Kitchen Layouts: What to Decide Before Ordering a New Kitchen
A new kitchen is often one of the largest individual purchases within a property refurbishment.
It is also one of the easiest areas to get wrong.
Homeowners understandably spend time choosing cabinet colours, worktops, handles and appliances. But some of the decisions that have the greatest impact on how well a kitchen works happen much earlier when the layout is being developed.
Moving a sink 300 mm, changing the width of an island or repositioning a tall unit can affect plumbing, electrics, flooring, lighting, ventilation, joinery and circulation.
By the time the kitchen arrives on site, changing these decisions can become expensive.
A good kitchen design therefore needs to work as a piece of construction as well as a piece of furniture.
Start with how the room will actually be used
A kitchen should not simply be designed around how it looks in a render. Consider who cooks, how many people regularly use the room and whether the kitchen also needs to accommodate dining, entertaining, working from home or children doing homework. Two kitchens of identical size might require completely different layouts.
A keen cook may prioritise preparation space beside the hob. A family may value a large fridge, accessible food storage and an island where several people can sit. Someone who entertains frequently may want the cooking area visually separated from guests. Establishing these priorities first makes the later design decisions considerably easier.
Choose the layout before choosing the finishes
Colour and material selections are important, but they should come after the basic geometry of the kitchen works.
Common arrangements include:
- Single-wall kitchens
- Galley kitchens
- L-shaped kitchens
- U-shaped kitchens
- Kitchens with islands
- Kitchens with peninsulas
The property itself will usually narrow the options.
Doors, windows, structural walls, chimney breasts, ceiling heights and routes into adjoining rooms all influence what can realistically be achieved.
In refurbishment projects, it is particularly important to work from accurate site dimensions rather than assuming the existing walls are perfectly square.
An island needs enough space around it
Kitchen islands are extremely popular, particularly where refurbishment involves opening the kitchen into a dining or living area. But an island should not be squeezed into a room simply because there appears to be enough floor space on a drawing. The circulation around it matters.
Cabinet doors, dishwashers, ovens and drawers all need room to open while somebody can still move around the kitchen. An oversized island can make an otherwise generous kitchen frustrating to use.
Conversely, a properly proportioned island can provide preparation space, storage, seating and a natural division between cooking and living areas.
This is an area where a few hundred millimetres can make a surprisingly large difference.
Plan appliances before the electrical and plumbing work
Appliances should ideally be selected, or at least properly specified, before first-fix services are completed. An induction hob, boiling-water tap, American-style fridge-freezer, wine cooler and combination oven all have different requirements.
The contractor may need to know:
- Appliance dimensions
- Electrical loads and connection requirements
- Water and waste positions
- Ventilation requirements
- Manufacturer clearances
- Whether appliances are integrated or freestanding
Leaving these decisions until the kitchen installation begins can result in sockets being moved, cabinets being altered or services having to be revisited. That means additional labour and potentially unnecessary variations.
Think carefully about where the sink and dishwasher go
The sink is one of the most frequently used areas of a kitchen, so its relationship with the dishwasher, bin and food preparation area deserves proper consideration.Putting the dishwasher immediately beside the sink often simplifies both use and services. The waste system also influences where sinks and dishwashers can sensibly be positioned.
Moving a sink across a room may appear straightforward on a kitchen drawing, but drainage needs adequate routing and falls.
This becomes particularly important in flats, where altering the floor construction or connecting to existing stacks may be more restricted than in a house. The most attractive layout on paper is not necessarily the easiest or most economical layout to construct.
Storage needs to be designed rather than simply maximised
More cupboards do not automatically produce better storage. Where items are stored matters. Deep drawers can be extremely effective for pans and crockery. Narrow pull-outs may make good use of otherwise awkward spaces. Tall larder units can consolidate food storage into one area.
Frequently used items should generally be accessible without repeatedly crossing the kitchen.
Think about:
- Food storage
- Pots and pans
- Crockery and glassware
- Cutlery
- Small appliances
- Bins and recycling
- Cleaning products
- Occasionally used equipment
This is where bespoke or carefully planned cabinetry can significantly improve a kitchen without necessarily increasing its footprint.
Worktop material can affect the design
Worktops are often selected primarily by appearance, but different materials have different practical characteristics. Quartz, porcelain, granite, solid surface, timber and laminate can all be appropriate depending on the project. Thickness, maximum slab dimensions, joint locations, sink details and fabrication requirements may influence the final design.
For example, a large island may require consideration of slab dimensions and joint positions before the cabinetry is manufactured. Undermounted sinks, drainer grooves and waterfall ends also need to be coordinated rather than added as an afterthought. The best time to resolve these details is during specification, not while the worktop fabricator is measuring the finished units.
Lighting should follow the kitchen layout
A row of ceiling spotlights does not automatically create good kitchen lighting. The layout should distinguish between general lighting, task lighting and decorative lighting. Preparation areas need useful illumination. Pendant lights may work above an island. LED lighting beneath wall cabinets can illuminate worktops while concealed lighting within joinery can add another layer.
The electrical design therefore needs the kitchen design. If an island changes position after the ceiling has been wired and plastered, pendant positions may also need changing.
Coordination between the kitchen designer, contractor and electrician helps avoid this type of rework.
Do not forget the details at the edges
Many kitchen problems occur not in the middle of the design but where the kitchen meets the building. A cabinet beside a wall may need sufficient clearance for its door or drawer to open. An architrave may project into the space allocated for cabinetry. A window sill may interfere with a proposed worktop. Skirting, flooring thickness and uneven walls can all affect installation.
Filler panels, end panels and scribes are not particularly exciting parts of a kitchen specification, but they contribute greatly to whether the finished installation looks deliberate.
A good design resolves these junctions before manufacture.
Coordinate the kitchen with the refurbishment programme
Kitchen installation does not happen in isolation. The contractor needs to coordinate plumbing, electrical first fix, ventilation, plastering, decorating, flooring, cabinetry, worktops, appliances and final connections. Some elements also depend on others being completed first. Worktops, for example, may be templated only after the base units are installed and correctly positioned. Certain appliances cannot be finally fitted until the worktops arrive.
Understanding these dependencies helps produce a realistic construction programme. It also reduces the temptation to order everything at the last minute because one part of the project appears ready.
A successful kitchen is designed before it is installed
The quality of a kitchen refurbishment is determined by much more than the cabinet manufacturer. Layout, services, lighting, storage, appliances, worktops and the surrounding building all need to work together. Resolving these decisions before ordering gives the contractor clearer information to price and build from and gives the homeowner a much better understanding of the finished result.
It can also prevent one of the most expensive problems in refurbishment work: changing the design after construction has already started.
Bayocorp delivers kitchens as part of full property refurbishments and residential fit-outs across London and the South East. We can help assess layouts, construction requirements, specifications and costs before work begins, allowing design decisions to be tested against both the property and the available budget.
Renovate | Refit | Refurbish