Designing A New Kitchen
Designing a new kitchen is one of the most fun projects of any home! Often referred to as the hub of the home, the kitchen is the place where people gather for eating, socialising and just doing family life!
Here at TED Construction & Developments Ltd, we have a great deal of experience working with clients who are adding new kitchens & living spaces to their homes. Quite often these projects include wall removal, steel beam installation, doorway relocation or building extensions to create the larger spaces that are so popular with homeowners today.
TED Construction is an experienced and skilled construction company working in and around the cathedral city of Chichester. We have a great deal of experience covering all sorts of projects from garden patios and outbuildings to full extensions and loft conversions. Many of our extensions have housed new kitchens, utility rooms and beautiful family spaces.
There are lots of positives to having a new kitchen installed. It adds functionality and style that works for you and your family. Planning a new kitchen also opens up lots of new ways to replace and add appliances or create utility spaces. It also gives you a chance to make the space work for entertaining and accommodating the needs of growing families. It opens up the opportunity to create something beautifully curated and personal to you that you can be proud of.
It’s also useful to note that, according to recent research by Which magazine, a new kitchen can add 5-15% to the value of your home should you wish to sell up. That may not be your motivation but it is another positive aspect of investing in your home.
Choosing a builder
It can be worthwhile consulting an experienced builder or architect who can give you practical advice about the construction of your home and the possibilities available to you. Their advice and experience will also prove invaluable when designing your kitchen. When looking for a builder be sure to be thorough in your research and complete your due diligence.
TED Construction is an established, award winning construction company working in and around Chichester and the surrounding areas. We offer free quotations and have lots of experience of planning permission and building control requirements. We are happy to share practical advice and guidance to help you understand these aspects of a build and can offer you support through these application processes. Bear in mind that planning permission and building control processes incur fees so don’t forget to allocate some of your budget for these also.
TED Construction has been a fully fledged member of the Federation of Master Builders (FMB) for several years. The FMB is the largest trade association in the UK construction industry representing small and medium sized companies.
What is your project budget?
A new kitchen is a transformative project in a home but it can also be an expensive one. Along with the cabinet costs don’t forget to include costs for new appliances and hardware such as taps and handles, lighting, flooring and tiling. Building, installation and contractors costs will also need to be factored into your budget also.
There are lots of simple ways of stretching your budget too! You may want to consider keeping some of your existing appliances or cupboard carcasses and opt to replace cabinet doors only. Reusing newer appliances you already own is another great saving option. We would be happy to offer you advice on ways to keep you within your budget.
Also, be sure to include some contingency within your budget for any unforeseen costs or issues. Around 10% of the whole project value is a good figure to consider.
Decide on your space
Will you be replacing the kitchen within the same space or are you hoping to remove a wall and join two spaces to create a larger kitchen diner? Maybe the addition of an extension would give you the opportunity to create that large open plan kitchen and living space that you have always dreamed of?
Be sure to make good use of the natural light that is available and consider introducing larger windows, patio doors or roof lights if you opt for an extension. A kitchen renovation also gives you a golden opportunity to open your interior to the exterior by improving garden access.
Imagine wide patio or bifold doors opening out on to an outside patio for those sunny days when you want a little flow space between the indoor and the outdoor spaces.
Structural Requirements
If you are considering knocking through walls or building an extension you will need to complete the work within the rules of either permitted development or planning permission. Building regulations will need to be adhered to with any kitchen installation and/or extension.
Any professional and responsible building company would be able to give you more advice on these requirements. Here, at TED Construction, we are more than happy to guide you through the planning application process and help you fulfill all of the permitted development, planning permission and building control requirements.
Decide on your aesthetic
What style of kitchen do you like? Modern classic? Country cottage? Functional and streamlined? There are so many kitchen manufacturers offering so many different styles of kitchen that this can be overwhelming. Choose the style of kitchen that you like but be cautious about being too trendy with your choices as colours and door finishes can date.
Many kitchen companies offer online or instore planning services to help you with planning your new kitchen. Do make use of these resources and be sure to visit showrooms to get a good understanding of the quality of the kitchen.
There are many suppliers to choose from in the UK. One of our own go to suppliers is diy kitchens There are two large diykitchens showrooms in the UK (Oxford & West Yorkshire) with multiple kitchen displays. They also deliver anywhere in the country.
Other great kitchen suppliers include Magnet Kitchens and Howdens. All of these websites share great resources to help you with planning and designing your dream kitchen.
What do you want to include in your kitchen space?
What are the features of your current kitchen space that do not work for you or that you find inefficient? Make a list of those frustrating quirks of your existing kitchen so that you can avoid them in your new design.
Consider how you use your kitchen and what features you might like to add to make it more functional and enjoyable to use.
That may mean incorporating a large pantry or pull-out larder. Consider whether drawers would work better for you than doors in your base cabinets or if you would like open shelving, a kitchen island or breakfast bar.
Take time to consider which appliances you’d like to include and whether you would want to incorporate a laundry/utility area or dedicated laundry room if space allows.
Don’t forget the kitchen work triangle
No, it’s not another kitchen appliance! The term kitchen work triangle refers to the optimal use of space in your kitchen. It consists of the three areas of your kitchen that you use the most often as you work - the hob, the refridgerator and the sink. Ideally the distance between these three points is no longer than 1.2 metres. Working by this rule will help keep your new kitchen plan efficient and functional.
Be mindful of the working space around your hob and sink. These are two busy landing spots in the kitchen so it’s important to have worksurface space available in these areas for use while you are cooking, serving and cleaning up.
Materials, hardware and finishes
It’s easy to focus on the look of the kitchen cabinets but don’t forget to think about the bigger picture. Materials and finishes you would like on worktops, splashbacks, tiles and flooring are all important considerations.
This also applies to hardware such as door handles and taps and don’t forget about lighting, device charging and music. Lighting is an easy one to overlook but the decisions you make about the lighting you are incorporating can make all the difference to your space. Consider task lighting for areas you will be doing things like chopping and stirring, accent lighting to highlight different features in the room and ambient lighting for the general atmosphere of the space.
Another top tip for planning your kitchen is to be aware of lead times from different suppliers. If any of your worktops, taps and lighting are being sourced from a different supplier to your kitchen cabinet supplier be sure to order well in advance to ensure prompt delivery and a smooth project installation.
How to survive while your kitchen project is ongoing?
While you are mid kitchen project, whether it is a like for like or a large scale extension, you will definitely experience some inconvenience! Once plumbing is turned off and power supplies are disconnected you will quickly learn how much you depend upon your kitchen.
It is worth preparing yourself well in advance for the life disruption you will temporarily experience without access to a kitchen. It is a short term pain for a long term gain though. Just keep thinking of the perfect kitchen space you will soon be enjoying!
As a way of supporting our clients, our team will move the fridge to a different room or relocate and plumb in a washing machine in to a temporary location. It could be worth setting up a temporary ‘kitchen spot'. This could be a table or desk converted into a worktop with microwave, kettle and maybe a handful of other smaller appliances.
Making use of your bathroom water supply may briefly become your alternative washing up sink so grab yourself a washing up bowl for transporting and washing your crockery!
In conclusion, renovating your kitchen or building a kitchen extension is one of the most popular and largest projects you will embark upon in your home.
The kitchen forms one of the most important gathering spaces in the home as it is used daily by everyone living in the home particularly now that lifestyles have shifted away from traditional, separate living rooms.
An open plan kitchen is the place where families share social time through cooking and shared meals with large family spaces adjacent to cooking areas.
This is also the reason why a well designed and functional open plan kitchen can add real value to your home in the financial sense as well as aesthetic.
So what are you waiting for? Get to work on that dream kitchen now!
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TED Construction is a building company working in and around the cathedral city of Chichester, West Sussex. How can the team at TED Construction help you create your dream kitchen?
We have a great deal of experience working in the construction industry with a portfolio of work including home extensions, loft conversions, kitchens, bathrooms, outbuildings, garden rooms, landscaping and fencing. Read more about TED Construction on our website, tedltd.co.uk.
If you would like to chat to us about your plans or ideas for your new kitchen or any other home renovation project you're considering, please do contact our office on 01243 278018. There is always someone to take your call during office hours or, if you prefer, drop us a line at info@tedltd.co.uk , send us a text message or contact us via our Facebook page or Instagram.
Please note that all of the above links are sourced from our own research and based on our experience. We have not received any compensation from any supplier or manufacturer mentioned. There are lots of alternative sources that you can choose from for your own kitchen project.
