Kitchens
BRANDT DESIGN
- WHAT TO CONSIDER WHEN PLANNING A KITCHEN Leading UK interior design specialists, Brandt Design, empower UK homeowner’s by providing specialist knowledge on what to consider when planning a kitchen in 2022.
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hether you want to keep an existing layout or set your own stamp on a new property, be honest about what you can afford and how you want to live. In the age of the individual, you no longer have to model your new kitchen on the old design, or limit yourself with old-fashioned ideas about the cook zone being a merely functional domain. Julia Steadman, Commercial Director at Brandt Design guides you through the buying process so you know how to invest with confidence: BUDGET: Be realistic about how much you want to spend on your kitchen and factor in a contingency as you may wish to upgrade some elements once you’ve spoken about the options with your kitchen designer. Be upfront and find out
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what is available and the payment terms. It is not unusual to discuss extending a mortgage to cover home improvements or taking out a loan from your bank so weigh up all the options and don’t rush your decision. Alongside money, you will want to factor in timing, especially as supply chain disruptions have impacted on the kitchen appliance trade globally. It is always best to err on the side of caution. In my experience, it is possible to go from design to installation in approximately 6 – 8 weeks depending on the project but with the current supply chain issues on appliances it is best to allow as long as possible. Current lead times on appliances can be as long as 25 weeks. Think about what else is going on in your household schedule so that your kitchen installation doesn’t clash with exams, Christmas, holidays or recovery from an operation, for example.
PROJECT MANAGEMENT: Ask yourself if you have the bandwidth or lived experience to keep track on all aspects of a kitchen project in addition to your other commitments, especially if your plans involve installing flooring or knocking through into another room. Establish if the companies you are considering working with offer full project management services and have a customer charter so you can understand their working processes and above all trust your gut. Remember that you need to feel comfortable with your kitchen designer, the installation team and the whole ethos of a company before you give the go ahead so make sure you ask for testimonials and see examples of their finished projects, when you are looking around showrooms. GATHERING IDEAS: You’re sure to be inspired from plenty of sources: kitchen showrooms, glossy magazines, social media such as Pinterest and Instagram as well as schemes in other people’s houses. A good kitchen designer will want to establish what works with your lifestyle, the architecture of your house and your cooking style as well as the needs of your family members so be as honest as possible whether you are a passionate foodie or have a penchant for quick and easy cooking. It makes sense to establish if a utility room or boot room is desirable so that you can have a separate space for your laundry, outdoor clothes and footwear as
