Planning your new kitchen: a practical guide

A considered kitchen
starts with good questions.

Use this guide to prepare for your design appointment, whether you are renovating an existing room or starting from a set of drawings.

1. Start with what works—and what doesn’t.

Think about your current kitchen. Where do you prepare food? What is difficult to reach? Do bags, small appliances or paperwork collect on the worktop? A clear list of practical frustrations is often more useful than a finished mood board.

2. Put the layout before the look.

Mark doors, windows, radiators and existing service positions on your plan. Consider how people move through the room and whether dining, working or entertaining will share the space. An island should earn its place through usefulness and suitable clearances, not just appearance.

3. Build your budget around the whole project.

Cabinetry is only one part of a kitchen budget. Consider worktops, appliances, sinks, taps, handles, lighting and installation, along with any building, electrical, plumbing, flooring or decorating work required.

Ask your designer to distinguish included items, optional extras and work provided by other trades. Compare quotations against the same written scope rather than the headline total alone.

4. Make storage specific.

List the items you use daily, occasionally and for entertaining. Think about where food, pans, recycling, crockery and small appliances should live. The most useful storage is the storage that suits your routines.

5. Compare real samples.

Colours and textures change with the light. Look at door, worktop, flooring and handle samples together where possible. Consider cleaning, maintenance and the way each surface will feel in everyday use.

6. Agree the sequence.

Before placing an order, confirm the final dimensions, specification, payment terms, lead times and responsibilities for delivery and fitting. If building work is involved, coordinate the kitchen programme with your contractor.

Bring these to your consultation.

Floor plans or rough room measurements.
Photographs of the room and your inspiration.
A practical wish list and your must-have appliances.
A budget range and approximate project timeline.

The Dukes team can help develop these ideas into a clear design brief.

Arrange your consultation

Your complimentary planning guide

The considered kitchen.

Seven short principles from Oran McLaughlin, covering the choices that make a kitchen feel right. Friendly, practical advice on style, colour, layout and more, with a little inspiration for your own home.

Email me the planning guide

10-page PDF · Complimentary · Delivered by email

Seven principles to help you plan.

Our free PDF, The Considered Kitchen, explores seven connected decisions: budget, style, colour, materials, appliances, features and layout. It is written for homeowners planning a renovation or a new home, with short, practical advice you can enjoy before an appointment.

Start with priorities, then connect the choices.

A budget gives the design direction. Style and colour set the mood; materials bring texture and character. Appliance choices and useful features need to fit your routines. The layout brings these decisions together, so the room works as well as it looks.

You do not need to complete a worksheet or settle every detail. Save a few ideas, note what matters most and bring your questions. Try the Kitchen Mood Board Creator to explore a combination of finishes, then discover the Live Design experience.

Email me The Considered Kitchen — free seven-principle planning guide (PDF)

Connect the decisions before you commit.

A kitchen is a set of choices that need to work together. Use these prompts to make your first design appointment useful, without having to settle every detail beforehand.

Give your budget a clear scope.

Bring a budget you feel comfortable discussing. Ask which cabinetry, worktops, appliances, delivery and installation items are included in the written proposal, and which work belongs to other trades. Compare those details before comparing totals. A mood board shows a direction; it is not a quotation.

Let the island earn its place.

Think about someone opening the dishwasher while another person cooks, or stools being pulled out while food is served. Bring your room plan so these movements can be considered together. The island in our mood board is a finish preview, not confirmation that the same layout will fit your room.

Choose the worktop at the scale of the room.

Look beyond a small swatch. Ask to see the scale of the pattern, where joints may fall and how the edge, splashback and sink cut-out will be finished. Compare the exact product’s care instructions before deciding; a broad label such as quartz does not describe every surface.

Put physical samples beside one another.

Bring together your door, handle, worktop and flooring samples. Check them in the light where they will be used. The screen is useful for exploring ideas; physical samples help confirm colour, texture and finish.