Regardless of kitchen supplier, it’s well worth taking some time preparing before buying a new kitchen.
Check out the points below and make a list so that nothing is forgotten or left to chance.
1 – Kitchen Planning
Your kitchen designer or supplier should of course help you enormously with the planning of your new kitchen. But there will be some aspects that are very personal to you and your own circumstances that should be part of the kitchen planning process.
- Make sure that the kitchen company you work with knows about your own particular requirements very early during the design phase so that they can be incorporated into your new kitchen.
A vital part of the design process involves the kitchen planner asking questions to discover what is important to you.
At Black Rok we place very high priority on learning as much from our clients as they do from us. Black Rok install kitchens that are designed and built to last a very long time. We want you to be entirely happy with your kitchen, not just when it’s new, but for many years to come.
2 – Dealing with disruption
Dust, noise, upheaval and inconvenience. These are all things that are probably not part of your dream kitchen. The dream comes from the showroom displays, the pretty pictures, the imagination; seeing your friends and family in your exquisite new kitchen. But, at some point, unless you are building new, your old kitchen will be removed before the new one is installed.
- Like any construction project there will be some mess, and there will be inconvenience.
We prioritise keeping this to an absolute minimum. But it would be wrong for us to suggest that it can be removed entirely from the process. As the saying goes, ‘you cannot make an omelette without breaking eggs’, keep this in mind throughout the installation of your new kitchen. It’s often difficult to deal with the unexpected, so if you expect some disruption, it won’t come as a jolt.
3 – Coordinating the trades
A new kitchen can involve several different tradespeople: builders, electricians, plumbers, work-top installers, carpenters, decorators; the list goes on. Some will be needed before the kitchen installation begins, some during and some after. To save on the headaches, any supplementary works must be realistically scheduled.
- Effective communication is key and so too is an appreciation of the constituents of a kitchen installation.
Your kitchen supplier should have expertise in managing the kitchen project and can therefore help to ensure everything comes together in the correct sequence. If you are instructing your own contractors then make sure they know what they are doing and when they are doing it. Just one seemingly minor problem can halt the whole process.
4 – Practical design considerations
Practical kitchen design concerns both your own requirements. e.g. seating areas, lighting, appliance position, etc, and also those of how the kitchen will be installed and how it functions.
- Your supplier should know all there is to know about the technical design requirements and practicalities, likewise, you should know (or at least have a good idea) of your own design preferences.
Your designer should be able to help enormously by working with you in the early stages to ensure your own preferences are taken into account and also by revealing some design aspects that perhaps are not obvious to you.
5 – Determine what really matters
Most kitchen installations involve some form of compromise: maybe a window isn’t in an ideal position, or perhaps the shape of the room doesn’t quite accommodate the furniture perfectly. Some things are just not practical to change. However there will be some details (and these will vary from person to person), that are top priorities.
- Your designer and supplier must know what really matters to you.
At Black Rok we endeavour to elicit this information early on in the design process so that the things that really matter to you are included from the beginning.
6 – Know when to compromise
Planning and designing a new kitchen is a complex task. There are of course challenges along the way, some will be dealt with by your supplier and some will need your input too. Overcoming these challenges not only involves making decisions about how best to deal with them but also deciding if they are worth addressing at all.
- Prioritise your wants and needs, it is vital to ensure that the important elements are in place.
Invariably, there will be some ideas that might not be prudent to pursue. Perhaps they will be too costly, complicated, or time-consuming to implement.
7 – Choosing your kitchen supplier
How do you choose your supplier? An initial search on the web, and then perhaps a tour of showrooms from your shortlist? Maybe, you’ll know someone who can recommend a particular kitchen company.
You’ll have to reassure yourself that whoever you choose will be able to satisfy your own particular requirements. Do your supplier’s payment and work schedules fit with you? Do they use tried and trusted materials and appliances? What do their past customers say about their work?
- Much can be gleaned from looking at client testimonials.
8 – Budget
Money: some people don’t like to talk about it (and some certainly do!). It is however a necessary and vital part of the design process. Some seemingly insignificant elements swallow up a large proportion of cost: expensive appliance choices, elaborate worktop designs, etc.
- It is important to have a realistic idea of how much you want to spend and what you want to spend it on.
Materials and appliances obviously account for a large share of any construction project. But there will be other costs that should be accounted for when setting your budget. Ancillary works and tradespeople, installation and of course design; good design takes time and therefore money. Your kitchen supplier should have a pretty good idea of all the elements that combine to make your kitchen, and they will help you to work within the budget you have set.
9 – Aftercare
Yes, ovens and surfaces need cleaning, bins need emptying, appliances need to be maintained. Some of these are easier to do depending on the decisions that have been made at the beginning.
- Speak to your supplier or designer about kitchen aftercare; they should be able to let you know how keep your kitchen looking great for many years to come.
It is also worth considering how your kitchen will be used and in what sort of environment. A busy family kitchen is likely to endure a few more bangs and bumps, especially with young kids around. Certain design elements are more durable than others. Make sure your designer knows the sort of life your kitchen will experience.
10 – Enjoy
Of course we hope and expect that you’ll enjoy your new kitchen enormously, regardless of who supplies it. The enjoyment is something to look forward to when the workmen have packed their bags and waved goodbye.
But, imagine it now. Think ahead about the pleasures your new kitchen will bring, this will help you during the design, ordering and planning. Do you enjoy seeing fantastic colours? Or, perhaps, the feel of the luxurious materials. And what about the very reason for a kitchen: the cooking and the eating.
- Imagine your perfect kitchen, what makes it such an enjoyable and rewarding place to be?
Be sure to build these elements into the planning and be sure that your kitchen designer knows what your dream kitchen is all about.