4 steps to planning your kitchen
Kitchen planning made simple
Ready to start planning a new kitchen? We’re here to give you the guidance and confidence you need to start a renovation project. With our kitchen ideas, measurement guides and expert advice, we'll help make your dream kitchen a reality.
1. Your current kitchen
First you need to think about how you use your kitchen, or how you’d like to use your kitchen.
Do you prepare large family meals or is it more of a social space for entertaining? Perhaps a bit of both? If it’s somewhere you’ll be spending a lot of time, you’ll need seating. In that case, will it be a breakfast bar or an island for space to sit down at meal times? Or maybe you need more storage. If so, would you prefer cupboards? Or would large drawers be more practical for storing plates and bowls? Our storage options allow you to utilise every bit of space, ensuring everything has a home.
What works and what doesn’t?
What frustrates you in your current kitchen? Would it be useful to have all cooking utensils and seasonings within easy reach? Is there a particular cupboard that you have trouble accessing? Or would you prefer to socialise whilst cooking rather than missing out on all the fun?
Think about how you move around when preparing meals and how the layout could be improved. It’s also worth considering what you struggle with storage wise and whether there’s enough of the right size storage.
Declutter!
If you’re having to empty out your cupboards it’s the perfect opportunity to get rid of old unused items. If there are 8 serving spoons and you only use 3 - it might be time to say goodbye. This will make you feel more organised, and makes space for the more important things you use daily. It’s also a good way to keep surfaces clear in your new kitchen so it’s easier to clean.
2. Get inspired
This is the opportunity to create your dream kitchen with your own individual stamp on it. Gather inspiration from various places and combine them so they work for you…
Borrow and steal ideas
Have any friends or family had new kitchens fitted with elements that would work for you or maybe they have a similar lifestyle? Don’t be afraid to ask them where they got their inspiration from or ask for their advice along the way. They can also share their journey with you, so you have a better idea on what to expect.
In-store design tool
Use our kitchen visualiser to see how our doors, layouts and colours work in your space before committing.
Media
Home design programmes, magazines and social media are all great sources of inspiration. You can establish which style works for you and your kitchen and combine them to create your dream space. Pinterest is a particularly good place to collate ideas into a mood board that you can refer to for ideas when it comes to choosing the final finishes. Follow some home design accounts on Instagram and gather some designs and looks that could work for your home.
3. Getting it designed
When it comes to designing your kitchen, we’ve got you covered with our helpful tools and services.
Measure your room
Before you start picking your appliances and planning your storage, it’s good to know how much space you have to work with.
We’ve created a helpful guide on how to measure your kitchen to talk you through the basics.
Book an appointment
Now you’re ready to book a kitchen planning appointment.
Here’s some other things you might need to prepare for your planning appointment.
4. Bringing it to life
Putting your dream kitchen into place and ensuring it’s built to last…
Work required
What’s the impact of your new kitchen? Are you moving the sink or dishwasher? Are you having a feature light or under cabinet LED strip light fitted? Do the walls need plastering after removing old cabinets, or are you tiling a splashback? There are lots of elements to a kitchen revamp. To save on costs, make sure you plan ahead and group similar jobs together. Doing it this way means a tradesman can complete them at the same time.
Finding a builder
Our installation service makes it even easier to bring your dream kitchen to life. We work with approved installers to coordinate your project from start to finish.
As well as fitting your design to your specification, our installers can complete the finishing touches to save you the hassle – this includes lighting, flooring and tiling. We also offer a full wet or dry installation service – this means we can remove your old kitchen and install your new one, including plumbing, gas and electrics.
Our kitchens are designed with the utmost attention to detail and use high-quality materials. We provide a 2-year workmanship guarantee in addition to any product guarantees. We hope you’ll never need to use our guarantees, but peace of mind is always a good thing to have. Plus, our range of flexible payment and finance options means you can find a plan to suit you.