Depending on personal preference, we expect kitchens to have everything from plenty of seating space, through to smart storage, larders and integrated appliances. We break down some of the main considerations when designing your dream kitchen.
Future proofing your kitchen: Natural woods vs a more robust, updatable alternative
Wood dates a kitchen quickly, as we can all recall pine in the 80s, oak in the 90s, exotic woods, such as Zebrano, in the early 2000s and so on.
Painted finishes are timeless and more importantly updateable. Whether you fancy a change or need to give your kitchen a facelift after years of service, hand painting keeps your options open. Also, now more than ever, wood and wood effect floors mean that a painted kitchen is required so as not to leave the whole room covered in wood grain finish – for the variety, painted is softer and a great partner for wood.
Parquet flooring in an open plan kitchen
Finally, wood, as a natural product, will move over time, as with central and underfloor heating, we are constantly subjecting our wood furniture to drying elements that would never have been an issue in the past. By using a more stable substrate, our kitchens are better able to withstand these variations without being affected.
Leave plenty of room for traffic and utilise worksurfaces to suit your lifestyle
Kitchens are high traffic areas of the home – often a gateway to other rooms or even the garden. Ensuring there is plenty of space between countertops and tables or islands will allow people to come and go easily and provides plenty of space for multiple people to be preparing food at the same time.
Why not consider putting the hob or a sink unit on an island so that one person can cook or wash up whilst chatting to those who are seated?
Flooring that will stand the test of time
Talking of high traffic areas, your kitchen flooring choice is one of the biggest factors in how your kitchen will stand the test of time. Currently we see plenty of people opting for Luxury vinyl tiles, as shown here, which are extremely hard wearing and retain a sense of warmth and character, whereas an alternative is poured concrete which suits a more minimalist and modern finish.
Luxury vinyl tiles in this multipurpose kitchen island with sink and rinser
Smart lighting for every occasion
Most kitchens are in use from morning until night and your lighting options need to flex accordingly. You might choose to add a few feature light fittings above the island or table to zone off those sections, or choose ceiling spotlights that can be dimmed to your liking. There’s an array of options for our cabinetry and we regularly include built in lighting that is both aesthetically pleasing and functional, for display cabinets or simply seeing what’s in each cupboard more easily. By making smart choices at the beginning of your kitchen redesign, you’ll save on multiple electrician visits later down the line.
Pendant lights to zone off the kitchen island area and ceiling downlights to functionally light the whole space
Clever storage options for unsightly appliances
Even in the most beautiful kitchen, there’s always going to be a few unsightly appliances you’ll probably want to tuck away out of sight (we’re looking at you bins!). We can help design storage bespoke to your needs – including cabinets to house recycling bins, drawers for pots and pans and clever pull out cupboards and shelving. The more storage, the less you need on the workspace, making it easier to keep your kitchen clean and tidy.
Think outside the box
By working with a professional kitchen designer you’ll open up options you had never thought of. We love to surprise and delight our clients with smart solutions – such as installing a floor to ceiling larder with a sliding ladder for maximum storage, or a movable island that can be pushed to the side of the room for different occasions. In the world of kitchen design – it’s all possible!
Larder with sliding ladder
Got you excited about redesigning your kitchen? Send us an email on info@jamesmayor.co.uk, or fill in an enquiry form to get your project underway.
You can also explore more projects for further inspiration in our gallery.
Thanks for reading!