spaQuick Links:

· Measuring your kitchen
· Design preparation
· Plan and Design
· The Working Triangle
· Storage versus Design
· Your Likes and Dislikes
· Eating in your kitchen
· Appliances
· Your Design

To begin you will need to take an accurate measurement of your kitchen walls. For this you will need a pen, paper and a tape measure.

Starting at a convenient entrance/exit, take a measurement in millimeters (noting it), of each wall, door and window.

Work in a clockwise direction and make a note of the position of light switches, radiators and any other fixed items such as boilers and stop taps.

If you need some help or advice simply email our design team with your question and they will reply promptly (designteam@showtimekitchens.co.uk)

Whilst measuring your kitchen it is necessary to note the position of the hot and cold water supplies. This will help with the positioning of the sink.

You may intend to retain some or even all of your existing appliances. To achieve this it is necessary to note each appliances dimensions. If any of the appliances are integrated (fitted into a unit with a door - such as fridge freezer etc) note the width and height. This applies particularly to dishwashers as their width varies from 600 to 450mm.

Finally make a note of the position of the Gas/Electricity supply for your existing cooker/oven.

If you need some help or advice simply email our design team with your question and they will reply promptly (designteam@showtimekitchens.co.uk)

You now have all the information required to design your kitchen. To complete this you will need an A4 sheet of graph paper, a pen/pencil and a ruler. However, before you begin to design your kitchen there are a number of things you need to consider:

· The Working Triangle
· Storage versus Design
· Your likes and dislikes
· Do you need to eat in your kitchen
· Do you intend to keep your appliances or replace them with new

If you have been to a kitchen showroom before or watched any of the TV makeover programmes you will have heard them mention or discuss 'the working triangle'. Good Designer's dictate that a well-balanced and well-designed kitchen should incorporate a separate area for cooking, food preparation and a wet area. These three working areas need to be at opposing ends of a triangle.

If you are unsure what this means or if you need some friendly advice email the design team with your questions and they will reply promptly (designteam@showtimekitchens.co.uk).

In every design consideration must be given to striking the right balance between your storage requirements and your design aspirations. Plate racks, wine racks, glass displays and dresser units are all very stylish and look beautiful in all kitchens but these need to be balanced with your storage requirements.

It is worthwhile looking around your kitchen assessing carefully how much storage space you require in your kitchen.

We are all individual and our kitchen is often a reflection or our taste, style and personal family requirements. Ultimately your kitchen is designed on your tastes, your likes as much as your dislikes. Take a look at your kitchen now, ask yourself what do you like about it and also what do you dislike. Ask yourself:

· Is the sink in ideal position and could it be easily moved?
· Have you always wanted more work surface near your cooking area?
· Do you want to incorporate an eye-level oven?
· What appliances (new and existing) do you need to accommodate?
· Is the hob in the best position?
· Is the lighting in the room sufficient?

Give considered thought to each area and digest your answers carefully. Remember you are working with a blank canvass, make sure you put in the things you want and need!

We asked the question earlier as to which appliances you need to retain and which you intend to replace. For those appliances you are retaining you need to apply some simple rules listed below (common sense mainly). With new appliances the manufacturers have standardized the sizes to allow them to be fitted into kitchens more easily. The standard size for most appliances is as follows:

· Ovens - 600mm unless stated otherwise (ranges are 600, 700, 800, 900, 1000 and 1200mm wide)
· Hobs - 600mm unless stated otherwise (hobs are available in 700, 900 and 1000mm versions)
· Fridge Freezers - all 600mm unless freestanding
· Dishwasher - either slimline 450mm or standard 600mm
· Washing/Washer Dryers - 600mm
· Dryer - integrated 600mm - freestanding vary
· Microwave ovens - 600mm integrated
· Sinks - vary but a unit size of 600mm = 1 and 1.5 bowl sinks

Remember there are some simple rules to positioning appliances as follows:

· Tall units are used to accommodate and house eye level ovens and fridge freezer units. These should be located at the end of a run. Do not break up a run with a tall unit. It just will not look right when installed.

· Don't place the hob at the end of a run. It can be quite dangerous as hot pans can be more easily knocked off.

· Try to keep wet appliances (sink, washer and dishwasher) close together and close to the existing water services. This will make them easier to install.

· Where an appliance needs external venting (Cooker hoods and tumble dryers) keep them either on or adjacent to an external wall to facilitate the venting

If your unsure or you want some further advice email our design team with your questions and they will reply promptly (designteam@showtimekitchens.co.uk)

9. Your Design

With all the legwork complete you should now have all you require for designing your kitchen. If your kitchen has a corner it is always best to start from there and work your way outwards. Start with base units and tall housings and leave the wall units until last.

There are two ways of tackling a corner either with a standard corner base/wall unit or with an L-shaped corner base/wall unit.

The more traditional standard corner base unit has only a single door of either 400 or 500mm. They require a void of 100mm to be left in the corner and 600mm of the unit will be hidden.

The modern L-shaped corner base unit is a 900x900 unit with 2 300mm doors. These provide significantly improved access for better storage.

The following corner base units are available:

· 800mm
· 1000mm
· 900x900 L Shaped

Corner wall units are available as follows:

· 600mm standard (single 300 door)
· 600x600 L-Shaped (2 x 300 doors)
· 600x600 Diagonal (1 x 300 door)

With the corner units in place you now need to simply place the other units and appliances where you want them. Units are manufactured in a variety of lengths to suit most design requirements and are the same for base and wall units as follows:

· 300mm
· 400mm
· 500mm
· 600mm
· 800mm
· 1000mm

Tall units for ovens, fridge freezers or larder cupboards are as follows:

· 300mm
· 400mm
· 500mm
· 600mm - Appliance housing are always 600mm wide.

Drawer Pack Units are as follows:

· 400mm
· 500mm
· 600mm
· 800mm - in some designs

Glass Units are as follows:

· 500mm
· 600mm

Other Units are as follows:

· Plate Racks - 500mm, 600mm and 800mm
· Wine Racks - 300mm and 500mm
· Dresser Units - 500mm and 600mm

With all your units in place ensure that you have matched your wall unit doors and base unit doors where possible. This will look more pleasing to the eye.

Always remember that it is your kitchen so ensure you put things where you want them where possible. If at any time you are unsure email our design team for help (designteam@showtimekitchens.co.uk), its free of charge.

If you are happy with your design, fax or email it to us for a free no obligation quote or call in to our showroom where we can provide you with a quotation or answer any questions you may have.