6 Kitchen questions

Whether you’re upgrading your facilities to fulfil your dreams as a wannabe Heston Blumenthal or simply making a functional space big enough to contain a growing family, designing a new kitchen is an exciting process. However, before you jump into choosing paint colours and countertops there are some basic questions you should ask yourself to make sure you’re building a kitchen that does what you need it to.

What do I use my kitchen for?

The obvious answer is ‘preparing meals’ but kitchens need to be highly versatile spaces. If you have a large family you’ll need to give more space over for seating, whereas if you’re a foodie couple you can include a large island for all your gadgets. Think carefully before committing to a design.

What are my ‘must-haves’?

Write a list of kitchen items that are ‘must-haves’ and another list of ‘nice-to-haves’. Your final kitchen design should include everything on the first list and still come within budget. If you have money left over, rank the ‘nice-to-have’ list in order of importance and add as many as you can. Remember that your kitchen will be an ever-evolving creation, so things you can’t afford now can be added at a later date.

Do I need space for dining?

If you don’t have a separate dining room, you will have to find ways to incorporate chairs and tables into your kitchen whilst still retaining space for storage. Solutions such as folding chairs or stools that tuck under a breakfast bar can maximise your seating options.

How often do I entertain?

A kitchen for a serious entertainer is very different from a kitchen for a family with small children. If you love throwing grown up dinner parties, you should consider how best the space could be utilised for items such as wine fridges, wall ovens and big appliances.

What’s my budget and where can I cut corners?

Creating a bespoke kitchen design can be expensive, so be honest with yourself about what your budget is. Once you’ve got a figure think of areas where you’re prepared to cut corners so you can have a bit left over as a contingency. For example, can you find less expensive materials that look just as good? Cutting a few corners will be less stressful than accidentally going over budget.

How much storage space do I need?

It can be tempting to skimp on storage to accommodate things like larger dining areas, but your new kitchen will be much less enjoyable if every surface is covered in packets and utensils with nowhere to live. Ask your kitchen designer to help you find ways to maximise your space with things like rotating carousels and pull-out interiors.