Tips for Kitchen Design and Layout

A kitchen as they say is the heart of the home.

Therefore, a lot of thought should go into the planning and design of a kitchen.

We have built many kitchens over the years as a renovation company and every time we help our clients build their kitchen, we go over the same points of discussion and advice….

So here are tips for when designing a kitchen and what to consider….

1.     Start with a budget

This is of course the most important. Without a known budget your kitchen has no starting point.

Kitchens can blow a renovation budget out significantly; in some cases, we have seen the kitchen cabinetry costing more than 30% of the whole home’s renovation.

The most expensive kitchen we have priced was over $100,000, however we have also fitted a similar sized kitchen that cost only $20,000.

So, understand how much of your renovation budget you are willing to put towards your kitchen cabinets and bench tops and try to stick to this to avoid budget blow outs.

2.     Consider those areas that can add significantly to the cost

Before getting started on your research into your kitchen you need to be mindful of the things in a kitchen that could blow your budget.

I will simply list what I consider higher end or more expensive options for a kitchen renovation

·       2 Pac paint instead of melamine doors and panels, the cost to go with a higher end finish such as 2 Pac painted doors and panels can increase the cost of a kitchen by 30% or more in some cases

·       Having drawers in place of cupboards will increase the cost by more than 200%, in some cases as drawers cost a lot more to manufacture due to all the mechanisms – although drawers are significantly more functional - just be mindful of where you place them, and you can save money by not putting in as many drawers

·       Bench tops can really blow a budget, Caesarstone can be significantly more expensive than a local WA manufacturer such a as Q stone. Also, if you opt for a new Porcelain bench top like the ones Dekton make then this will potentially blow the budget even more. So, make sure you discuss your benchtops with your builder and get an idea on cost

·       Tapware- you can spend over $1,000 on your kitchen tap, also if you go for a gold finish over a chrome finish it can cost 150% more.

·       An undermount kitchen sink will cost an extra $150-200 just to install compared with an above counter sink

·       Also, the type of sink you choose can alter the price, a butler’s sink will cost over $1,000 in most cases while a double undermount sink may only cost $600, or you could opt for a cheaper option and get a 1.5 bowl above counter sink with drainer for under $200.

·       Appliances are an obvious one, you could spend $5,000 or more just on the oven alone!

The above is not an exhaustive list, but it gives you a place to start to try and understand the ways in which your kitchen budget can start to blow!

3.     Get on Pinterest and Instagram

Once you have an idea of your kitchen budget the next most important thing is to get an idea of what you want your kitchen to look like.

 I suggest starting up a “Kitchen” board on Pinterest and saving all the images you like.

You need to look for the layouts you like. For example, do you like a U-shaped kitchen, or an L shaped kitchen or just a plain and simple Galley kitchen with two rows of bench tops.

Also consider if you would like a scullery or a separate large-scale pantry. The option of a scullery is always an added expense and not always possible given the floor plan size you must work with.

Speaking from experience it is well worth the extra cost of putting in a scullery, there are so many benefits to having one, but this is probably worth a whole other blog post!

You should also be looking at the finishes and colours you like, do you want a shaped/textured door with detail such as a shaker door- very Hamptons!

Do you want a simple timeless white kitchen, or do you want a splash of colour with some navy or a touch of warmth with some feature timber cabinets?

The options are endless today with all the materials and finishes available on the market. The key is to make sure you have a good idea of how you want your kitchen to look and then discussing with your builder later will help you get what you are after with the budget you have.

4.     Do a Kitchen Deep Dive

Now I do not mean scuba diving in a kitchen here…. What I do suggest doing with all our clients is to do a “deep dive” into what you have in your kitchen and ideally where you want those items to go.

The best way to do this is get a piece of paper or do this on your computer on excel or another software program. I personally like paper and pen for this one….

On that paper draw a line down the middle to create two columns.

Column A will list all items you have in your kitchen or plan to put in your new kitchen. You can go as detailed as you like here, I literally listed everything from flour, almonds, teaspoons, tea, plastic containers, pots and pans and cutlery all the way through to tea towels, spices, and appliances. My list was two pages long!

Then in column B you would list where you would like them to go- in a drawer or a cupboard or in the pantry etc.

Once you have this list you can then start to piece together your kitchen layout and get a good understanding of where everything will fit. The result is a very functioning kitchen once it is built and tailored to your budget and lifestyle.

5.     Write a Must have and Nice to have list

So, you are aware of what your budget is, and you have a good idea of what you want your kitchen to look and feel like, plus you even went as granular as listing where to place all your kitchen ware in your kitchen!

Now the next step is to write a list of must haves and nice to haves for your kitchen.

This will involve all aspects of your kitchen, not just your cabinetry, however cabinetry will be the bulk of your kitchen cost/items.

Items in the Must Have list are items that you will not go without, this list may not be long, but it is what is most important to you and what you visualise first when you visualise your kitchen. It could be anything from real timber feature shelves through to a bifold servery window into the alfresco.

These are items that your builder MUST price into the build.

The next list is the Nice to have list.  Items that go on this list may need to be removed should the budget get blown. These could be your dreamier items such as a porcelain bench tops which is a new trend right now, or a simple thing such as a pocket door to hide the coffee and toaster area.

Both these lists will help the builder and cabinet maker when they are finalising your price.

6.     Sit down with your builder and their cabinet maker to get the design in line with your budget

Now, you can speak to a builder at any stage of the kitchen planning and home renovation journey. We always think it is a good idea to get your builder on side as soon as possible to bounce ideas and costings off.

 However, if you approach your builder for a price on something, the more information / briefing you give them the better their costing estimates will be.

Once you have all the above information and ideas present this to your builder which will then involve the cabinet maker also. Then your builder and you will finalise a kitchen layout and design that is based on your budget. It may be a little of backwards and forwards to begin with, but the result should be a kitchen design that is in line with your budget and what you are visualising AND most importantly functional and suited to your lifestyle!

Conclusion

Designing a kitchen is no easy feat and I always advise my clients to consider their kitchen very thoroughly and to not rush the design and layout!

You must consider your budget, that is, how much money you can spend on your kitchen. Also do plenty of research on social media to ensure YOU know what you want your kitchen to look like.

Once you have an idea of the look and layout of the kitchen write a detailed list of what will go into the kitchen, and where. Then finish off with writing a must have and nice to have lists of the items that you absolutely must have in your kitchen renovation and those items that you are willing to sacrifice on but would be nice to have in your kitchen renovation.

 Present all this information to your builder and get working on your final design to get the build cost where it needs to be at.

The more research your do into the design of your kitchen the better the result will be. Most people renovate their kitchen every 15 years, so make sure you spend enough time so that you can be happy in your kitchen for the full 15 years!

Distinct Renovations love renovating kitchens, the heart of the home needs a lot of attention and if you want some advice around your kitchen renovation, feel free to reach out to us, we will be happy to help.