Majjie's Blog

I've been very busy recently and quite a high proportion of the designs I've been working on are for new build homes and, especially, kitchen extensions. People still seem to be extending their existing home, rather than buying a new one (as in buying an existing house) ... and there's quite a bit of housebuilding going on at the higher end of the market - the one-off, individual houses.

One of the problems I have, though, is that people want their kitchen design instantly. I'll always do my best - but my designs aren't thrown together quickly (like those you get from some high street stores). I like to put the room(s) on the computer and then ponder a while before getting down to the detail of the design. It's amazing how much clearer the possibilities can be, after a good night's sleep (or even a few snatched hours!) ... the subconsious is a wonderful thing!

I also like to put as much authentic detail in as possible. For those who take advantage of our Silver Design Service, I usually take pictures of the views from the windows and any individual art pictures or photos that you want to put on the walls in the kitchen. I then include those in the kitchen design ... it all helps to visualise what the new kitchen would really look like. (I can do the same for the Bronze Design Service - but you have to send me the photos).

You may have noticed that I said room(s) above and not just room. I'm often appalled by the kitchen designs produced on the High Street. To save time they will often just put two walls in an L-shape onto their CAD programmes ... when that's where the kitchen will go ... they don't even bother putting the whole room into the programme, if it's quite large. How can you get a good idea of what it will look like, from two walls?

I like to put the whole room onto the CAD programme - and adjoining rooms too, if it's an open plan arrangement. The view of the kitchen from adjacent areas is very relevant to your kitchen design choices. Here's an example of a big kitchen/living area (I'll add examples of the visualisations below):

I know some kitchen companies insist that they need to have the walls of a new house or extension in place - before they can do a design - and it's true that the design will need to be checked at that point, to see how well it fits ... but don't let them put you off having a design at an earlier stage.

By the time the walls are being built, the builder and sparky and plumber are going to be chasing you to know where the cooker is going - and where the sink is going - and the door positions will already be fixed. Many's the time that moving an internal door, by just a foot or two, would have made all the difference to the kitchen design ... but it's already too late.

Architects often put an outline kitchen into their building plans ... but very few of them put much thought into the kitchen design ... and some plans (often those done by people who aren't architects) show very little regard for how much space you actually need for a table and chairs, or an island.

I would suggest using an independent kitchen designer for your early kitchen design (I would wouldn't I?). It might cost you a little bit extra - if the final design needs extensive alteration, after the building work is underway (you'd be surprised how often the plans are changed!) ... but an independent designer is going to be interested only in getting the right design for you (and won't be put off by the fact that a kitchen purchase isn't imminent). And better to spend a little bit more on design fees than to end up with an inefficient kitchen design. The kitchen is such an important part of the house.

Of course, some of you are going to go direct to kitchen suppliers for your "free" plans but - if you do - don't let them put you off designing your kitchen early. Take your building plans in and insist that they do you a preliminary design - before the walls are built!