If you go for a fitted kitchen and don't have strong feelings about the design and layout, our advice is to book appointments with three different companies. Each appointment will take a couple of hours and you'll have to provide exact dimensions to get an accurate plan.
Once you have a handful of plans, go back to the company you were happiest with and ask them to incorporate any of the layout ideas you preferred that the other designers might have come up with. Don't be afraid to go back two or three times until you're 100 per cent happy with your design - and don't be pressurised into extras you don't think will work for you.
As for kitchen fitters, it's usually best to go for the company's recommended fitters. That way, if parts don't show up, or there are problems, they can usually fix things more quickly, which means less stress for you.
There are a number of standard layouts to choose from. A corridor of at least 120cm between rows of units will leave enough room to walk past and to open appliance doors. Leave this distance around table and chairs to ensure enough room to get up and sit down.
1. Try to plan your waterborne appliances - that's the dishwasher and washing machine - close together. This makes life a lot easier for the plumber.
2. Your kitchen must be well-ventilated to draw out odours. Not only is it a legal requirement to have an extractor fan fitted above your cooker, it makes for a much more pleasant environment.
3. Fit your sink under a window, if possible, to make the most of the natural light.
A galley layout may be the only option in a very narrow kitchen, but having all the zones side by side is not hugely work-friendly. Storage is also a problem, with all those appliances taking up space. Generally you shouldn't fit anything other than base units to avoid it feeling claustrophobic, but there are exceptions: if your ceiling is high and the space opens out into a living area, floor-to-ceiling units will work.
A corridor layout of two facing rows of units is preferable in smaller kitchens to maintain the work triangle. Using wall cabinets on both sides can make the room feel cramped - replace with open shelving, if possible. Abstrakt kitchen in red, Ikea.
L-shaped layouts that are tucked into a corner work well, and may even leave space in the centre for a dining table. It makes sense to put the sink and fridge/freezer on the same wall with this formation, with the stove fitted on the adjoining wall. Look out for clever cupboard carousels or V-shaped drawers that make full use of the dead space in the corner - Blum is a master at this.
A U-shaped run of units is very convenient as everything is within easy reach. It works in small and large rooms, where the return arm of the U can act as a divider and can be accessed from both sides. Whatever the shape of your kitchen, positioning your key appliances - the oven, fridge and sink - in a triangle formation, with each appliance forming a corner of the triangle, 1.5m to 2.4m apart, will give you an efficient workspace.
Island layouts combine an L shape of units with a central island. The island can be used solely for food preparation, or can be home to the hob, under-counter fridge or sink. This option requires a reasonable amount of space, so it's a good choice for knocked-through spaces.
Find a trusted kitchen fitter in your area using MyBuilder.
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