Planning A Kitchen - A Brief Guide To Kitchen Planning

Modular kitchen systems are designed to be flexible and simple to install. Before planning the layout, consider your lifestyle and the way you and your family use the room. Do you gather and entertain in there – or is it simply a room to cook and do the chores? If you prefer not to do the planning yourself, B&Q have a design service to do the work for you.

It is tempting when planning a new kitchen to keep the arrangement of fixed elements, such as water pipes, power points, windows and doors much the same as they already are, which is the cheaper option. But there may be a better way. Start from scratch and think about what can be improved.

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Planning A Kitchen - Important Things To Remember

It's important to design a kitchen that revolves around your needs. Creating a triangle between your cooker, sink and fridge will make a better working environment. This will ensure that your workspace is never cramped, allowing you to move freely between appliances. If the kitchen does double up as a dining area or faces a dining room, make sure that there is a clear path to the table – this will make it easier to serve food, as well as bringing together the diners with those hard at work preparing the meal.

Planning Your Kitchen - The Layout

The layout you choose will depend on the size and shape of your room - and the position of windows and doors. Plumbing and electrical points can usually be moved, so do not let these restrict your design. Most kitchens fall into four basic designs, a single line of units, a double line (galley), and an L-shaped or U-shaped kitchen. By combining cabinets imaginatively to these designs it is easy to totally transform your kitchen to suit your lifestyle.

Refurbishing a kitchen is a great opportunity to upgrade the electrics and lighting. Plan for plenty of sockets on the walls behind the worktops – you won’t regret it. Also think carefully about lighting.
You will need directed task lighting over the work surfaces as well as overall illumination. There are so many options these days – from adjustable spotlights recessed into the ceiling or on tracks to lights installed under, on or inside cupboards, shielded by pelmets or cornices. Think about mood too – bright white light creates a brisk, efficient atmosphere; pools of subdued illumination are more relaxing. Why not allow for both, especially if you have a dining table in the kitchen?

Finally, don’t forget the flooring. This needs to be easy to clean and hardwearing. Water-resistant laminate or ceramic tiles are practical, popular choices.

Before you start fitting your kitchen

• Make sure there is easy access to cupboard doors and drawers, particularly in corners, or they won’t get used effectively.
• Measure the height of window ledges and double-check that any units will fit underneath them.
• If you can, position the sink under a window to let in light and give you a view.
• Choose energy-efficient appliances to help reduce energy consumption.
• For safety, avoid placing the cooker or hob near to an inwardopening door or under a window. Allow at least 100mm of workspace either side of the hob so that pans sit safely on it.
• Don’t put a fridge beside hot appliances, or it will have to work harder to keep food cold.
• Make sure there is enough space in corners for doors and drawers to open properly. Don’t put an appliance like a washing machine in a corner where its door will obstruct access to other units.
• If possible, keep washing machines and dishwashers close to a sink to keep the plumbing simple.
• Do not position cooker and sink any less than 600mm apart.
• Any fitting or moving of gas appliances must be carried out by a Gas Safe registered professional. Any modifications to plumbing or electrics must be in accordance with the Wiring and Building Regulations; if in doubt, consult a professional.

Drawing up a plan

Start by making a rough sketch of the room showing fixtures, doors, windows, plumbing and electrical sockets, and gas outlet. Then take accurate measurements of every dimension and transfer them to the drawing. The walls and floor of your kitchen may not be regular. To measure the length and width, take three measurements at different wall heights and work with the smallest. Finally draw a plan of the kitchen to scale on graph paper.
Be careful to check the following:
Using graph paper, cut out shapes to represent the kitchen units and appliances you want to include. Place them on the plan and move them around to create different designs.
Most work in a normal kitchen revolves around the ‘work triangle’ of sink, fridge and cooker, so start with these and position your units around them. Try them in different arrangements and draw lines between them to form a triangle. For maximum efficiency a work triangle should be neither too cramped nor too spread out: the combined distance of its three sides should be no less than 3.6m but no more than 7m.
Mark where you would like to install new sockets and light fittings.
Allow for adequate ventilation – an extractor fan is a must.
Is your boiler in the kitchen? If it is in the way, could it be moved?
Take the ceiling height at several points.
Ensure the kitchen is square by measuring diagonally (or compare opposing walls).
Carefully mark the location of existing power points, plumbing, gas supply, air vents and any permanent features such as windows, sills, radiators and boilers.
Always check dimensions, if in doubt measure it again.
Note the space required for your kitchen appliances.
Finally check what the walls are made of to ensure that you buy the correct fixings for your unit.

Working out the detail

Using the dimensions of the cabinets you wish to purchase, sketch your chosen units to scale on the grid. Alternatively, cutting out the shape of the cabinets to scale allows you to move individual units around your kitchen plan and work out the best layout.

Hints & Tips

DO
Try to position your sink by a window, so you have a view.
Position electrical sockets a minimum distance of 150mm above worktops.
Position extractors or cupboards a minimum distance of 750mm above hobs.
Use heat or fireproof cable on cookers or hobs.
Locate dishwashers and washing machines close to sink to minimise plumbing work.
Ensure that wall and floor units are of similar widths-so the doors line up.
Keep tall units at the end of the worktop runs, to maximise the working area.
Place your hob or free-standing cooker in position this minimises the distance needed to carry hot pans across the walkways in the kitchen.
Allow at least 300mm of clear space each side of the hob to allow for protruding pan handles.
Position extractor fans on (or close to) outside walls.
Allow adequate space around free-standing appliances for easy access, (refer to manufacturers fitting instructions).

DON'T
Locate a cooker or hob beneath a window where curtains could catch fire - or where it is dangerous to reach over to the window.
Plan a wall unit above a hob without an extractor fan.
Plan a hob next to a tall unit, corner wall or at the end of a run.
Plan appliances in a corner.
Put an inset sink near worktop joints.
Position a sink or cooker near or next to opening doors.
Box in boilers or other gas appliances as these require air flow to operate properly and safely.
Put a cooker hob under or near electrical sockets.
Position cookers next to fridges or freezers.
Block up existing air vents if there are gas appliances in the kitchen.
Forget the other exciting accessories that can add those finishing touches - such as plinths, pelmets, cornices, handles, decorative legs and wirework.
Consult a plumber if in doubt about the positioning of a sink or dishwasher as it is not always possible to reposition them - you will need to take into account the positions for waste pipes and drains. It is also important to consult a gas safe registered fitter about air vents and an electrician about electrical work.

Useful phone numbers

Gas Safe Register - 0800 408 5500
Institute of Plumbing - 01708 472791
Institute of Electrical Engineers - 020 7240 1871

Source - B & Q

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