Hints & Tips - Kitchen

• Have an idea of the types of appliances that you would like before designing the kitchen, as it's a lot easier this way.
• Start at the corners and work your way out. Good access into corner cabinets is crucial for utilising storage space.
• Colour selection: The safest option is always simplicity and light colours. Dark colours should be used sparingly as they tend to shrink the space.
• Light greys, whites and creams have always been popular and workable colours. However, if you are renovating in a contemporary style, there is no reason why you can't have a strong complimentary colour.
• If the stove has a feature rangehood/canopy which dominates the kitchen, then centring it along the wall would look best.
• The fridge should be positioned for easy access and often this is positioned near a door.
• If you are left handed, then the dishwasher is to the left of the sink, if you are right handed then it's to the right of it.
• Be aware that a built-in wall oven restricts bench space.
• An island bench can often replace the family dining table, whilst doing double duty as a work station during the day, or a cocktail bar at night.
• Pop a colourful kettle or toaster on your counter top for a bright splash of colour if you are planing a neutral colour scheme.
• In the design stage, position the sink first - ensuring there is enough work surface on either side for dishes and food preparation.
• If you are right handed, choose a sink with the bowl on the left, and draining board on the right.
• If you have a dishwasher, iideally it should be positioned on the same wall as the sink, to cut down on plumbing costs.
• Fit a rangehood/extractor fan that is ducted out. It will remove nasty smells - particularly good if you are considering an open plan kitchen.
• Ensure the location of your gas appliances have adequate clearance from combustible materials.
• Position the cooktop and oven together - and make sure you can put hot pans and dishes on a heat proof surface nearby.
• If possible, try not to place the cooktop or cooker near a doorway, in a corner, or at the end of a line of units.
• Don't position the cooktop under a window - your window furnishings may be a fire risk.
• Keep the fridge and freezer (if separate units) close together for ease of use. However, If you don't use your freezer that often, consider housing it in a separate utility room or garage - to save space.
• A seating area is really nice in a kitchen - it makes it into a friendly family area.
• Adequate storage is vital in your kitchen.
• Make a list of everything you need to find a place for in your kitchen. Try to allocate a space for every item. If you can also build in extra space for future purchases, that would be fantastic.
• Deep pan drawers are a very useful addition to consider.
• Make sure your largest plate fits into the cupboard you want to put it in. Make sure tall items (such as bottles or cereal packets), fit where you want them to.
• When designing a Kitchen Island, make sure there is plenty of walk-around space (preferably 1100mm, but a minimum 900mm) to all sides. Avoid the temptation of including an island with less clearance space than this - it will dominate the room, making it look cluttered.
• The ideal distance between the sink, cooktop and fridge should be no more than 8 metres.