop or creating a dramatic contrast.
Always take a sample home and look at it in different lights. Set a budget and make sure it includes fitting costs, underlays, fixatives and grouts.
Consider durability and maintenance. Porous stone and hardwood will need regular treating or resealing, whereas slate, ceramic, vinyl and laminate are all fairly low-maintenance.
Use plain (often cheaper) tiles to create interesting patterns – lay them in a herringbone or brick formation, or try hexagonal tiles.
SOCIAL SPACE ‘The large breakfast bar works as both a prep area and a place to gather when friends or family come round for dinner’
IDEA TO STEAL ‘Add patterned flooring to complement a solid kitchen unit colourÕ
TOP PRIORITY ‘The butler sink was high on my wish list –it goes so well with the Shaker-style units’
works Why it
STYLE AT HOME SAYSÉ
‘Poppy has zoned off the kitchen area, while keeping the overall space cohesive in style’
KITCHEN MAKEOVER
Love it
asked a friend to do the tiling. For the floor, I wanted something patterned and light to contrast with the dark units. We ordered a few samples and this design from Walls and Floors came out on top. I had to rein in the spending, so for the splashback we ordered simple white matt metro tiles from Wickes, which we paired with dark grey grouting. Theming the living area With the kitchen complete, I turned my attention to the rest of the living space. We found the old Victorian fireplace hidden behind a fake wall, which set the style for the rest of the room. We restored it and painted the mantel a grey shade for extra impact, and then painted the woodwork the same colour for a modern touch. Walls were painted a soft white to complement the blue kitchen units and, for a bit of fun, I decided to paint the back of each door pink, to add a bit of personality to the room. We picked parquet flooring for the living area, which Dan fitted himself over three days, to help zone where the kitchen ends and the living area begins. Styling it up For the finishing touches, I sourced accessories from lots of places. I found some bits second-hand on Facebook marketplace and others from small independent companies. Homesense and H&M Home are also favourites of mine. I introduced lots of houseplants, a few cool cushions and a shaggy rug to reflect my love of boho style. I love the new room and we’re both delighted that the gamble of moving the kitchen has paid off.’ ‘ RESTORE ORIGINAL FE ATU RES WH ER E POSSIB L E;THEY ’ RE ATTRACTIVE AND LINK THE SPACE TO ITS ROOTS ’ ON THE LEDGE ‘We painted the newly refurbished fire surround the same colour as the picture rail for a sense of continuity’
LOUNGE AROUND ‘I’ve styled the living area so it both feels like its own space, but also flows with the kitchen’
Where to buy Poppy’s style
Join in and share your home revamps with Style at Home on Instagram @styleathomemag FEATURE AND STYLING ZOE BISHOP PHOTOGRAPHS LIZZIE ORME Fairford Navy kitchen , £5,800 including appliances; unfinished rustic oak solid wood worktop , £600; Lamona Belfast sink , £210, all Howdens. Walls in Cornforth White estate emulsion, £46.50 for 2.5ltr; fire surround and picture rail in Plummett estate emulsion, £46.50 for 2.5ltr; doors in Sulking Room Pink estate eggshell, £62 for 2.5ltr, all Farrow & Ball. Ledbury Slate Grey pattern floor tiles , £34.95sq m, Walls and Floors. Metro White ceramic tiles , £11.99sq m, Wickes. Oak wood parquet flooring , from £35.24sq m, Luxury Flooring and Furnishings. Torc antique brass effect kitchen twin-lever mixer tap , £42, B&Q. Victoria metal bar stools , £89 each, Cult Furniture. Daxon two-seater sofa , £839, Barker and Stonehouse. Afaw Berber-style rug , from £59.40, La Redoute. Try Leverette coffee table , £109.99; ceiling lights , £50 each, both Wayfair. Concrete fruit bowl , £45, Beco Bay
