How to plan a new kitchen

Remodeling your kitchen can enhance your home, as well as dramatically increase its value. Before looking to catalogs and magazines for inspiration, decide what can be achieved with the kitchen you already have.

If you need a complete renovation, create a floor plan or search online for free kitchen planners. Consider the number of people using the kitchen, as well as the actual space. You need food preparation, serving, cooking and washing up areas, ideally each with their own countertop section. Aligning the range, sink, and refrigerator in a triangular formation creates the most comfortable layout. Keep the oven and sink 40 cm away from corners and do not place them behind a door.

In a small kitchen, magic nooks, drawers and hanging shelves will create more storage space and glass-fronted units will make the kitchen appear larger, especially if lit from the inside. Extra tall units, located away from windows where they can obstruct daylight, will maximize storage without taking up valuable space. In a very small kitchen, a corner sink can free up a lot of counter space.

Busy designs will only make a small kitchen look smaller, so use only color blocking and pale colors on the walls and ceilings. Your most important color consideration will be the color of your countertops. They keep the focus of the room. They can contrast or complement the color of your units, but you never want your units and countertops to be the same color or shade. This can make the room look too small or too washed out.

In a large kitchen, consider installing a built-in oven, microwave, coffee maker on a smart column. L-shaped kitchens typically have a tall bank of units that can be used for this purpose and can look very dramatic, especially if you have a tall window to reflect it off the opposite wall. An L-shaped kitchen makes for the ideal work triangle, as you can have the fridge at one end of the L, the cooktop at the other, and the sink in the middle.

Good lighting is essential, especially in task-based areas. Many galley kitchens have a window at one end, but if yours doesn’t, be smart about artificial lighting. Try placing baseboards or spotlights under units to illuminate work areas. A galley kitchen can look very stylish by choosing streamlined units, handleless doors, high-gloss finishes, and hidden appliances behind unit doors. The aisle should be wide enough for unit and appliance doors to open and for two people to cross and cook at the same time. Less than 1.4 meters wide could be very problematic. Bundling tall units at the end of the run should leave you with enough workspace.

In large or U-shaped kitchens, trendy island units make practical use of space and provide additional space for prepping, cooking or laundry. You’ll need to decide if your island is going to have a cooktop or a sink, since the electricity or plumbing will need to run under the floor, and a range hood may be necessary. You can make the island an interesting focal point by using colors and materials that contrast with the rest of the kitchen.

To complete your new kitchen look, match your unit doors to your kitchen cabinets in style or color.