When you’re planning your new kitchen, you have quite a lot of choices to make. One of the first things you will need to decide is whether you’re looking for a luxury kitchen or one which you can install quickly. For many people who are decorating a house to rent out, they will choose the quicker and often cheaper option of buying a readymade kitchen. In your own home though, budget and speed are not likely to be your first concerns, and choosing something which is designed to last is a much better idea.
The readymade version
These are the kitchens which you will see on television adverts, and in your local DIY stores. They consist of readymade cabinets which are designed to fit with the usual size of a kitchen, and will usually be made of lower cost materials because their main market is for people trying to fit a kitchen on a budget. If you’re looking for something which will last a longer time, or you’re trying to get better value from your purchase, and want to avoid having to refit again in a few years (and trust us, it’s no small job).
So you’re left with the alternative: bespoke kitchen design.
But what makes a luxury kitchen?
A luxury kitchen is designed and made to last. As a result you won’t find corners being cut to save money, or cheap alternatives to the longer lasting materials which can be used in kitchens. The cabinets you choose are one of the most important parts of selecting luxury kitchens. Your own personal taste can really come into play. There’s lots of different types of wood and countertops you can choose from, and when a specialist cabinet maker is putting it all together you can be sure that it’s going to be built to last. That means that there won’t be any drawers which don’t quite sit right, or hinges which twist because the wrong size has been used for the weight of the door.
A kitchen is a place which you will use every day, whether to prepare meals or eat, entertain guests or even as a study. It means that you should never accept anything substandard, and you shouldn’t settle for less than exactly what you want. With luxury kitchens you don’t have to.
In readymade kitchen design you will find that you will need to settle for what’s available when it is available – so if your taste isn’t currently in vogue you might struggle to find something which you like.
There’s three main types of kitchen you can choose from:
- Shaker
- Country
- Contemporary
A bespoke kitchen will allow you to pick elements from these styles, but also take inspiration from elsewhere. Your budget and imagination are the limiting factors, but otherwise you can have almost anything you like.
Think about how you use your kitchen to get the most of having the room tailored to you. Layout, features, and style can all come into this, so you might also want to have a discussion with your designer as to what they would suggest.
