New Year, New Kitchen – Start 2012 by Planning Your Dream Kitchen

If you haven’t updated your kitchen in a while, it’s easy to feel bewildered when you visit the kitchen design showroom. There are so many different brands, styles, and appliances on offer now that it can be hard to tell which offerings will improve your life and which appliances are just wastes of money. Do you really want zip taps? Is Gas on Glass a gimmick? Which brand is the best? The following tips will help you to plan out your dream kitchen.

Decide on a layout

There are a few different kitchen layouts. Very old kitchens used a single-wall layout. This works for long, thin kitchens, but is not optimal, as it means a lot of walking to reach appliances and cupboards.

The U-Shaped kitchen is a better choice if space is at a premium, as it allows easy access to appliances, and maximises the availability of counter space.

An Island shape is great for large kitchens, or homes where the kitchen and living room are combined into one area. If you have lots of floor space, and want lots of storage space, this is a good layout to choose.

Pick your appliances

Next, you’ll want to pick your appliances. Concealed dishwashers and fridge / freezers are popular these days, and ovens with built-in extractor fans are popular too. If you’re on a budget, you might want to keep some of your old appliances, but if some of them are on their last legs, then try to get a deal where you get some appliances with the fitted kitchen. If you opt for one brand for all appliances, you should be able to get a nice uniform look, and you’ll only have one point of contact to worry about for warranties.

Whether you opt for gas or electric will depend on the layout of your home, and your personal preferences. Self-cleaning electric ovens are popular for busy people, but many chefs prefer gas hobs. If you’re going for a gas cooker, gas on glass hobs are far easier to clean than traditional gas hobs.

Time for Taps

You may think that it’s impossible to do much with tap water, but taps have come a long way in recent years. You can now buy zip taps that offer instant hot and cold water, and even filtered drinking water straight out of the tap (making your Britta filter jug obsolete!). If you drink a lot of water, then filtration like this is a must-have. The filters don’t need changing very often, and they’re incredibly convenient.

Kitchen design on a budget

The price difference between brand names and unbranded products is quite large. If you’re on a budget, then you may want to compromise in some areas. See if you can hold on to some of your trusted white goods – if you have a kitchen full of Siemens appliances that are still going strong, just cover them up with cabinet doors to match the new counter design of your upgrade.

If you’re buying new taps, new extractors, or new worktops, don’t cut corners. Your new kitchen should last you for many years, and it’s better to save up and do the job well, than to buy something that will flake, peel, or break after only one year.

This article was written by Amy Fowler on behalf of The Kitchen Appliance Centre, who offer kitchen accessories such as Siemens appliances and zip taps. Amy is looking forward to renovating her kitchen in the New Year.

Keep Reading and Check out these Articles:

1. Kitchen Remodeling
2. Fresh Remodeling Ideas for 2012
3. How to Turn Your Old Kitchen into a Green Kitchen
4. Renovate Your Kitchen with Useful Kitchen Remodeling Ideas
5. Creating A Budget For Your Kitchen Remodel

One Response to “New Year, New Kitchen – Start 2012 by Planning Your Dream Kitchen”

1. Connie D. says:

   December 27, 2011 at 5:11 pm

   I live with my sister and her family in a small town where everybody knows everybody else’ kitchen, and the U-shaped is quite popular here. I’m seriously thinking of re-modeling her kitchen into something different. I’ll probably go with the island shape considering she has quite a space and take it from there. Thanks for all the tips.

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