How to design a new kitchen from scratch

How to choose the best kitchen cabinets for your new kitchen

If the time has come for a new kitchen, you may be feeling a bit overwhelmed by the number of options available.

It can be tempting to just replicate the design and layout of your old kitchen, to make life easier. And if you love your current design and layout, then why not? 

However, a new kitchen is also a chance for a new design and layout if your current one is not working well for you. In that sense, you can start from a clean slate. But before you go rushing in, take time to decide what you really want and need from your kitchen, so that you end up with a result that is perfect for you and your family.

Here are five tips to help you design the best kitchen for you.

Make sure the layout works for the needs of you and your family

The kitchen is increasingly the heart of the home, so the layout needs to work for the differing needs of everyone who uses it. You need to carefully consider what you and your family need, rather than being influenced by other peoples’ kitchens. 

So think about how you will be using each part of the kitchen, and ensure that there is room to move about freely and safely between all areas of the kitchen for all members of the family. You also need to achieve a logical flow between food storage, preparation, cooking and serving areas to make everything as easy as possible. 

Build in as much storage as possible

No matter how wonderful your kitchen looks, you will regret it if you don’t take the opportunity to build in as much storage as possible. Also make sure that all your storage areas are practical and accessible. For example can you open nearby kitchen cabinet doors and drawers without them obstructing each other? And can you get to the back of corner cupboards or the top of tall kitchen cabinets?

You need as much storage as possible and it needs to work for you and your family.

Make your kitchen easy to maintain

When choosing the materials and styles of your kitchen cabinets and worktops, make sure that you will be able to maintain them well. For example, a matt finish does not show up marks such as fingerprints and scratches as much as gloss, but gloss can be easier to clean than matt. So you need to decide on the best finishes for your lifestyle.

The same also applies to choosing the best kitchen flooring for your needs. Kitchen floors always take a lot of wear and tear, so be careful to choose materials that are durable and easy to clean as well as looking good.

Ensure your kitchen reflects your personality 

This is really important, because you could have the most beautiful kitchen installed, but if it’s not “you” you will probably never be fully satisfied with it. So take your time to choose the right style for your kitchen and don’t be afraid to be a bit adventurous in your style of kitchen. For example, you may want to mix different styles to get the look that is right for you and your home.

Colour is also a major consideration here. You will be spending a lot of time in the kitchen so it’s important to choose colours that you like and feel uplifted by. Even if you want to play safe and keep your kitchen cabinets and worktops a neutral colour, why not just have one feature wall in a colour that you absolutely love.

You can also incorporate your personality into your new kitchen by including open shelving displaying things that are important to you and that you will enjoy being reminded of every day. Whether it’s photographs, books or trinkets, enjoy adding a quirky finishing touch to your kitchen.

Make sure you are happy with your kitchen design before installation

This is really important! You need to be 100% sure that the kitchen design is right before any installation work starts. The ideal is to see a 3D computer-generated design of your kitchen so that you can see exactly what it will look like and be confident that everything will fit in correctly and work as it should.

If you are having a new kitchen in 2023, we hope that the above tips are a useful starting point. For further ideas and inspiration, why not take a browse through our gallery of kitchen pictures then decide the things that are going to work best for you.

Do check back here soon for more lifestyle tips from DIY Homefit.