Fitted Kitchen Planning

A crucial part of buying a new fitted kitchen is the planning. What shape will the kitchen have, how big is the family that will use the kitchen and how often will the kitchen be used? At Gladeside Fitted Kitchens, we will take you through all the steps of planning so that you can make the best decisions when buying your new kitchen.

Fitted Kitchens or Free Standing - Which Kitchen Is Best?

How do you choose whether you want a fitted kitchen or a free-standing kitchen? Both have their advantages and disadvantages. If you opt for a fitted kitchen, you will certainly make the best use of your space. All the difficult corners that you see in your present kitchen can be hidden and used for storage. A fitted kitchen will also add the most value to your home. But you can't take it with you when you move!

A freestanding or non-fitted kitchen however, gives that individual and informal look you might want to give to your kitchen. You can use all kinds of furniture to create the ambiance you prefer. When you move, you can take your furniture with you and use it again. You have to choose your furniture well, however, if you are going to create as much storage space as in a fitted kitchen.

At Gladeside Fitted Kitchens, you won't be surprised to learn that we mostly take the fitted kitchen as a starting point. But a lot of our storage and design tips will be equally as useful for a freestanding kitchen. And the planning of your new kitchen is just as important - whichever style you prefer.

Who will use your kitchen?

Different people have different lifestyles and since the kitchen is the centre in the house where your 'food of life' is prepared, lifestyle is pretty much the key to planning a kitchen that works for you. It is obvious that a single person or a couple will have different expectations from their kitchen than families with growing up children. If you're a single person that eats out a lot, your kitchen will look completely different from a family that takes their evening meals together. Assess your kitchen area accordingly. Plan how much storage space you need for your groceries, cutlery and crockery, which equipment you will use (oven, grill, hob and time saving electrical appliances) and how much seating area you need.

In a small kitchen, it is obvious that a large seating area is out of the question, but a small breakfast table might just fit in. In a big kitchen, the seating area will take a big part of the space. Decide which part of the kitchen area you want to commit to seating and work your kitchen around it. There are a lot of handy storage solutions to maximise your space.

In fact, the next step in planning your new kitchen is to plan enough storage to suit your needs. Different shapes of kitchens automatically provide different amounts of storage space. However, there are a lot more possibilities and styles than you might think.

Below-worktop area.

It is obvious that the bigger the worktop, the more you can store below it. After you have planned the position of your sink, fridge and hob/oven, the rest of the space below the worktop is yours to play with. Cupboards are not the only option!

Storage below the worktop is especially handy for heavy items such as electrical equipment and heavy pots, pans and oven dishes. Think about how many of those items you have and how much storage space you need to give to those items. Remember to leave enough room for expansion. You will buy more utensils and the items you already have will take up more space than you think!

Products like bottles of wine and vegetables that don't need to go in the fridge will also need their space beneath the worktop. Think of different ways to store them than the usual cupboard. A cupboard doesn't really work for bottles. You can't see them in the back of your cupboard. Think of a cabinet that you can pull out, or maybe a pullout trolley. If you are a big wine lover, you can go for special shelves to put your wine on display.

Vegetables must be kept in a dry place to prevent them from early decay. Don't store them too close to an oven or a hob. Wicker baskets give a rustic look to you kitchen and will keep your vegetables dry and dark.

Most of your cutlery will be stored below the worktop as well. Try to store your cutlery close to the dishwasher or sink for quick storage after cleaning. Drawers are still the best storage option for cutlery, but you may find it handy to keep you ladles and wooden spoons in a jar on your worktop. Knives can be kept on a magnetic knife holder that you can attach to your wall or in a separate knife-block on your worktop. But make sure that your worktop is free from too much clutter. Fitted kitchens look best when they look tidy.

Above the worktop

As the space below the worktop will mostly be used for cupboards, above the worktop storage can be used for more creativity. The items stored are not as heavy and are sometimes more decorative and suitable for display. Think of beautiful plates and glasses and decorative spice racks. There are quite a few options for display of your crockery and kitchenware. For easy storage and display of your plates you can use a plate rack. Mugs and jugs can hang from pegs on open shelves for a country style effect. You can set your most-often-used utensils above the main working area, on a rail for easy access. Vegetables such as onions and garlic can even be hung on a rail too. Cooking ingredients like sugar and salt can be stored in glass jars and set out on handy display shelves. It's easyt to work out a good balance between the different storage options once you get started.

Keep in mind that things on display in fitted kitchens may enhance the look of the room, but they will be open to steam, grease and dust in the air, so this type of storage is best left for the items you need every day. Displays that go behind glass cupboard doors are often the best compromise.

Different styles of storage can break the monotony some of the more 'minimalist' fitted kitchen designs, but they have to be practical for you. If you prefer fitted kitchens with cupboards rather than open shelves and hanging mugs, then maybe you can experiment with different door materials, such as clear or frosted glass, as well as wood and laminates. Stainless steel can be very effective. The range of kitchen styles available at Gladeside Fitted Kitchens covers all these options - and perhaps a few more that you haven't thought of yet.

Let us suprise you. Call Gladeside Fitted Kitchens today on 0800 197 0800.

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