Tips for Your Perfect Kitchen Design
By Max Birkin for House of Henley
After years and years of peppy estate-agent rhetoric and shabby-chic signage, it is probably about time that we accepted that the kitchen really is the heart of the home. Whether you eat, drink and make merry in your kitchen out of spatial necessity, or whether you genuinely enjoy the ‘kitchen supper’ entertaining style made popular by the Notting Hill glitterati, our kitchens are where we often spend the greater chunk of our day. As such, they usually eat into (ha!) a large chunk of a renovation budget when overhauling a property, or represent an area that homeowners are eager to spend on in a smaller project. Until recently, cooking has been a necessity even for those more accustomed to the Deliveroo app than a steam oven, but there’s a long waiting list for a reservation at the River Café and the Chancellor’s meal deals won’t last forever, so now is the time to fit a kitchen that will make even the worst banana bread a joy to bake.
Spending the big bucks
Picture Credit: Elle Decor
Kitchens are expensive. Even the smallest of kitchens uses a lot of materials in terms of worktops, cupboards, doors and drawers and then on top of that comes the rather shocking cost of appliances. However, a beautiful kitchen that suits a space and delivers perfectly on its objectives can add anywhere between 10% and 20% to your home’s value. So if you’re feeling a little daunted at the idea of splashing out on a kitchen, then take comfort from the fact that (if you plan it well) you are likely to recoup anything you spend when it comes to selling. If you’re staying put, then consider the kitchen an investment in your future – you may only be grilling fishfingers for your toddlers’ tea right now, but in 25 years you’ll need room for partners and grandchildren. Try not to overlook appliances – we like to hide dishwashers, fridges and washing machines behind doors – but they are (obviously) essential. They can also be a real feature of a kitchen – nothing creates a focus in quite like an AGA, and thanks to a range of sizes and hues these look just as a fantastic in a modern setting as in a farmhouse. Equally, Miele leads the charge on effective integrated appliances that still look stunning; they may not be able to heat your farmhouse kitchen but they can certainly cook a lamb to perfection (and even self-clean afterwards). If you can (and it makes sense to), spend big on every aspect of a kitchen and take delight in joyously decadent things like book-matched marble splashbacks. If your budget is smaller, prioritise appliances and the things that can be seen, like worktops and drawer fronts, and go cheap on the actual cabinetry. Unlike its occupants, a kitchen need not be beautiful on the inside.
Planning it right
Picture Credit: House & Garden
Layout is hugely important when it comes to planning a new kitchen, and the practicalities of this can be both dull and complicated. Finding a good kitchen designer can work wonders; however, any good kitchen supplier will have an in-house designer to talk you through all of this (IKEA, budget though it is, triumphs in this aspect), and they will take care of the mundane things like gas points for cookers, fuses and so on. What you must consider though, is how you use a kitchen. Do you regularly prepare upwards of 100 canapes for drinks parties? If so, you will need significant worktop space, so maybe an island will suit you. Are you more inclined to cheat with olives and grissini? Perhaps consider a built-in larder, and a big freezer for all the Cook lasagnes you eat. On a more precise level, consider the flow of a kitchen – make it simple and easy to go from fridge, to chopping board, to oven, to sink. There is a general rule for the placement of your cooker, fridge and sink, which is known as the triangle rule (where each fitting is a point and the sides are your journey between them) which can be a mightily helpful guide.
Designed to last
Picture Credit: Kitchen Designers
There is an endless choice of kitchen styles and designs, and it is easy to drown in frontages, granite samples and brass drawer handles. When spending scary percentages of your annual salary on a kitchen, it pays to go neutral and to choose a plain shaker style and an inoffensive work-top choice. The great thing about well-built kitchens is that they can be painted and repainted endlessly; why not have Little Greene’s gorgeous ‘Hick’s Blue’ for winter, and their aptly-named ‘Kitchen Green’ for the summer? Neptune is brilliant for a more pared-back, yet rustic style that looks at-home in houses of any age, whilst Howdens offers a more modern (and budget-friendly) alternative. If your decorating style is more Hippie than Hoppen, choose versatile cabinetry but pair it with colourful tiles from Fired Earth, or install open shelving and display a collection of bright and arty china. As ever, do not be too trend-driven – rose-gold taps are already passé and copper worktops are blinding in bright sunlight. Having said that, it’s your kitchen, so you can do whatever you like – the only real essential is a solid-wood kitchen table that will withstand spillages, scorches and whatever life may throw at it (including a morose Jona Lewie).
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