Are you planning a new kitchen this autumn? The darker months provide the best time for you to upgrade your kitchen to a new look.
A new look means so many new decisions, what cooker to get, what sink to get, what fridge freezer to get… the options are endless. There is one little thing that you will need to think about though, the layout of your kitchen.
Here are some kitchen design mistakes to avoid when planning your new kitchen layout.
Design Mistake #1: Failing To Plan For Your Appliances
The biggest factor that will affect the type of kitchen you end up with is the appliances that are already in place.
How old is your cooker? If it’s more than 10 years old, you have probably already decided it’s time for a new cooker, but many people who would love to buy a new cooker can’t because their kitchen layout won’t accommodate the new cooker.
When professional restaurants plan their layouts, they have to consider the restaurant catering equipment that will be in the kitchen; you have to do the same.
If you plan your new layout around your current appliances but later find that your current ones are no longer in use, it will be very expensive to remove the existing equipment and replace them with a new one.
Design Mistake #2: Failing To Do A Visual Layout
When you have decided what new appliances, you would like to have, it’s time to think about the layout. It’s important – really important – that you sit down with a pencil and paper and sketch out a visual layout of how your kitchen will look.
How the appliances are going to work into the design is really important. Think about how your kitchen will look from that side view, from above, from across the room… How does it flow? Will it look good?
If you haven’t already got a floor plan of your house showing where all your power sockets are, now it’s time to make one.
Design Mistake #3: Failing To Consider The Traffic Flow
The traffic flow around your kitchen layout is really, really important. For example, if you have the hob on one side, then the sink will be on the other side.
This can lead to you getting frustrated when you’re trying to do multiple things at once. For example, if you’re cooking, will it be difficult for other people in your family to access the sink? Will your family members be able to get through if they are carrying trays of food?
Design Mistake #4: Failing To Consider The Storage Space Available
When laying out your kitchen, it’s important to consider how much storage space you actually have available inside your kitchen cupboards and appliances.
There is a good chance that if you plan a new kitchen for a specific layout, it won’t match up with the amount of storage space available.
If the layout doesn’t fit into the space you have to install it into, it will be expensive and stressful.
