Your dream kitchen design: layout

Designing your dream kitchen can seem a little overwhelming at first; there are so many elements to consider and ultimately get right, but working with a kitchen designer will ensure your project runs as smooth as it can, and the end result will be the kitchen of your dreams.

The planning and layout of your kitchen is one of the most complicated yet important aspects of the design, and it is vital that the designer you work with considers all aspects of your home and how you will use your kitchen. 

We thought it may be helpful to outline some of the things our design team think about and discuss in depth with you, when designing your bespoke Burlanes kitchen.

1 - Your kitchen wishlist

Ultimately, the final decisions made throughout your kitchen design are yours, but our design team are incredible at what they do, and the layout of your kitchen will entirely depend upon how you tell us how it will be used. If you have a large family, are a keen cook, like to entertain or simply want to be able to admire a lovely, freestanding organised larder, we will create the layout to suit you and your home.

2 -  Structural support

Often overlooked, the structural support of the room is an essential part of your new kitchen design, especially if you are looking to extend or remove walls to maximise space. It may sound obvious, but structural supports of a build can really impact the kitchen design, but the beauty of going bespoke is that we can design the furniture to fit seamlessly into all available space and disguise any structural support as part of the design. 

The Wellsdown project in the 16th century cottage in Kent is a perfect example of this. Originally a very open plan space with two archways through to the dining room supported by wooden beams and a low dividing wall, we bricked up one arch so there was more of a division between the two rooms, and we sourced reclaimed timber beams to match what was already in place, allowing open-plan living, whilst the kitchen remained a room in its own right.

Lintels, chimney breasts and similar structural supports can also cause a disruption to the design. In the open-plan family kitchen in Maidstone, a lintel running down the original wall of the listed property was disguised within the larder, providing a much needed storage solution along an otherwise unusable wall. 

3 - Wall re-configuration 

The room itself will more often than not determine the layout of the kitchen (unless you are extending and can configure the room to suit your design), but if space allows, stud walls can also be built to maximise the interior with careful reconfiguration of the space.

A stud wall was built in the Decolane kitchen project in Essex to create a walk-in pantry running adjacent to the main kitchen area, behind the floor-to-ceiling run of cabinetry. Our design team also create a bespoke drinks cabinet to make use of all available space too. 

Our design team are more than just designers, they are problem solvers and they are amazing at what they do. They know that no two homes are the same, so no two kitchens should be either. Absolutely anything is possible with a Burlanes kitchen; our furniture is totally bespoke, there are no set sizes, standards or colours and every project we work on is designed, handmade and installed with passion, common sense, and without compromise.

Our design studio doors are closed at the moment, however Burlanes Sevenoaks and Burlanes Chelmsford are welcoming virtual design consultations via video call, so you are able to experience our unrivalled design service and immersive studio experience from the comfort of your own home. To arrange an appointment, please call us on our usual numbers (Sevenoaks - 01732 605001 / Chelmsford - 01245 352557)or email [email protected].