Kitchen Renovation Tips
Please call us on 03 343 4005 (Christchurch) or 03 307 7131 (Ashburton) to arrange a time to visit your home for a free measure and quote. Alternatively, you might want to visit us and take a look at our display kitchens for some great ideas.
When you’re thinking about renovating, consider these handy tips:
Ensure you have adequate working space around high use areas such as sinks and cook tops. Bench space by your oven and microwave is essential for the safe transfer of hot dishes and bench tops close to storage areas, like the fridge and pantry make it easier to load shopping.
We recommend you allow a minimum of 1200mm between benches and keep your kitchen to a manageable size, so that working in it flows easily. You can spend a fair amount of time in the kitchen so you want to limit the distances you walk!
Bench top pantries can be a great way to hide away small appliances while still allowing easy access. These can have power points installed in the back so appliances can just be pulled forward and used right there.
Shifting plumbing can be costly, especially if you have concrete floors. The same applies to changing major electrical sources. If you want to keep costs down try to keep your sink and appliances in a similar place.
Bench space both sides of a cooktop or oven is preferable for safety reasons. Avoid positioning your cooktop or oven next to a doorway or walkway or near a wall or tall panel, if this cannot be avoided a fire protective surface will need to be installed.
Drawers are more practical for most people and allow easy storage and access to heavy pots, pans and crockery. A full length pantry can provide better storage for food than many small cupboards.
There are lots of innovative ways of saving space and of using awkward spaces to best effect; you can view these ideas at our showrooms.
If you want to use the planning guide to help you with initial ideas, follow these instructions. Otherwise, give us a ring and we’ll do everything for you, at no cost!
1. Start your sketch in one corner and work clockwise around the room.
2. Measure from the corners to the architraves around windows and doors and be sure to measure the width of the windows and doors from the outside of the trim on each side.
3. Measure your major appliances and mark where you would like them located. When planning a kitchen, be sure to measure the height of your refrigerator - a tall refrigerator may prevent using a wall unit directly above it.
4. Mark all plumbing fixtures, electrical outlets and existing ducts to outside (if necessary these can be moved).
5. Indicate which walls are exterior walls.
6. Mark all breaks in walls (windows, doors, boxing around pipes etc).
7. Mark which way each door swings.
8. Finally, give your finished plan to one of our consultants and you are on your way to a beautiful new kitchen.
