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Designing Your Kitchen (1) Where do I start?

Designing a kitchen for the first time? Feel a bit lost about where to start? Here’s our handy guide to taking those first steps to creating the kitchen of your dreams:

Planning!

Assess your space – is your kitchen going to be L-shaped, U-shaped or a galley design? Take a cursory look online at the basic elements of a kitchen, such as cabinets, flooring and lighting options, to get a ballpark figure in your head about estimated cost. Create a budget that suits your pocket and be realistic about what you can afford. Compare designs and prices from the largest UK retailers at kitchen-compare.com.

Upgrade or full-on renovation?

Upgrading your tired cabinets for fresh ones and re-tiling splashback areas doesn’t cost as much as you might imagine. If you’re looking to knock down walls and completely overhaul your space, you’ll need a larger budget for the extra labour.

These are big decisions that form the initial starting block of your kitchen design. Then you can move on to considering the staple parts common to every kitchen:

  • Cabinets - You can save on costs by cleverly sourcing your materials or choosing cabinets that are made with plywood, fibreboard or particleboard rather than more expensive options like oak. Also consider what look you’re aiming for eg. traditional shaker styles, modern handless cupboards or gloss galleys with an island space.

  • Flooring - Tiled floors are often preferred in the kitchen because they’re long-lasting and durable. However, laminate can be useful too; it’s cheaper, available in lots of designs and you can even lay it yourself.

  • Lighting - Recessed spot lights are a common choice because they look modern and neat. Low-hung pendant lights can also add some flavour to your decor, especially in kitchen diners. Under-cabinet lights are perfect for lighting up countertops and surfaces.

    • 11th Apr 2017

    Compare the Retailers

    • B & Q15Kitchens
    • Homebase1Kitchens
    • Ikea18Kitchens
    • John Lewis0Kitchens
    • Magnet0Kitchens
    • Wickes2Kitchens
    • Wren Kitchens0Kitchens
    This is a summary of the key data and information tracked and updated every day on the Kitchen Compare website. Information sources include retailers websites, stores and are based on our own Kitchen Compare model kitchens and independent assessment of kitchen quality.
    • B & Q9.0/10
    • Homebase7.6/10
    • Ikea8.5/10
    • John Lewis8.5/10
    • Magnet9.1/10
    • Wickes7.6/10
    • Wren Kitchens7.5/10
    This is a summary of the key data and information tracked and updated every day on the Kitchen Compare website. Information sources include retailers websites, stores and are based on our own Kitchen Compare model kitchens and independent assessment of kitchen quality.
    • B & Q0Best Buys
    • Homebase0Best Buys
    • Ikea0Best Buys
    • John Lewis0Best Buys
    • Magnet0Best Buys
    • Wickes0Best Buys
    • Wren Kitchens0Best Buys
    This is a summary of the key data and information tracked and updated every day on the Kitchen Compare website. Information sources include retailers websites, stores and are based on our own Kitchen Compare model kitchens and independent assessment of kitchen quality.
    • B & Q288Showrooms
    • Homebase153Showrooms
    • Ikea22Showrooms
    • John Lewis34Showrooms
    • Magnet190Showrooms
    • Wickes230Showrooms
    • Wren Kitchens107Showrooms
    This is a summary of the key data and information tracked and updated every day on the Kitchen Compare website. Information sources include retailers websites, stores and are based on our own Kitchen Compare model kitchens and independent assessment of kitchen quality.
    • B & QYes
    • HomebaseYes
    • John LewisYes
    • WickesYes
    • Wren KitchensYes
    • IkeaNO
    • MagnetNo
    This is a summary of the key data and information tracked and updated every day on the Kitchen Compare website. Information sources include retailers websites, stores and are based on our own Kitchen Compare model kitchens and independent assessment of kitchen quality.
    • B & QYes
    • IkeaYes
    • WickesYes
    • HomebaseNo
    • John LewisNo
    • Wren KitchensNo
    • MagnetNo
    This is a summary of the key data and information tracked and updated every day on the Kitchen Compare website. Information sources include retailers websites, stores and are based on our own Kitchen Compare model kitchens and independent assessment of kitchen quality.
    B & Q
    Stevia Gloss White SlabMoreGalley
    Today's Price £1,465.00
    No Prices On Kitchen CompareThis Retailer doesn't share their component prices with us
    Quality Score 9.0