Designing your own kitchen is actually quite easy. Most kitchen cabinets and kitchen appliances come in standard sizes and widths, so before you get a sales designer out to your home, why not have a go yourself!

 
Start in deciding the things that you like and don’t like about your existing kitchen. If you’re happy with the overall layout, only make any changes to the existing arrangement if there’s a real benefit to this – it‘s much easier (and cheaper) to keep existing services in the same positions. Think about anything in your kitchen you’d like to keep – the kitchen appliances, sink and taps or any of the kitchen units.

Have a look through some home-interest magazines for inspiration or browse kitchen retailers or DIY stores to see the kind of styles and layouts you like. Kitchen companies spend a lot of money getting their in-store layouts just right – so feel free to steal their ideas! When you’re looking, don’t forget to include builders and merchants specialist kitchen showrooms, as well as a your local kitchen companies – you may get some very helpful advice.

If you may be selling your home in the near future, try to ensure you have a kitchen with a wide appeal such as a simple Shaker style. Alternatively, if the style of your home is contemporary, it might be worth looking for a good-value modern kitchen style with self-closing drawers, creative storage options and a granite worktop or composite.

Planning your new kitchen

You can start creating your new plan by measuring and mapping out your current kitchen walls on graph paper. Pads of A4 graph paper are readily available in most stationers and larger newsagents for a few pounds – the best thing about these pads is that the squares are drawn out at a metric scale of 1:20 – the ideal scale for planning a kitchen. What this means is that every square on the pad is 10cm x 10cm or 100mm x100mm.

With your measurements, start to draw the outline of your room on the pad. Mark where there are any restrictions, such as a chimney breast and doorway, then mark which kitchen walls are external (ie leading outside) or internal. Next mark where the electric sockets and switches are, where the plumbing and waste pipes are, wall vents – and anything else like gas or water meters that have to stay where they are.

If you have a boiler in the kitchen, highlight where and what type of boiler it is, as well as it‘s dimensions.

With your walls drawn in and all the various obstacles, structures and services marked – you have your bare room plan drawn! Now make some photocopies of it and then you’re ready to start your design!

Kitchen planning checklist

Roughly sketch in pencil a layout that you like – it doesn’t have to be detailed – what you’re doing is seeing what can and can’t fit. Kitchen countertops are on average 600mm deep, so on your plan that’s six squares. Draw the edge of your worktops six squares from your wall.

Next think about what appliances you’re having in the kitchen and think about where they’ll go.

To keep costs down, keep the sink and any wet appliances like washing machines and dishwashers near to where your water supply pipes and waste pipes are, your oven and hob near the gas or cooker supply switch, and any other built in appliances handy for the key work areas.

When planning:

 
1. Try to keep the overall distance between the sink, fridge and cooker at 7m or less. This makes cooking much easier as you’ll have less distance to travel.

2. Try to ensure at least 100cm clearance between runs of kitchen units, so that two people can move around at once (120cm or more is better, 100cm is the legal minimum in front of an oven.)

3. Standard 60cm deep units can be a tight squeeze if your kitchen is less than 170cm wide from one wall to the other. (This can be solved in fitting special 50cm deep kitchen units, or using units with a deep service void and cutting this down. It’s possible to buy shallower appliances, and “domino” hobs can be fitted side-on.)

4. Leave at least 40cm clearance between the worktop and wall-mounted units.

5. Wall mounted kitchen units next to gas hobs should be offset by at least 5cm.

6. Leave at least 70cm distance between two perpendicular runs at an entrance to the room. 100cm + is better.

7. Remember that most kitchen unit doors project into the kitchen by a maximum of 60cm. Dishwasher doors usually open by 60cm and oven doors by 50cm – try to avoid these doors clashing with one and other.

Try out a number of different layouts – that’s why you copied the plans.

Once you have a layout you’re happy with you can go back to any kitchen showrooms and see what they think. They’ll point out any mistakes you’ve made in layouts and may come up with some really good alternatives. Some will put your layout onto their CAD systems so you can walk around your virtual room.

The best thing is, you’re in charge. You’ve made your own plan, your own design and you don’t need to have a kitchen salesman (sorry designer) in your home for three hours.

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On average, people in the USA spend around $23,000 in fitting a new kitchen.

 
Taking the “standard” US kitchen that’s used to calculate prices, (consisting of a sink and base cabinet, a double base cabinet, 3 single base cabinets, 4 wall cabinets, housing for an oven and dishwasher , countertops, handles and fixings) – for off-the-shelf kitchen units you could pay:

$1-8,000 at the budget end of the market,
$8-30,000 at the mid market,
$30-60,000+ at the high end.

If you’re thinking of having fully bespoke cabinetry – well the sky’s the limit.

These prices don’t include delivery, installation or appliances, decorating, flooring or tiling.

Installation for an average kitchen can be anything from $700 to $5000 depending on site and services condition – and again fitting bespoke units will cost significantly more.

Taking a typical list of kitchen appliances – washing machine, cooker hood, oven, hob, dishwasher and fridge freezer – can cost from $2,000 at the budget end of the market, averaging $3,500 – but at the top end of the market a single extractor can cost over $10,000.
 

Saving money:

You can still get a new kitchen on a tiny budget. If your kitchen cabinets are in good general condition but are simply dated, it’s possible and straightforward to find companies that just supply new kitchen unit doors, drawer fronts and worktops. These can save you several thousands of pounds, while giving a new look and feel to your kitchen.

If you have a compact kitchen or are willing to do some basic DIY, it’s possible to spend far less than $1,000 – however if your DIY skills are less than brilliant, you could end up costing yourself in the long run. With current gas and electrical regulations, these services MUST be fitted by a trained and certified technician – so there is now no such thing as a fully DIY kitchen.

To keep your remodeling costs under control, you need to plan ahead, compromise at times, and keep emotions and financial decisions seperate.

To save money remodeling you can:

1. Seek out affordable alternatives to expensive products.

* Laminate and solid surface countertops come in colors and patterns designed to resemble stone, marble, granite and wood.
* Tiles and sheet laminate flooring, can offer colors and patterns indistinguishable from travertine and other stone floor options.
* Modern laminate floors can look exactly like wood, even down to texture and having accurate v-grooves and yet are considerably cheaper than real hardwood floors.
* You can reface and refinish your existing cabinets instead of replacing with new.
* Buy off-the-shelf stock cabinets instead of semi-custom or custom. They’re so much better than in the past and offer excellent material, color and accessory choices.
* Shallow or counter-depth appliances look like built-ins because they don’t stick out beyond the cabinets. What you lose in visual you gain in savings as they cost nearly half the price.

2. Try to maintain a similar layout. In keeping your appliances, sinks, faucets, and lights where they are, you can utilise existing plumbing, gas and electrical outlets. Moving utilities is a quick way to rack up sky-high labor costs.

If you’re looking to save money design your kitchen in such a way that there is no need to modify their positions. The money savers are keeping the sink where it is and the cooker where it is. Water supplies and waste water are easy to move short distances but to move a sink to the other side of a room is going to cost. Move the oven and hob and you’ll be looking at moving the cooker supply circuit and or a gas line. Upgrade to a higher power item and you may need to run an entirely new electric circuit back to the supply box.

Don’t forget that any time you cut into your walls, you run the risk of causing or uncovering a problem that must be fixed.

3. Allow for the worst with a contingency sum. The National Association of the Remodeling Industry suggests putting aside at least 10 percent of your overall budget for unforeseen costs, such as:

* Structural problems that require repair
* Poor insulation
* Code upgrades required by inspectors
* The removal of Asbestos
* Fixing previously carried out poor workmanship
* Mold treatment
* Dry and wet rot
* Essential upgrades to the electrical service panel
* Termites or carpenter ants.
* Bad plumbing and lead piping

4. Try a little DIY and tackle some of the labor yourself. Fairly easy, unskilled jobs include minor demolition works such as removing cabinets or flooring, decorating walls and ceilings, or replacing and upgrading hardware.

Of course don’t take on more than you can capably finish. Many a do-it-yourselfer has tried to tackle plumbing or electrical work to save money, and then needed to hire a professional for a costly fix, or worse yet caused damage to their home – and even injury or death to themselves or others!

5. Save the fine detail or costly decorating for later. It’s easy to add custom touches and upgrades to trim and moldings, hardware, cabinet tidies or a tiled backsplash at a later date. It may end up more expensive this way, but can save money in the short term.

6. Understand the difference between needs, wants and wishes. Write a list of what you want to achieve in your new kitchen and then place each item in a corresponding column:

* A need is a must-have such as a working oven.
* A want would be nice to have and is possible such as a new stainless steel range cooker.
* Wishes are your dream items such as a heavy duty commercial grade cooking station.

By researching product prices early in the planning process you’ll have a realistic understanding of what you can afford and with some careful saving or juggling you may be able to add a few wants or wishes too!

7. Don’t feel the need to buy new. Thanks to e-bay and other furniture recycling sites, its easy to find second-hand kitchen cabinets and appliances at a bargain price, however it’s vital to make sure that everything fits – and that care has been taken to avoid any damage to the kitchen cabinets during removal and transportation – as often with older cabinets it’s impossible to buy replacement parts that match.

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Your new kitchen is likely to be one of the most expensive purchases you make within your house, coming second only to an extension or large conservatory, so when buying fitted kitchens it pays to make the right decisions in terms of layout, design, budget and supplier BEFORE parting with any cash!

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Unless you move regularly, typically buying fitted kitchens is not something the average household has lots of experience in, so we’ve prepared these quick six fitted kitchen buying tips to hopefully aid in the process:

Kitchen Buying Tip One

Take your time – making rash decisions on costs layout or style could leave you unhappy with the finished result – and given the price of a fitted kitchen a mistake you’ll probably live with for many years to come. Even if your existing kitchen is falling to pieces it’s vital to research your new kitchen properly, get to know all the local and national suppliers, get a feeling for what size and specification of fitted kitchen you can have within your budget, so you’ll be in a position to make an informed decision.

You will most likely have friends, relatives, or workmates who’ve recently purchased a fitted kitchen, so ask them about their experiences – especially what they would have done differently given the benefit of 50:50 hindsight!

Buy a few kitchen magazines – if not for the kitchen suppliers, at least to get ideas of design and layout.

Kitchen Buying Tip Two

You’ll need to get a firm idea of your budget, whether you are working from savings or are planning on taking out finance. Work out what you can comfortably afford and deduct 10-15%. This will be your budget – the benefit being you’ll have a contingency for when inevitably go wrong, or you start getting excited and upping specifications!

Kitchen Buying Tip Three

When building a shortlist of supplier’s you should do a little detective work. Start by looking up web kitchen reviews, such as those here on Kitchen Units 101 (although remember people are more likely to write an on-line review if they are unhappy with a kitchen supplier, than if they are happy – so you will find more bad reviews than good).How long has the kitchen supplier been trading? Do they have a local shop, or service centre to you, should your project hit snags? How much of a service do they provide? – supply only, design and supply, do they fit, do they project manage? Check out their accreditations and membership of trade associations ensure they are Gas Safe ( formerly CORGI) certified for the work they are planning, that they have sufficient public liability insurance and so on. Finally check with Trading Standards if there are any known issues with them.

Kitchen Buying Tip Four

Once you are happy with a fitted kitchen supplier, check for any safeguards they have in place to insure that your deposit, stage payments or final payment are protected by any third parties should anything go wrong during your fitted kitchen project. See if they are members of the Furniture Ombudsman service for example who have a protected final payment scheme for members and provide arbitration in cases where there are serious issues that can’t be resolved between client and kitchen company.

Kitchen Buying Tip Five

It’s vital that before you sign on the line you’re clear on everything that’s going to be happening in your fitted kitchen project, who’s responsible for what, and anything that isn’t included in the price. You have to check and then check again that you will be receiving exactly what you are expecting before your order is placed. Don’t be worried asking the kitchen representative – it’s what they’re there to do – and no question is silly.

Kitchen Buying Tip Six

Everyone always plans to, but rarely anyone does. Take and CHECK references. Between your first encounter with your fitted kitchen supplier and signing on the line you should have asked them for some local customer references. No company has any reason not to supply references from previous customers if they’re as good as they say they are – and once you’ve got some you really do have to check them out. Ask the previous customer/s Did everything go well? If there were any problems were they dealt with quickly and to the customers satisfaction?

We hope the KitchenCabinetsRated Kitchen Buying Tips have been useful – please use the comments below to ask specific questions related to buying a new fitted kitchen.

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Kitchen countertops, worktops or worksurfaces suffer from a huge amount of abuse – the clue is in the name. Therefore fitting the correct material for worktops in your kitchen is essential both for the aesthetics of your kitchen, and for how long your kitchen’s going to stay looking good, and working how it should.

There is now an incredible choice of worktop materials available when fitting a new kitchen, or refurbishing an existing kitchen – from stainless steel to glass, concrete to tile – but here in the UK we tend to fit four surfaces, being:

1. Laminate
2. Wood
3. Stone
4. Quartz

Laminate Worktops

Laminate worktops are still the number one surface in American kitchens – and for a reason. They are relatively cheap, hard wearing, easy to fit and come in a huge variety of colours, effects and finishes.

However not all laminate worktops are created equal.

As with kitchen units, kitchen laminate worktops come in a range of grades – both of the laminate outer and the woodchip core. Typically the lowest quality laminate worktops come in 28-30mm thickness, have a low density core and can cost as little as $40 per 3m length. They are often used as temporary worktops – such as when a client is having stone or specialist worksurfaces installed, but wish to use their kitchen in the time between templating and fitting. However because they are cheap, they can often be fitted in tight budget fits, or by builders or developers trying to cut costs. They are a false economy and seldom last more than a few years.

Higher quality Laminate worktops will last for many years, especially laminates with a textured finish, as this tends to hide inevitable scratches better than when the surface is smooth and significantly better compared to a high-gloss laminate. They last longer because they have a thicker laminate layer, denser and variable density board to cushion heat-shock from hot pans being laid on their surface. The better laminates also tend to have a good quality drip bar below the lip, and are sealed fully on all edges. Provided they are fitted by a competent joiner and sealed to manufacturers guidelines, particularly round the sink area, they are impervious to water and household chemicals.

Better laminate worktops are sold in standard lengths 4100mm (although DIY outlets and merchants will usually stock 3600mm, 3000mm and 2400mm) and standard widths (600mm, 670mm, 900mm) with either one edge profiled, two edges profiled, or edges left for an edging tape or specialist edge to be applied. Corner joints are typically achieved using a router and specific worktop cutting jig with a Masons or Hockey Stick mitre – and dog-bone recesses to accept worktop connecting bolts. If your joiner produces a handsaw or circular saw to cut your worktops, he or she shouldn’t be fitting your kitchen. Expect to pay £300-600 for good quality laminate worktops in a typical kitchen.

Solid Wood Worktops

Wooden worktops are the second most popular choice of worksurface in the US, both for the look and feel they lend to a kitchen and because they are still relatively simple for a good joiner to fit.
They are available in a large number of woods, with Oak, Walnut, Beech, Cherry, and Rubberwood, Iroko and Bamboo (technically a grass) being the most readily available.

Wooden Worktops are manufactured using small blocks or staves, glued and fingered together to produce large semi-uniform blanks – both for cost (the wider a single piece of wood is the more expensive it is) and stability (large widths of wood will warp and crack in the kitchen environment).

Wooden worktops can be easily fitted without the need for specialist mitre jigs, but many joiners still prefer the look and stability of the hockeystick mitre. Wooden worktops are increasingly being “wrapped” onto the vertical of end units and mid height oven units in the more modern kitchen aesthetic – something that is next to impossible with laminates (Some IKEA laminates being the exception).

The most common thicknesses for wooden worktops are 40mm, 30mm and 50mm – plus edges can be doubled up or sandwiched to create the appearance of 60-100mm thickness.

What many people don’t realise with wooden worktops until it’s to late is the need for continuous maintenance.

A new wooden worktop should be oiled on all its edges – top bottom and sides before fitting and then oiled weekly for the first 2-3 months, monthly for the next year and then quarterly thereafter – or it WILL split, crack, stain and discolour. Whilst some patina is good and can be beautiful in a country kitchen, it can just take one cup of coffee, chicken tikka or spilled glass of red and that worktop is ruined.

Well maintained wooden worktops will last for years and the average cost per kitchen is $1,000 to $5000 depending on the wood.

Stone Worktops

Most people think of granite when it comes to stone worktops, but marble, soapstone and slate are other stone types commonly fitted in UK kitchens.

Stone tends to be fitted in higher end kitchens – both because of its expense and it’s weight – it can be too heavy for budget kitchen units designed for lightweight laminate worktops.

Stone worktops are beautiful and add real wow to any kitchen – but they do have disadvantages. They are a natural material and believe it or not are porous and can stain. They are cold to touch and have broken many a wine glass or china cup. They can shatter or crack when subjected to a hot pan base. If your kitchen units move, the worktops will crack.

The stone is imported to the UK in large slabs, typically 20mm or 30mm thick and then cut, polished, riven or hewn by a fabricator to a template taken from your fitted kitchen, NOT from the plans (This means there is a need for temporary worktops if you are to have use of your kitchen between templating, manufacture and fitting of your stone worktops). Holes for sinks, drainage channels etc are cut at this stage and edges are finished to a range of profiles, or doubled up or even trebled (sandwiched) to create the appearance of a very thick slab.

It is best to have the fabricator fit the worktops as they will have experience of this specialist trade, the weight of the pieces and know how to handle such valuable materials without chipping or snapping the worksurfaces.

Stone can be joined almost invisibly in the hands of a craftsman, and there is scope for beautiful matching upstands and splashbacks, or to wrap the material onto the verticals of neighbouring cabinets. Typical costs of stone worktops installed are $5000 – $10,000 again depending on stone choice.

Quartz Worktops

Quartz worktops are a manufactured surface, either as a solid material or more usually 6-12mm of quartz wrapped round an MDF core.

They have a similar appearance to granite, but have less of a sheen and to many they look a little plastic. That’s because they are a mixture of crushed or powdered quartz, polymer resin and pigments – taking the strength of stone but making a uniform manufactured surface.

The main advantage of quartz worktops is that joins can be made using the same material in liquid form, and sinks can be moulded within worktops, giving a completely impervious monolithic surface. Also if you get a scratch in a quartz worktop it can be sanded out with fine sandpaper. There is an almost infinite choice of colours with many stone types being accurately modeled – or you can go crazy and have them in bright red, green or pink.

Like stone, quartz worktops tend to be templated and installed at a later date to the kitchen, but many can be bought in pre-formed sections, or with half-circular, or d-shaped ends as standard for end of runs or for breakfast bars. The fitting of quartz is a specialist trade, but many experienced kitchen fitters are able to do so given the right tools, sealants and chemicals.
The average cost of a quartz kitchen can be from $5,000 to $10,000 or more if built in sinks and upstands are specified.

(A guide to more specialised kitchen worktops coming soon…)

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How to Buy Your Next Kitchen Online – Quickly & Easily

Article written for KitchenCabinetsRated.com by Hywel Merrett of Cut Price Kitchens
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The kitchen is often perceived as the heart of the home and as the song goes – it’s where everyone ends up at parties! The kitchen is also considered to be one of the most important rooms in the house when it comes time to sell your property. A good (or bad) kitchen can really make (or break) the sale of your house.

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It’s important then to get the design and installation of your next kitchen correct – not only so it provides a safe, efficient place to cook and entertain, but also so that it adds value and desirability to your home.

Traditionally, homeowners have sought the services of local kitchen specialists and often paid handsomely for their service. But the marketplace is changing. Large DIY retailers have forced prices down and brought modern kitchen designs and technology within the reach of those on a more modest budget.

Up until recently these used to be the two main options available to anyone in need of a new kitchen. However in recent years the convergence of secure online payment systems and high speed connections are allowing customers to browse and buy their kitchen over the internet.

Benefits of buying your kitchen online

Anyone who’s sat through a 3 hour kitchen design consultation, then been subjected to a ‘won’t take “No” for an answer’ sales pitch will welcome this third option. It gives you the freedom to shop without pressure and view a wide range of kitchen styles to suit your taste and budget.

And because the internet is such a transparent marketplace it makes it easy to comparison shop based on quality and price. Online kitchen sites seem to be divided into two distinct groups though:

1) The straightforward ‘catalogue’ site simply displaying the company’s range of kitchens.
2) A full-blown e-commerce site allowing you to buy online.

The former usually operates to generate enquiries from would-be customers and entice them into a showroom or to arrange a visit from their designer. These are okay if the company has a showroom in your part of the country and if you’re not in a particular hurry.

For those looking for a more instant solution though, seek out the companies that allow you to order directly via their site. Several of these sites now exist but not all have been created equal.

Let’s face it – most of us aren’t qualified kitchen designers, so we’re looking for a site that simplifies the process of finding and loading our cart with the correct items quickly and easily. Why then do so many sites expect customers to skip between multiple pages and individually add every component part i.e. the cabinet, the door, hinges, legs etc.? It’s easy to see why shopping cart abandonment is so rife in this type of site.

Quality online kitchen e-retailers

Instead look for a site that removes this tedium. Perhaps one like Cut Price Kitchens where you simply select your kitchen style from the Home page then everything needed for that particular kitchen is displayed on the very next page. After all, the internet is all about ‘instant gratification’ – speed and convenience. This is why online shopping is rapidly overtaking the traditional high street.

But an easy-to-use site is only part of the equation. Before committing to a purchase from an online kitchen retailer, check if they are displaying any testimonials. Any company can sing its own praises, but better to have it verified by customers who have not only purchased from them but have experienced their delivery and after-sales processes too.

A kitchen is generally going to be a fairly large purchase for most households, so before making your purchase online, why not give them a call. They should definitely be displaying a contact number and should welcome customer interaction.

Speak to them on the phone and ask some questions. Were they courteous and helpful? Or did they make you feel foolish for asking a ‘stupid’ question. Their attitude at this stage should give you a good indication of whether they’re a company you want to do business with … or not.

While you’re at it, ask them about their delivery times and costs and what happens if an item is damaged or incorrect. No company (online or off) could guarantee this will never happen, so ask how these issues are dealt with. If you don’t want to make your purchase online, ask if they will allow you to pay over the phone if this gives you greater peace of mind.

Check too, that you can add, remove or change items after your purchase. This is often cause for much concern with online kitchen buyers and, while easier to do before delivery, shouldn’t be a major stumbling block.

Download free e-course

If buying your next kitchen online sounds appealing (it should work out cheaper after all), but you’re concerned about creating a design or organising tradesmen to fit it, then see this page on the Cut Price Kitchens site. Here, you’ll be able to download an easy-to-follow, jargon-free guide explaining how to design a safe, professional kitchen layout. It’s also followed up by a 7 day course – delivered by email – which explains how to organise your installation so it gets completed on time and on budget.

Thanks to Cut Price Kitchens for providing this article.
If you work for a kitchen company and would like to submit an article to KitchenCabinetsRated.com, contact us here

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