Free Kitchen Planner, DIY Tips and Tricks of the trade

Free Kitchen Planning Tips and Guide
There are many benefits to our free Dream Planner Service

Livingstyle, understand dreams, and, know how to make them come true.
We realise that every home owner wants to get the most out of every room,
from the overall look, to the smallest detail, personalisation is very important.
However, knowing what you want, and getting what you want, needs a bit of planning.

Before you start, you need to be sure your dreams will actually fit into your rooms.
So, whilst you pick and choose the furniture, fixtures, fittings and accessories,
our planners will be measuring up, and checking that all services are in place.

Very soon all becomes clear, the dreams become more solid, and within reach.
When the survey is completed, we will work with you to ensure your dream
choices will fit, or, can be modified to fit, into the dimensions of your home.

Our Dream Planner Service is
absolutely free and you are under no obligation to buy.

Free Kitchen Planning Tips and Guide.
There are three stages to planning a kitchen:

1:- Measure the room and note the position of existing services, windows and doors.

2:- Sketch a plan to get the worktops, cupboards, and appliances, where you want them.
3:- Decide on changes to services (electricity, water, drains) needed to fit your new layout.

Remember, the kitchen is one of the main selling points for a house.

The 4 basic layouts are:

1. Corridor layout:- A long, narrow area with doors at each end, you have little choice other
than two facing rows of appliances and storage units. You should allow at least 1200mm
between the rows for a safe walk-through corridor and to allow comfortable access to
front loading appliances.
In really narrow rooms, the fittings might need to be restricted to one side of the room.

2. Corner layout. This is often the best solution where the kitchen can fit into a corner.
Think carefully about corner units so as not to lose valuable space

3. U-shaped layout. This layout provides easy reach to all working areas. It may be the only
choice for small rooms although it can also be used with effect where a kitchen area needs to

be fitted at one end of a larger open plan room. Try to allow 1200mm between the parallel
sides of the U.

4. Island layout. The island layout needs a fairly large room, however in such a room, it does
reduce the amount of walking you need to do. Try to allow for 1200mm between the island
and any other cupboard/obstruction etc. The island could be used for the food preparation
area, or house the cooker.
Remember that services will need to be taken to the island.

Planning your layout:

Walls are seldom straight or parallel, so you need to measure your kitchen at floor level and at about 900mm
from the floor - use the smaller measurement for your floor plan.

1:- Draw a scale plan, using squared paper makes things easier.

2:- Mark on the plan the services as they currently exist - hot and cold water, drains, electric points,
gas points, any existing extractor vents in the walls.

3:- Cut out cards to scale for each appliance and sink you want to include. Write the name of each
       appliance on its respective piece of card.
4:- Most kitchens need three 'work areas'. Preparation, cooking and washing-up, each area should
include all the appliances required and a suitable sized work area around it.
5:- Roughly position the scale footprints of the appliances in their most logical position with respect
      to the existing position of the services. Do not worry if you need more services, it just indicated
      that you will need to add some.
6:- Look at the free area between the appliances and decide how many base units you need or can fit.
    Cut out card footprints for these units.
7:- Position the base unit footprints on your plan.
8:- You now need to think if there is enough work top surface around each work zone - a lot of
the appliances are sized to fit under work surfaces so you should not lose too much. Try to avoid
having work surfaces less than 1 metre in length.
    Do not be tempted to squeeze to much into your kitchen. Consider putting the washing machine or
      tall storage units into the garage

     Remember that in addition to the floor mounted appliances, you will also need electric points
for the smaller, moveable appliances which you get out of the      cupboard each time you want
      to use them.
     All services and window/doors can be repositioned - but, it is all additional work And, remember
     that you may need professional assistance to move doors/windows and you will need a registered
    gas fitter to move a gas point.
    Bearing all this in mind, 'play' with the layout to achieve your dream kitchen - then look at any
    relocation of services required - are you happy with the amount of work involved?
   You will often that you have to compromise.
    When you are happy with a basic floor arrangement, think about the wall area and where you
    can fit wall units, these tend to be needed in the food preparation area.
    Try to keep the wall units inline with the base units below them.
   You should now be in the position to list:
   The number and style of floor units you require.
   The number and style of wall units you require.
   The appliances to be fitted.
   The work you need to do to add or reposition the services.
   Choosing and positioning wall/floor units.

Remember there are no absolute rules, after all it is your kitchen but. . .. . . . .
First of all, list the floor/wall mounted appliances you want to include in your kitchen.
Decide which appliances you want.

Cooker or Hob and Oven
Extractor hood for cooker/hob
Washing machine
Dish washer
Tumble dryer
Fridge/freezer
Room air extractor

The colour and style are personal matters but:
If you plan to move house in the next few years, it may be worth being a little conservative -
the kitchen is a major selling point and an outlandish style may put off potential buyers.
Take into account the natural light of the room, you do not want the room to be too dark.
Remember that the kitchen is a working room, you may want to avoid pure white or other
light, plain colours as they can easily discolour unevenly in a kitchen.
Although there are many different widths of units available, you do not need to use them all.
Try to use one door/drawer width along a run with just one 'odd' size installed at one end
of the run to fill the space.
Try to keep the same style for all the units in a run - think carefully before you mix High Line
and Drawer Line styles.
Try to keep the doors on wall units in vertical line with the drawers/doors on base units.
Where wall units are mounted above floor level cupboards, have the doors opening the
same way.
Do not fit wall units above or immediately to the side of gas hobs/cookers.