DESIGN YOUR KITCHEN BY YOURSELF

Where to start ?
Before starting your kitchen design ,you need to understand your requirements

Does your kitchen need to handle the demands of a family? What do you love about your current kitchen? What do you hate about your current kitchen? Would you like more drawers, or less drawers? Do you plan to have a dishwasher? What sized pantry (if any) do you need for storage?

This is an incredibly important step to achieving your dream kitchen and will ensure your plan not only looks fantastic but meets your needs too!

Planning Your Layout

Once you have created your list of requirements, you need to considerwhich layout suits both you and your kitchen space. Kitchen designers often refer to the working triangle which defines the path between work zones within the kitchenthe fridge, sinkand cooking appliances. The aim is to keep this working triangle to a minimum, thus saving you time and effort within your new kitchen.

Other layout considerations: Create a dining area if you have space,

The key to getting this right is to keep the seating area away from the preparation end of the room. Eating is more pleasant if you can ignore the washing up!

Plan your power point positions,

They need to be exactly where your electrical appliances will bewhether large (e.g. fridge) or small (e.g. Kettle).

Planning Your Layout

Lighting,
Where will you need it most? e.g. work surfaces. Are you making the most of the natural light?

Storage,
Think wheres the best place for cutlery,plates, food, etc. and how much space you need for each. The things that youll be reaching for the most should be in the most accessible positions.

Sinks,
Remember that your sink has both a waste and incoming water pipes that are most likely heading through your wall to the external of your house.To keep installation costs down, you should try to locate your new sink (and dishwasher, if applicable) close to these pipes.

Kitchen Types
Straight Line Kitchen
This is a smart and simple solution for narrow rooms, ideally with one wall over 3 meters long, without windows or doors.

U- Shape Kitchen
U-shaped kitchens are an extremely effective design solution, utilising three full walls of a kitchen

L-Shape Kitchen
Best suited to narrow rooms, long rooms or open-plan living areas, an L-shape kitchen has cupboards along two adjacent walls, this is a very popular kitchen layoutideal for a family kitchen, or for entertaining guests. The cooktop, fridge and sink should ideally be separated by areas of bench top to provide adequate preparation space.

Gallery Kitchen
An open-plan kitchen is ideal for getting an island unit which can be used for storage, as a breakfast bar,or an extra worktop. This is the ideal kitchen layout for entertaining, meaning you can be sociable whilst cooking.

Straight Line Kitchen

Advantages...

simplest of layouts; works well in small spaces best planned with the sink in middle of the line the

use built in appliances to make the most of valuable space.

Disadvantages...

This layout causes the longest journey distances since you often have to walk from one end of the room to the other. You can also be restricted with the amount of storage space.

U- Shape Kitchen
Advantages...

fridge, cooker and sink can be spaced out for maximum efficiency; provides the best work flows with shortest distances; allows for large amounts of bench top and storage space; design suits both small and large kitchens; kitchen also benefits from the lack of throughtraffic;

Disadvantages...

If used in a small space, the U-Shape design may leave you cramped and feeling closed in. You should also ensure there is at least 1.2 metersbetween the two arms of the U.

L-Shape Kitchen
Advantages...

easily accommodates a diningtable and chairs in the same room; lack of through-traffic;corners can incorporate a corner carousel; design minimises walking distances between main working areas.

Disadvantage...

One disadvantage is the use of the space under the bench top of the L, but this can be resolved with clever storage solutions, such as pull-out units.

Gallery Kitchen
Advantages...

allows the cook(s) to socialise while preparing; can provide the optimum arrangement in working triangle; a cooktop with a canopy over the island can form a focal point.

Disadvantages...

This layout can attract unwanted traffic through the kitchen,which can get annoying. This design is best suited to a larger room.

Measuring Your Space

In order for you to create a successful kitchen design, accurate measurements are essential. By following these simple instructions, you will be able to ensure the correct fit of cabinetry and appliances. So lets get started! Begin by measuring your walls, ideally approximately 1m from the floor and always keeping the tape measure taught (so an extra set of hands will be helpful). Start in one corner of the room and measure to the adjacent wall. Record this measurement (in millimetres) and proceed to the next wall. Repeat this method until all walls are measured. Now, make a sketch of this floor plan onto the planning grid supplied within this guide and transfer your measurements to the outside perimeter. Now measure any door and window openings, remembering to always measure from the outside edge of architrave/trim to the outside edgeof the architrave to trim. Also measure for their location on the wall, from the corners and also from the floor. Now transfer these measurements onto your floorplan, as shown below. Finally, identify all utility and service locations such as gas, electrical and plumbing and mark the relevant symbol onto your planremember to indicate its height in millimetres also.

Some tips to consider when planning your kitchen

DO

Allow 636mm space for your dishwasher (18mm x 2 for the end panels and a 600mm gap for the dishwasher). Allow at least 450mm of bench top space either side of a cooktop for safety and for work space. Allow a minimum of 650mm between your cooktop and rangehood. Allow for a space between any cabinets and walls so that you can fully open the door. Allow a minimum of 1.2m between opposite cabinets (e.g. Galley or U-shape kitchens).

Some tips to consider when planning your kitchen

DO NOT

Dont position drawers in a corner Dont position a cooktop next to a wall where it can cause heat damage.

Dont position an oven, dishwasher or cooktop in a corner, where it can block other cabinets

Check List Before Ordering Your Kitchen...

BASE CABINETS WALL CABINETS BENCH TOPS DOORS DRAWER FRONTS HANDLES HINGES DRAWER RAILS INTERNAL MECHANISMS PANELS PLINTHS APPLIANCES

PREPARED BY BAHA ARCHITECTURE & FURNITURE www.bahamimarlik.com www.ka1000.com.tr http://kitchencarcass.blogspot.com/ info@bahamimarlik.com