7 Things People Forget to Think About When Planning a New Kitchen

When you start planning a new kitchen, it’s usually the exciting things that get your attention first.

Cabinet colours. Worktops. Handles. Appliances. Maybe that island you’ve been imagining for years.

And rightly so, they’re a big part of creating a kitchen you love.

But some of the things that make the biggest difference to how your kitchen actually works aren’t necessarily the things you’ll save to your Pinterest board.

They’re the practical details.

Here are seven things that are surprisingly easy to overlook when planning a new kitchen – and why it pays to think about them early.

1. Where are all your sockets going?

It sounds obvious, but think about how many things you plug in around your kitchen.

The kettle, toaster, coffee machine, air fryer, mixer, phone charger…the list can get quite long.

Then think about where you actually want to use them.

Planning sockets alongside your kitchen design means they can be positioned where you need them rather than leaving you hunting for an extension lead six months after your new kitchen has been fitted.

It’s also worth thinking beyond today's appliances. Your kitchen is going to be around for a long time, so having some flexibility can be useful.

2. Where will the bin go?

Not the most glamorous part of designing a new kitchen, we know.

But you'll definitely notice if you get it wrong.

Think about general waste, recycling and food waste and how you use them when preparing meals. An integrated bin system can keep everything neatly hidden away, but its position matters too.

Ideally, you don't want to carry peelings across the kitchen or have someone constantly crossing the cooking area to get to the bin.

It's a small detail that can make everyday kitchen life much easier.

3. Where will the kettle and coffee machine live?

Worktops can look wonderfully spacious on a kitchen design, but then real life moves in.

The kettle arrives. Then the toaster. Coffee machine. Air fryer. Fruit bowl. Maybe the stand mixer.

Suddenly, that lovely expanse of worktop starts disappearing.

Before deciding how much preparation space you need, think honestly about what normally stays out in your kitchen.

Some appliances could have their own dedicated area or storage, while others need to be easily accessible every day.

Your kitchen needs to work when you're actually living in it, not just when it's completely empty.

4. Which way do things open?

Fridges, ovens, dishwashers and cabinets all need room to open.

More importantly, you need room to stand in front of them when they do.

For example, can somebody walk through the kitchen when the dishwasher door is down? Can you comfortably take a hot dish out of the oven? Does opening the fridge block somebody else's route through the room?

Good kitchen design isn't just about making everything fit. It's about considering how everything will work together once people start moving around the space.

5. Where will you put things down?

This one is easily missed.

Think about taking a hot roasting dish out of the oven. Where does it go?

Or unpacking shopping beside the fridge. Making a cup of tea. Loading and unloading the dishwasher.

Having useful worktop space in the right places can make a huge difference.

A kitchen can technically have plenty of worktop but still feel short of usable preparation space if it isn't positioned where you naturally need it.

6. Lighting needs more thought than one switch

Kitchen lighting has a lot of jobs to do.

You need good practical light when you're chopping and cooking, but you probably don't want your kitchen lit like an operating theatre when you're sitting down with a glass of wine in the evening.

That's where layers of lighting can make such a difference.

Think about your main room lighting, task lighting around preparation areas and cabinetry lighting. If your kitchen is part of a larger open-plan room, you may also want different lighting options for different areas.

Planning it at the design stage gives you far more options than trying to add it afterwards.

7. Where will everybody actually stand?

And finally, one of the biggest things to consider isn't really about the kitchen at all.

It's about the people in it.

Where does everyone naturally gather?

If you're cooking, will somebody inevitably stand exactly where you need to open a drawer? If you have children, where will they sit? If friends come over, do you want them gathered around an island while you cook?

The way you and your family use the room should influence the design.

Because ultimately, you're not designing a collection of cupboards.

You're creating a room you're going to live in every day.

The little things aren't really little

At Alex Lee Kitchens, kitchen design is about far more than choosing doors and worktops.

It's about understanding how you use the space, what works in your current kitchen, what drives you mad about it and what could make everyday life that little bit easier.

Often, it's those details that turn a lovely kitchen into a kitchen that's genuinely lovely to live with.

If you're starting to think about a new kitchen, visit our Rugby showroom or book a design appointment and come and talk through your ideas with us.