Planning Your Dream Kitchen: Where to Start

There’s a lot to be excited about when planning your dream kitchen. Choosing the perfect cabinet configurations, selecting your colour scheme, testing out the countertops - kitchens are busy, lively and inviting spaces, and can be some of the most fun rooms to design.  

But when it comes to creating your dream kitchen in real life, there are often more decisions, questions, pitfalls, and obstacles than you might think. 

Far from the calm, serene spaces of bedrooms or lounges, kitchens are hubs of activity and need to strike that perfect balance between productivity and peace to truly feel like that perfect cooking and dining environment.

More importantly, a kitchen is also full of equipment, appliances and essentials that aren’t always as flexible or customisable as we might like them to be, and this can be tricky to work around in your dream design.
 
So if you’re starting to plan your perfect kitchen - where should you start?  

Spacing, Area and Measurements  

Understanding the available space in your kitchen is always going to be the best place to begin when designing your layout.

Measuring everything from the length of the room to the openings of doorways and the width of windows can help to provide you with a clear breakdown of the space that is free, clear and available for your cabinets, cupboards, tables and appliances to go.

Some spaces and measurements to consider:  

• The width of a cupboard door while fully open
• The width of an appliance door while fully open
• The height needed for a refrigerator
• The clearance needed for open doors and windows
• Any slanted, angled or curved walls
• Any sloped ceilings
  

Once your measurements are complete and accurate, drawing out a rough floor plan of your empty kitchen space is a useful step in building your plan.

The Basic Pieces in your Layout 

Whilst there’s no rulebook on what needs to go into your dream kitchen, there are some typical appliances and pieces that should always be considered first when mapping out a space: 

• Refrigerators/Freezers 
• Oven/Hob 
• Sink 
• Dishwasher 
  

The size, depth and height of these pieces can be seen as the first blocks of your design, the staple pieces that have to be considered when fleshing out your layout. Think about how they might fit into the flow of your kitchen, how close you want them to sit to each other, how accessible the existing room is for plug sockets and water pipes.  

Functionality and accessibility are also important factors to consider here, as you start to map out the rest of your kitchen space with cabinets, drawers, work surfaces, shelves, and storage space. 

It’s also important to consider the following questions: Do you want an enclosed kitchen or a more open space? Would a central kitchen island be a useful addition to your home? Which would be a more efficient storage and display system – top cabinets or open shelving?  

The Functionality of a Space 

Often, some of the most basic elements of kitchen design are the ones that get missed in the initial planning stages and can be difficult to resolve later on in the project. The functionality of your kitchen should be centered on how you will move around it, how convenient your kitchen set up is, and how bespoke it can be to meet your needs.

From simple things like the location of your cutlery drawer or the distance from your fridge to the counter, to larger functionality issues like the positioning of lighting or the accessibility of the dishwasher, being able to smoothly move, use and enjoy your kitchen is essential.  

Lighting 

Having varying lighting options in your kitchen can help to create different moods and atmospheres – from bright visible lighting for precise cooking and baking to soft, warm lighting for late night dinners and evening rituals.

Central spotlights or hanging pendant lights can often be the most popular option for full coverage lighting, but adding smaller spotlights can also help to add a warmer, cosier feel to a large kitchen. Bespoke cabinet lighting is also a consideration for kitchen designs, as it can softly illuminate your countertops without feeling too harsh or overbearing.

Countertop Appliances 

Another functional element to consider when planning your dream kitchen is the addition of countertop appliances, and the space required for their storage and frequent use. Everything from kettles and coffee machines to microwaves and toasters needs to have a space that is accessible, logical and well-planned for ease and convenience of use.

The location of these appliances can also factor into your plans for the height of your upper storage, the depth of your counter tops, and the number of plug sockets required to accommodate your essential items.

Storage 

It’s important to consider the storage options available within your ideal kitchen layout, evaluating just how much space you’ll need for those bulkier or larger cooking utensils, pans, trays and dishes, as well the smaller items like crockery, mugs and cutlery. Imagining yourself using your kitchen, for example, think where you would want the mugs to be in comparison to the sink or the kettle. How close to the cooker would you want to store your pans? Would a bespoke built-in shelving system make storing your plates easier or harder? 

Balancing the accessibility of everyday items vs the storage of the more infrequently used pieces is one of the more difficult elements of kitchen design, so take the time to map it out to suit your needs.  

Making Your Space Bespoke to You 

Finally, once the layout is complete and your storage system decided, it’s time to move on to making your kitchen feel truly bespoke to you.

Start by planning any large features or additions like a built-in coffee station, hanging pan racks or a bespoke wall-mounted TV - the elements that will make your kitchen unique to you and your lifestyle. Then you can begin to build out the colours, textures, details and furnishings of your kitchen.

At Milola, we partner with premium kitchen brand NAKED. Through their modern, bespoke kitchen designs you can choose the customisation of anything from splashback tiles and seating options to cabinet handles and countertop materials. A strong colour palette is a good place to begin when choosing these aesthetic details, as well as a vision for the overall feel you’re trying to create.

Many kitchen designers will have some templates for you to choose from to help find the right style and visual look for you and your home. However drawing inspiration from not only the existing interior design of your home but also the intention for the kitchen itself can help to shape the ideas into something tangible.

For a more modern, clean and sleek feel, for example, opt for striking whites and blacks, with glossy finishes, chrome detailing and minimal furnishing.  

For a more cosy, family feel, however, warmer shades of peach, yellow and green can create a welcoming vibe, with wooden countertops and soft pendant lighting to finish. Additions like dining tables, bench seating, artwork, curtains and flooring can all help to bring your design together in one clear vision.

Your kitchen should feel like you, and through the right planning process, it can truly come to life before your eyes.  

Planning a New Kitchen?

Whether you're renovating an existing space or starting from scratch, we're here to help.

From layout planning and cabinetry design to finishes and storage solutions, our team can guide you through every stage of the kitchen design process.

Book a consultation or visit our showroom in Blonay, Vaud to start the conversation.