A new kitchen is investment in your home, and you home is usually the most expensive investment in your life; so it is worth spending some time to get the planning of your new kitchen right.
Decide if you need a complete kitchen refit or figure out whether you can get away with replacing work surfaces, cupboard doors and tiles. Sometimes a mini renovation is all that you need, as the kitchen carcass can be used again and be completely transformed.
Laminate, acrylic polymer (Corian) or granite worktops? Most people would agree that granite worktops look fantastic, but they are both heavy and expensive. Before you invest in granite worktops for your kitchen, check out whether or not the units chosen can support the weight of granite.
Decide on your floor covering first. It is sometimes easier to lay flooring first, especially if you are going for ceramic tiles. Tiles can be laid across the whole kitchen floor surface creating a seamless transition, rather than having tiles cut to fit around awkward corners. Laminate flooring looks great, but be aware that if water penetrate the laminate the flooring can become easily damaged.
Choose practicality over style. Whilst we would all love to have a beautiful kitchen that looks like it has been taken straight out of the pages of magazine, it is important to factor in your kitchens usage. So if you have a large family of children, who leave sticky finger prints everywhere, perhaps a highly polished chrome finish is not for you. Highly polished reflective surfaces require constant maintenance otherwise they quickly become grubby looking.
Choose tiles for your splash back areas with care. Lime green and mocha may seem the height of sophistication to you today, but you will likely have to live with your kitchen for at least another 10 years. So unless you are prepared to update regularly, choose tiles which have classic appeal.
In general stainless steel or enamel sinks work best. Enamel sinks can chip and so if you have any doubts stainless steel is your best investment. Avoid light coloured plastic sinks which are prone to discolouration. Buy the best quality sink you can afford. The sink is one of the most used areas in kitchen and this is not area to skimp on.
Taps are where you can afford to let you style show through. In general taps are not difficult or too expensive to replace. So if you want to invest in funky taps and it doesn’t work out, then it should not be too difficult to replace them. Again, if you have a family, then there are certain things that you should take into consideration. Taps which are set quite high up from the bowl of the skink can tend to create a splash back if turned on too forcefully. Therefore if you have children around you may want to rethink this option unless you want to spend a vast amount of time mopping up water.
Built in appliances are great, but do remember that if you move the costly appliances are likely to be left behind as they will be viewed as kitchen fixtures and fittings.
Take care when choosing kitchen paint. In general kitchens which are light in colour are easiest to work in. Paler colours will reflect light and create a better working environment. Ensure that the paint you use is appropriate for moist and damp environments. Even the best kitchen extraction systems will not alleviate all condensation, so to ensure that your kitchen is not prone to peeling paint, choose the correct emulsion.
Kitchen lighting is often overlooked, but this is a very important feature. As well as providing illumination, light create atmosphere. If you intend to also use your kitchen as a dining area, consider having two sets of lights. One for cooking and food preparation, and one set for eating by. This way your kitchen lighting will have dual purpose.