Kitchen renovation planning guide: Everything you need to plan your kitchen renovation project with ease

While colour, textiles, and finishes might make you swoon, it’s the layout of your new kitchen that’ll make you fall in love with the space.

Here are some of the most popular kitchen layouts to muse over.

Reading this guide and then trying to come up with a design for your kitchen can be overwhelming.

Plus, you don’t want to run the risk of not thinking everything through, only to find out on installation day when it may throw all your plans.

Chat to Checkatrade-approved kitchen designers.

Lighting has many functions. Of course, its main purpose is to light a space, but well-considered lighting can add to the style of your kitchen and have a major impact on the mood and atmosphere too.

Kitchen lighting should aim to marry design and function.

When planning the lighting for your kitchen renovation, aim to tick off at least one from each of these categories:

Take a look at our gallery of kitchen lighting ideas to inspire your kitchen renovation project.

The kitchen cabinets you choose will have a huge influence on the overall look of your kitchen.

But it’s not just about style. The quality of the material, the finish you opt for, and special features (wine racks, spice drawers etc) will all have an impact on your budget.

To help you select the best kitchen cabinets for your kitchen renovation, take a look at the six main styles available.

The purpose of a kitchen splashback is primarily functional, however, it can be used as a design feature in your kitchen too.

With various colours, patterns, textures, and sizes to choose from, your splashback can either blend into the background or be used to make a statement.

Here are some ideas to whet your appetite.

Blinds, shutters, curtains, or window film. There are plenty of ways to dress your windows to finish off the look of your kitchen.

And with so many options to suit your practical needs, the style of your kitchen, and your available budget, it can be hard to narrow down your preference.

Take a look at our gallery for inspiration.

There’s a reason why the kitchen is affectionately known as ‘the heart of the home’. People naturally gravitate to the kitchen and it can often be one of the busiest areas of the house.

Avoid the daily chaos sweeping through the kitchen with some clever planning. Create a dedicated area before you enter the kitchen for items such as coats, shoes, and bags. This could be a bench and storage in a specific section of the kitchen, or a mudroom or utility if you have the space.

Will you just be cooking in your kitchen, or do you need a space for dining too? Would a breakfast bar or island unit with stools tick the box, or do you want a full-sized table?

Would you like a sociable kitchen where you can cook, entertain, oversee childrens’ activities, and dine all in one space, aka an open plan kitchen?

Perfect positioning

Make sure the primary passageway through the kitchen is unobstructed, i.e. that the oven or dishwasher doesn’t open into this space.

Passageways need to be wide enough to stand and open the doors of appliances.

If planning a kitchen island, make sure it doesn’t block the area in front of your main appliances, leaving enough room to open the appliance doors and pass by.

If work surfaces are opposite each other, plan enough space between them so that two people can work comfortably at the same time.

Kitchen designers will often place the sink first and design the rest of the kitchen layout from there. Whether it’s for food prep or clearing up, the sink is a well-used space within the kitchen. The ideal spot? Place it with a view, either by a window, or facing into the room, on a kitchen island, for example.

It’s generally more cost effective, and easier to install a proper ventilation system, if the oven is placed on an exterior wall.

When planning your kitchen layout, think about the storage you’ll need and where this will be.

With some imagination and creativity, your kitchen walls can be cleverly transformed into a range of different storage solutions.

• Wall cabinets are a traditional solution for storing crockery and food, with glass-fronted cabinets for housing glassware
• Pantry storage is becoming increasingly popular to hide away small appliances such as the coffee machine and toaster, baking accessories, and dry food items
• Open shelves, wall hooks, and overhead racks for saucepans can add to the kitchen’s overall aesthetic

Hiring an experienced kitchen designer will make your life easier in planning your dream space.

To measure your kitchen floor, you’ll need a tape measure, a piece of paper and a pencil.

• Measure the length of the kitchen
• Measure the width of the kitchen
• Multiply the length by the width to get your square footage

For example: if your kitchen is 12ft long and 10ft wide, you’ll need 120 square feet of flooring.

Here’s a quick guide for how to measure kitchen cabinets:

• Draw a plan of all the cabinets and drawers in your kitchen
• Once complete, double check you’ve included every cabinet and drawer in your kitchen
• Note whether the cabinets are right or left-handed opening
• Open the cabinet door and measure the height and the width
• Measure the height of the hinge holes (scroll down for how to do this)
• Use the same method to measure drawer fronts

Do:

• Take your measurements from the back of the cabinet door
• Always measure in mm
• Measure twice to help avoid errors

Don’t:

• Measure the front of the cabinet doors
• Include the carcass of the cabinet in your measurement

Measuring the hinge hole position

The hinge hole position can vary across different ranges. To measure the vertical position of the hinge holes:

• Open the cabinet door
• Measure from the top of the cabinet door to the centre of the top hinge hole
• Measure from the bottom of the cabinet door to the centre of the bottom hinge hole

For cabinet doors with three hinge holes, measure the middle hinge hole as above, taking the measurement from the top of the door.

For cabinet doors with four hinge holes, measure the top two hinge holes from the top of the door, and the bottom two hinge holes from the bottom of the door.

As part of a kitchen design, accurate measurements are essential before any design work begins.

Leave it to the professionals. They’ll use smart technology to get accurate measurements to then start creating a visual of your new kitchen!

Measuring up your kitchen worktop will help to ascertain which materials will best suit your budget.

To measure up a kitchen worktop, you’ll need:

• A tape measure
• Paper and a pencil

Sketching a plan of the kitchen worktops you require

• A galley kitchen will have one or two pieces of worktop
• An L-shaped kitchen will have two pieces of worktop
• A U-shaped kitchen (or an L-shape with an island) will have three pieces of worktop
• A U-shaped kitchen with an island will have four pieces of worktop

• Start on the left and work around the kitchen in a clockwise direction
• Measure the length of each run of cabinets, not forgetting your kitchen island, if you’re including one in your renovation
• The width of a kitchen worktop can range from 560-620mm, but 600mm is typical. Make sure to check this with your kitchen supplier
• Add extra length and depth (width) to allow for overhang. On the front edge, this is normally an extra 10-20mm, and 25-30mm on the exposed short edges
• Multiply the length by the width and divide by 1000 to get the square metre measurement

This square metre measurement will allow you to obtain quotes for the different kitchen worktop materials available.

Once you’ve decided on the worktop for your new kitchen, you’ll need to add more detail to your plan for your worktop supplier, including the position of:

• Sawn cut-outs
• Polished sink cut-outs
• Drainage grooves
• Recesses
• Tap holes
• Pop-up socket holes
• Any other cut-outs in the worktop or in the upstands, e.g. socket holes

You’ll also need to decide on the thickness of your kitchen worktop. This generally ranges from 22mm (ultra slim) up to 40mm.

How to measure splashback

To measure a kitchen splashback, follow the same principle as outlined above.

• Measure the height and width of the splashback area
• If you’re including upstands, measure the length required. Height is typically 100mm, unless you want a different height in certain areas, for example, underneath window sills
• To continue the splashback across the window sills, measure the length and width of these too

How to measure a kitchen sink

The style of sink you choose (undermount or top-mount) will determine the way in which you measure your kitchen sink.

How to measure an undermount kitchen sink

An undermount sink rests up against the underside of the worktop, therefore, the rim isn’t visible.

• For the length, measure inside the sink, from the left wall to the right, slightly higher than where the bottom of the sink starts to curve
• For the width, measure inside the sink, from the front of the sink to the back, above the curve

How to measure a top-mount (drop-in) kitchen sink

A top-mount sink has a visible lip around its perimeter that rests flat on the worktop.

• For the length, measure from where the outer lip of the sink meets the worktop, from left to right
• For the width, measure as above, but from front to back
• If you’re replacing the same style of sink in an existing worktop, you’ll also need to measure the dimensions of the cut-out in your worktop to make sure the new sink will fit through the opening

To measure the depth of your kitchen sink, lay a straight edge across the top of the sink. Measure from the bottom of the sink up to the straight edge.

If you plan to have a deeper sink than your current installation, make sure there’s enough room underneath for plumbing and drainage and any other electrical connections.

New sink and new worktop?

To measure the maximum available width for a new kitchen sink in a new worktop, measure from the front of the worktop to the back. Aim for around 1.5 inches from the splashback to the back of the sink to allow room for taps.

To work out the maximum length of your new sink, measure inside the sink’s base cabinet. Then subtract three to four inches from this measurement.

How to measure the kitchen window for curtains

To measure your kitchen window for curtains, you’ll need a steel tape measure, paper, a pencil, and a stool/step ladder.

Measuring the width of your kitchen curtains

• Measure from left to right from the outside edges of the window
• Then add 8 inches to each side to allow your curtains to open fully, exposing the full window. Note: you won’t need to add this extra measurement if you’re fitting your curtains into a recess
• Multiply the width by 2 for standard fullness, by 2.5 for deluxe fullness, or by 3 for ultra fullness

Measuring the length (drop) of your kitchen curtains

If measuring for pleated or pinch pleated curtains, take your top measurement from the small rings that hang from the curtain pole to connect to the curtain hooks.

For tab top or eyelet curtains, measure from the top of your curtain pole. If the curtain pole is not yet in place, measure from approximately 15 cms above the top of the window.

You will need to decide on your desired drop.

• If you want your curtains to fall to your windowsill, measure to 1cm above your sill
• If you’d prefer your curtains to finish below your windowsill, measure 15cms below the sill
• For curtains that drop to the floor, measure to 1.25cms above the floor. For a puddled effect, extend beyond this

For more information, take a look at our guide to measuring kitchen curtains.

Did you check out the colour wheels in the first section of this guide: Kitchen ideas and inspiration?

A colour wheel is a great way to see which colours work well together, and can be a really helpful tool in determining your colour scheme.

Three of the most common ways to use a colour wheel are:

Choosing your kitchen cabinets can seem like a minefield. With so many options available, it can be tricky knowing where to start.

Your cabinetry will have a big impact on the overall look and feel of your kitchen. But it’ll also impact how functional and enjoyable your new kitchen is. Don’t underestimate the joy that a pull out larder unit can give!

To help navigate the world of kitchen cabinetry, let’s first take a look at the different styles available.

• Shaker style

A traditional style that never really goes out of fashion. It’s also very easy to combine with different elements to make it suit your personal style.

For example, you could pair it with concrete worktops or wooden worktops and you’ll achieve two completely different styles of kitchen. Shaker style cabinets are also very reasonably priced.

• Glass-fronted

Glass-fronted cabinets are a fairly standard choice to display items in the kitchen and add a little more light into the room. You can add some additional design elements to glass-fronted cabinets, for example, by painting or papering the back of the unit, or adding lights.

The downside? If you’re displaying items, you’ll want to keep the contents neat and tidy. Plus, glass-fronted cabinets can be slightly more expensive than wood.

• Tongue and groove

Sometimes called ‘Beadboard’, this style of cabinet has vertical slats of wood fitted into each other.

It gives a textured, relaxed finish and adds an element of cosiness and warmth, popular in a cottage-style kitchen.

• Flat fronted

Flat fronted cabinets have no panels or frames, which makes them very easy to clean. An ideal style for modern or contemporary kitchens due to their minimalist aesthetic.

Prices will vary depend on the type of wood and the finish you select.

• Plywood

You’ll often see plywood cabinets in a scandi-style kitchen, helping to achieve an organic, cosy, and warm feeling.

Plywood cabinets are very strong and durable, and are quite inexpensive.

• Natural wood cabinets

Natural wood cabinets create a rustic, informal feel, often popular in a cottage or farmhouse-style kitchen.

The natural patina of this type of cabinetry will pair with anything, and is generally a cost-effective option, but it will need to be treated to prevent grease and moisture from penetrating the wood.

How to choose the best kitchen cabinets for your renovation

If you have a particular theme in mind for your new kitchen (farmhouse, minimalist, industrial etc.), this can help to narrow down your choices from the six main styles discussed above.

But, as we’ve mentioned, it is possible to combine styles to create something completely personal to your taste.

Budget will of course come into play, with specialised fititngs, such as a spice drawer or a wine rack, costing more.

The finish you choose, the quality of the material you opt for, and the hardware used to install them will all impact on the cost of your kitchen cabinets. And don’t forget door handles and knobs too!

The materials – or combination of materials – you choose will affect the look and feel of the kitchen and help to pull your design together.

Whether you’re aiming for a traditional kitchen using materials such as stone and wood, or a contemporary space featuring glass, marble and steel, there’s a huge array of options to choose from.

In this section, we’ll share the pros and cons of each type of material for worktops and floors, to help you select the best option for your new kitchen.

To help you decide the best flooring for your kitchen, consider the following factors:

Does your kitchen have a particular theme? For example, if you’re aiming to achieve a traditional farmhouse-style kitchen, flagstone flooring would fit right in. For a contemporary kitchen, polished concrete is a popular option.

Is your kitchen part of an open plan living space? If so, do you want a cohesive layout with your existing flooring, which will encourage a sense of spaciousness, or will you go for something different that complements the existing floor?

What will your kitchen flooring need to withstand? Do you have children and/or pets who’ll charge through the kitchen leaving muddy prints in their wake? Do you like a busy household, and hence need a flooring material that’s resistant to spillages and scratches, and easy to clean and maintain?

Do you want underfloor heating in your kitchen? If so, you’ll need to consider which flooring materials provide the best heat circulation.

As with worktops, your budget can help to determine the best flooring for your kitchen.

If you have a more generous budget for your kitchen flooring, you can consider materials such as hardwood or natural stone. However, it is possible to achieve a similar look with cheaper alternatives such as laminate or vinyl.

Kitchen demolition is tiring work. And without the experience, you may struggle with certain elements of the job.

You also need to make sure you don’t damage any vital areas of the kitchen. Any damage to water or gas supply could be very serious.

Always hire a professional if you’re unsure of your ability.

It’s time to put your kitchen design plans into action. Out with the old and in with the new!

If you’re sentimental, this could be an emotional process. If you despise your current kitchen and have been long-awaiting a new one, you’ll enjoy this a lot!

With kitchen demolition, it’s all about preparation and process. First of all, make sure you have the necessary tools and equipment to help make light work of this task.

Tools and equipment for kitchen demolition

• A screwdriver
• A scraper
• A chisel
• A Stanley knife
• A hammer and pliers
• A small pry bar
• A bolster
• A ladder
• Dust sheets
• Safety goggles and thick gloves

If your kitchen requires it, for example to remove vinyl flooring or wallpaper, you may also need a wallpaper stripper, a heat gun, and/or chemical stripper.

You must shut off the utilities (gas, water, electric) before beginning demolition work.

• Turn off the power to the kitchen by flipping the appropriate switch in the electricity consumer unit (fuse box)
• Turn off the water supply to the kitchen using the internal stop tap. This can normally be found under the kitchen sink, close to the front door, in an airing cupboard, or next to the water meter (if it’s inside the house)

To turn off the supply to your whole property, locate the external stop tap outside. It’s normally in the driveway, garden, or grass verge.

You will need to hire a Gas Safe engineer to turn off the gas supply.

Carefully remove your appliances, for example, the washing machine, fridge, and oven, and store them somewhere they won’t be damaged during the demolition phase.

Reusing your existing appliances in your new kitchen? Consider giving them a freshen up with a professional clean and service.

Upgrading to new appliances? Don’t forget, you can sell or donate old appliances via websites such as Enviromate, Freecycle, eBay, or Facebook Marketplace.

With everything cleared out and utilities safely shut off, it’s time to move on to the demolition work.

First thing’s first, drop the sledgehammer. Although you’re getting a new kitchen, recklessly demolishing your existing kitchen could cost you both time and money if you inadvertently damage the ceiling, walls, plumbing, or electrics in the process.

Follow our straightforward guide to DIY kitchen demolition to get the job done right. It includes:

• How to remove a kitchen worktop
• How to remove kitchen drawers
• How to remove base units
• How to remove wall cabinets

For many of these jobs, you’ll benefit from an extra pair of hands to help support the weight of the worktop, sink, or wall cabinet as they’re removed.

Taking the time to dismantle each part of the kitchen carefully means that it could be sold or reused, which is good for both the environment and your pocket.

How to remove kitchen tiles or a splashback

To remove a kitchen splashback, first lay dust sheets on the ground below the tiled wall.

• If there are any sockets or light switches within the tiled area, loosen the plates by unscrewing them
• Use your hammer and bolster to gently break up the grout lines between a few rows of tiles
• Then place your chisel under each tile in the section you’re working on and pry it off. For stubborn tiles, tap the chisel with a hammer
• Repeat this process across the entire area to be removed
• Gather up your dust sheets and dispose of the tiles in the skip

To remove a tiled kitchen floor, follow a similar process, using your hammer and bolster to break up one of the tiles next to the doorway, working your way across the room until all the floor tiles are up.

Removing vinyl or lino flooring

Vinyl or lino flooring can be tricky to remove due to the adhesive used to install it. For this reason, you may need to use a heat gun, wallpaper stripper, or a chemical stripper to assist you.

If in any doubt, or if you want to preserve the flooring underneath, don’t hesitate to call in a professional.

• First, use your Stanley knife to cut the flooring into 6-inch wide strips
• Next, pull up each strip, revealing the adhesive underneath. If the flooring is proving difficult to lift, use a heat gun to carefully soften the adhesive before trying again
• To remove the adhesive from the floor, apply a wallpaper stripper (steamer) to the adhesive, section-by-section, 90 seconds at a time. Then use your scraper to remove the adhesive
• For stubborn areas of adhesive, you may need to use a chemical stripper

Demolishing your old kitchen is a lot of work in itself, especially if there are stubborn areas, such as vinyl flooring, that can be tricky to remove.

If you’re not confident doing the job yourself, or you simply don’t have the time, a safe bet is to hire a professional.

Alternatively, ask your kitchen supplier if they can remove your existing kitchen before they begin the new install.

The rough cost for kitchen demolition will be charged at a day rate, which could start from around £240. Don’t forget to add the cost of skip hire too, typically around £250 (depending on size and your region) for seven days.