There is no doubt that for most of us the kitchen is the beating heart of our house. Not only is it where we prepare and eat meals but also where we kick back, relax and socialise with family and friends. It’s a room that really matters and due to so much use, one that is likely to have at least one (if not more) renovations in the lifecycle of living in a home. Second chances are wonderful things and the kitchen refurbishment offers us a unique opportunity to get things right – but to do this properly, there is a correct order to do things.
One: visualise what you want
The first rule of redoing a kitchen is that knowledge is power. Before you even approach a kitchen company or kitchen designer, you need to have clear in your mind what you want. "Really think about how you use your current kitchen, is there anything that you wish was different, any additional storage or appliances that you wish you had. Make a list of everything you currently have and ensure to tick it all off as you plan the new kitchen," says interior designer Kate Guinness. Make the time at this stage to thoroughly plan what you are doing to prevent long delays and expensive mistakes. “Think about how messy or tidy you are and be honest about how you want to use a kitchen,” says interior designer Nicole Salvesen, “do you love to cook and enjoy people gathering in the space or do you prefer to be left alone? How do you like to entertain?”
Think about the flow of the space. “My top tip is to try and plan the golden triangle of the fridge, sink and cooking area, as from this you can build on other elements of your kitchen,” says Kate Feather founder, Kasia Piorko. Also don’t underestimate storage. “Label in storage on your new kitchen plan to account for everything you need to include,” advises Melissa Klink, Creative Director of Harvey Jones. “Seating is also key,” adds Kasia. “It is important to plan where you want to sit, for example, around a kitchen island, family table or by a window with a garden view.”
This is the moment to step back and consider the elements of the room that work and also ones that can be used to greater effect, for example “does the sun stream through a particular window for your morning coffee? ” suggests Fred Horlock, Design Director at Neptune. “What will your impression be everyday when you walk in?”
Two: choose your appliances
For Fred, appliances should come first, not necessarily the exact models, but certainly what you’d like to use and how many; think about how you like to cook; do you want a more traditional AGA or a more modern oven? What refrigeration do you need? What needs to go in the kitchen and what may be housed elsewhere, perhaps in an adjacent larder?”. It’s not just the size and position of the appliances that mean they need to be decided on early in the process but also the fact that some of them can have very long lead times.
Three: measure and then measure again
Next is the most important rule of all – get your measurements right! “Kitchens are very precise and the smallest change in room dimension can throw everything off,” warns Melissa, “a lot of the project delays that we encounter happen because of site readiness.”
Four: move plumbing and electrics
Obviously the first thing that happens once work commences is the removal of the old kitchen and depending on size and how many contractors are working on the job this can take a number of days. Once this is done the electrics and plumbing are done, on a refurbishment this is more likely to be smaller tweaks – unless you have decided for a major overhaul.
“If you are remodelling an existing kitchen, you should look at where the plumbing and electrics are positioned,” warns Kasia. “It is often easy to move sockets, but can be complicated with the plumbing, so employ a tradesman to support you, offering more possibilities to revamp the space.” This is the time to think about if you need more electrical sockets and be savvy and add in things you didn't have previously like USB sockets.
Don't brush aside thoughts of permissions, if you are making more extensive changes and need to moving drainage or any walls you will require planning permission. Drilling down on where tweaks need to be made should be identified as early as possible in the design phase as changing them later can “be very costly and time consuming,” warns Fred.
Five: plaster, paint, floors and installation
Plastering and initial painting of the walls should be done next. “In any kitchen job, the floors should always go down before the kitchen,” advises Fred. Once those initial decorative features have been added, then the cabinets can be fitted. “When it comes to the actual kitchen installation, cabinets will come first, with sinks and appliances thereafter to help set out the kitchen and allow for the worktops to be templated prior to manufacture.” If you are repainting existing cabinets, if possible, get it done professionally offsite if this can’t be done make sure everything is covered and “then paint the cabinetry in a clean, dry and dust free environment,” warns Fred. Once the appliances and sinks have been professionally fitted then the worktops are added. These might be fitted by a separate team of specialists if ordered separately – this is often the case with granite, marble and quartz. Once this is all done the electrician or gas engineer may return to wire in the oven now everything is fitted.
Six: decorate!
Last but not least are the more decorative features such as tiling and splash backs. These design decisions can be made fairly late in the day and can be put in very quickly. Once everything is fitted down to the last handle a final coat of paint is added – be sure to double check everything is carefully covered in dust sheets. Unlike with an extension or rebuild a renovation does not have to be time consuming. The secret to a seamless kitchen refurbishment is that preparation is the key to success.
