A new kitchen can completely transform your home. But with so many decisions to make – from layouts and storage to worktops, appliances and those all-important finishing touches – knowing where to start isn’t always easy.
At Designa, we’ve been helping homeowners create beautiful, practical kitchens in Weymouth and across Dorset for many years. So, if a new kitchen is on your wish list, here’s our guide to taking your project from the first idea through to the finished room.
1. Start With How You Use Your Kitchen
Before thinking about colours and finishes, think about what you actually need from your new kitchen.
Is it primarily somewhere to cook, or is it also where the family gathers? Would you like somewhere to sit and eat? Do you need more storage? Perhaps your current kitchen feels cramped, dark or simply doesn’t make the best use of the available space.
Make a list of what works in your existing kitchen – and, just as importantly, what doesn’t.
A good kitchen design shouldn’t just look fantastic. It should make everyday life easier too.
2. Think About Your Budget
Having a realistic budget from the outset makes the design process much easier.
The cost of a new fitted kitchen can vary considerably depending on the size of the room, units, worktops, appliances and the amount of installation work required.
Rather than simply trying to squeeze everything into a particular figure, think about which elements matter most to you. An experienced kitchen designer can then help you decide where your money is best spent and where savings can be made without compromising the finished result.
3. Get Some Inspiration
Now for the fun part!
Start collecting ideas for kitchens you love. These could come from magazines, Pinterest, Instagram or kitchens you’ve seen in friends’ homes.
Don’t worry if the examples are completely different from one another. A good designer can often identify common themes within your choices and use these as the starting point for something that’s uniquely yours.
It’s also worth visiting a kitchen showroom.
Seeing doors, worktops, handles and finishes in person can be very different from looking at them on a screen. Designa has showrooms in Weymouth and Poundbury where you can explore ideas and discuss what’s possible for your home.
4. Find the Right Layout
This is where professional kitchen design really earns its keep.
A beautiful kitchen that doesn’t work practically can quickly become frustrating.
Your designer should consider how you naturally move around the room, where appliances are positioned, how much preparation space you need and where storage will be most useful.
Sometimes relatively small changes to a layout can make an enormous difference.
And if you’ve always assumed your kitchen is simply “too small” for something you’d really like, don’t necessarily rule it out. Clever design and storage solutions can make surprisingly good use of awkward or limited spaces.
5. Choose a Style You’ll Love
Contemporary or traditional? Light and airy or rich and dramatic? Statement worktops or something understated?
There are no right or wrong answers.
Trends can provide great inspiration, but remember that you’ll hopefully be enjoying your new kitchen for many years. Choose a style that suits you, your home and the way you live rather than feeling you have to follow what’s currently fashionable.
A good kitchen designer can help bring different ideas together to create a finished room that feels coherent and personal to you.
6. Don’t Forget the Practical Details
It’s easy to get caught up choosing colours and finishes, but some of the less glamorous decisions are equally important.
Think about lighting, electrical sockets, ventilation, bins and recycling, appliance locations and exactly where you’ll store everyday items.
Would a deep drawer be more practical than a cupboard? Is there somewhere convenient for the toaster and kettle? Where will the baking trays go?
It’s these seemingly small details that can turn a good-looking kitchen into a kitchen that’s genuinely enjoyable to use.
7. Plan for the Installation
Once you’ve chosen your kitchen, it’s time to turn the design into reality.
Kitchen installation can involve far more than simply fitting the new units. Depending on the project, there may be existing units to remove along with plumbing, electrical, flooring, decorating or other work.
Using an experienced kitchen fitting team helps ensure the different elements of the project come together properly.
It also means that if something unexpected is uncovered when the old kitchen comes out – something that’s particularly possible in older properties – there’s an experienced team on hand to find a solution.
8. Choose a Kitchen Company You Can Trust
Finally, remember that you’re not just choosing a kitchen. You’re choosing the people who will design it, manage the project and work inside your home.
Take a look at examples of previous installations and, importantly, read what previous customers have to say.
Experience, communication and attention to detail can make a huge difference to both the finished kitchen and how enjoyable the whole process is.
Designa is a family-run business established in Weymouth in 2008, with decades of kitchen design experience within the team. Our customers regularly tell us how much they value the friendly service, professionalism and care shown throughout their projects.
Ready to Start Planning Your New Kitchen?
If you’re thinking about a new kitchen in Weymouth, Dorchester, Portland or elsewhere across Dorset, we’d love to hear about your ideas.
Whether you’ve already planned every detail or don’t know where to begin, our team can guide you through the process and help create a kitchen that’s tailored to your home, your lifestyle and your budget.
Visit our Weymouth or Poundbury showroom, take a look at some of our previous kitchen projects, or get in touch with the Designa team for a friendly chat.
Designed to Work. Designed to Wow.