Kitchen renovation do's and don'ts

By Alex Brooks

Kitchen renovation can feel crazy - dust, chaos and for what? Ohhhh, that's right - your dream kitchen. Here's how to make the outcome, process and planning so much easier:

DO tailor standard measurements to your own needs. Raise bench heights if you're tall or go wider if you need more storage. The depth of base units will also determine the width of your bench. Large drawers instead of cupboardsincrease the depth of storage without sacrificing accessibility.

DO plan your new kitchen carefully to solve as many of the problems of your existing kitchen as possible. Map your kitchen on graph paper to scale, and then cut out the floor cupboards and play around with U-shapes, L-shapes, island benches and galley styles to maximise efficiency of storage, work space and the triangle between the sink, fridge and stove

DO choose practical flooring that’s easy to maintain. You’ve got better things to do with your life than scrub the kitchen floor – again!

DON’T underestimate the amount of benchtop workspace you want in your kitchen. You really can’t have too much. Plan for as much bench space as you can fit, particularly next to the fridge, the stove and the sink.

DON’T crowd yourself in the kitchen. Maintain the right space between bench and wall units. A gap of 450mm is best.

DON’T block natural light. Good lighting makes a great difference to your ease of work. Try to position task lighting so it shines on what you’re doing, rather than on your back.

DON’T ignore ergonomics. Having kitchen benchtops and cupboards at the right height can reduce strain. Standard base unit heights range from 860mm to 940mm. A good rule of thumb for working out heights is to stand with your arms at your sides and your palms lifted at right angles. This is a good height for the bottom of your sink. Add the depth of the sink, and this will give you a good working height.

DON’T make extra work for yourself. If you are using tiles as a splashback, try to make the gap between bench and upper cupboards a multiple of the tile height, to save tricky cutting and fitting later.

© 2007 Alex May