Good and accurate new kitchen plan – half the work. We understand that many questions arise when thinking about a new kitchen, but one of the first is always: where do I start?
That’s what we’re all about – kitchen professionals – and that’s why we want to help and, as they say, get you on the road to the new kitchen of your dreams in comfort. Let’s start with a short and clear guide to kitchen planning that will help you to get your bearings, keep the essentials in mind and help you make up your mind when you’re in doubt.
When thinking about your kitchen, first of all, just tell yourself what you want it to be. Is it a new kitchen or a replacement for an old one? Where will you put the kitchen: in the house, in the apartment, in the farmhouse? Will you use it yourself or do you plan to rent it out? Is the kitchen in a communal or separate space? These basic questions will help you to think about the changes you are planning and how much freedom you will have in your kitchen, and at the same time how limited you will be in the layout. Next, let’s move on to the questions that will help us plan the functionality, furnishing and layout of the kitchen. So, do you cook often? How many people live in your house? Do you use the kitchen only for cooking or do you eat there? What else do you do in the kitchen? Do your children like to do their homework in the kitchen, or do you like to sit down and work on the computer? Maybe you feed your pets in the kitchen and you love to grow flowers, herbs or vegetables? What appliances do you need and want in your new kitchen? Is there enough space now? What do you like about your current kitchen and would you like to move it to a new one? Think about it and it will slowly become clearer what layout to consider, whether it would be useful to have more space in the kitchen and so on.
A good plan is always based on a budget. You may already have a rough idea of the amount you plan to spend on your kitchen. So share it with your VOKĖ-III specialist, who will be able to advise you on where you can save and where it’s recommended to spend more of the budget. For example, one tip is to choose more economical materials for furniture facadesand invest more in the kitchen worktop. This will not only make the kitchen look more luxurious, but will also make it more durable and resilient. We stress that a kitchen should last and last for years, so plan your budget carefully so that you can enjoy a quality kitchen right away. At the same time, VOKĖ-III also offers the option of installment payments, which will allow you to have the kitchen of your dreams now, not sometime in the future. But back to the budget planning, which is made up of two parts – the basic and the additional work. The basic budget includes costs such as furniture, lighting, appliances, plumbing, drawer systems and additional kitchen furnituresuch as a dining table, chairs or a sideboard. Electrical work, pipe-running, general lighting of the room, renovation work (replacing walls and flooring, refurbishment) – do not forget to include these costs in the extra works part of the budget.
Let’s move on to the kitchen layout, where we’ll give you advice on what to look for to make it comfortable and meet your needs. We follow and suggest that you pay attention to the principle of 5 main zones. So, in a typical kitchen, you will find the Product Storage, Storage, Cleaning, Cooking and Preparation zones. Here are a few tips to help you plan the layout to suit you. Combine the product and storage areas with the cooking area, so you can keep everything close at hand when cooking. Then place the cleaning area next to it, which makes it easy to keep the kitchen tidy and to clean up quickly after cooking. We recommend installing a light under the hanging cabinet in the cooking area and placing the dishwasher next to the sink in the cleaning area. Try drawing a plan of your kitchen on a piece of paper to make it clearer. If you have any questions about examples of kitchen shapes, you can read more about them in our material Kitchen shapes and zones.
With the kitchen picture slowly becoming clearer, let’s move on to the choice of materials. It’s easier than you might think, as the choice is influenced by the furniture, the home and your favourite style. And, of course, your budget. Let’s start with furniture facades. VOKĖ-III works with painted or film-coated MDF, made of medium density fibreboard and with no restrictions on the choice of colour. Painted MDF with veneer is also available, it is the different veneers that create the unique style of the furniture. You can also choose LMDP, which is made by pressing wood chips and coating them with laminate. Furniture made from this board can have different textures. MDP, coated with a natural wood veneer, creates a wooden texture, which is why it is the material of choice for lovers of naturalness. And those who are truly classic, luxurious and long-lasting like to choose solid oak, ash or alder furniture. Choose from economical flat-panel options to luxurious solid wood furniture. Once you’ve chosen the materials for the facades, it’s easy to match the worktops side by side. We set higher standards for quality and durability, because we produce on them, we touch them more, so we want them to be pleasant and high quality. They are now manufactured using the latest technology, so you’re sure to find an option that suits you and fits your facade. One of the most cost-effective choices is the 40 mm thick MDP HPL worktop, which is coated with an impact- and scratch-resistant high-pressure laminate. This makes it not only cost-effective but also a truly practical choice. Due to its thinness, HPL Compact worktops with a thickness of 10 mm are ideal for small, modern kitchens. It is a stone-like, practical composite laminate. It is also available as a cast stone worktop, which can be installed in a way that leaves no signs of any marks. It is a combination of natural and modern synthetic materials. Those who prefer naturalness should turn to granite, a worktop which can be available in a wide range of non-repeating shades and with different glosses. You should also be interested in quartz worktops, which contain up to 90% natural materials. Choose your quartz colour from a palette of dozens of shades and four different textures. So, while the choice and combination of materials is really wide, it won’t be too difficult to choose once you’ve sorted out your needs and planned your new kitchen.
Of course, when renovating or moving into a new home, the kitchen is probably the most important area to focus on, and probably the one that raises the most questions. But with the right preparation, it’s simple and straightforward, and we can always turn to the kitchen professionals for any questions we may have. Their many years of experience, many fitted kitchens and familiarity with a wide variety of clients will help you to find the golden mean when it comes to designing your new dream kitchen!
