Whether you’re a new homeowner buying your first kitchen on a budget or you’re splashing out on the family kitchen of your dreams, finding inspiration is easy because there’s so much choice at Wren.
But before you go ahead, take on board this advice to help you prepare and plan for your brand-new kitchen!
Reflect and Rethink
For many of us, the kitchen is the heart of the home and fulfils many roles in the 21st-century living space. Think about what happens during a typical day in the life of your kitchen and what that means for the layout.
If you like to entertain or need a space where homework can be done while you’re prepping dinner, consider the dining area. If you have dogs and cats that call the kitchen home, they’ll need their own space too. Kitchens and living rooms are becoming increasingly fused, so if you’re planning a great big family room, think about how each space will work separately and together.
Stuck for inspiration? Visit our #wrenovation page and browse our real customer’s kitchens for design ideas and more!
Time to Tidy
When designing a new kitchen, it is the perfect opportunity to consider our vast amount of storage cabinets. Endless utensils, pots, and pans can soon fill up your cabinet space – so creating innovative organisation is essential to solving your storage dilemmas.
From ingenious rotating or floating corner storage which bring the contents of your cupboard to you to perfectly poised compartmented bins, our clever kitchen storage ideas will help keep your home always looking tidy.
Start by decluttering what you already have in your current kitchen to better understand what you need to store in your new space. Whether it’s gadgets or utensils, spices, or syrups, take time to have a thorough check of the contents of your cupboards. This way, you can make a list of what you want to keep – and if you haven’t used it, donate or recycle it!
Measure Up
The next (and probably most important) thing to consider is your kitchen measurements. We will need these to help create the best solution for your space. We have a complete guide to measuring your kitchen online, but, in short, here’s what you need to do before dropping into Wren:
- Measure each wall, including window openings.
- Note all windows and doors, including which way they open and whether they’re internal or external.
- Add in electric sockets and any existing plumbing, plus fixed objects like radiators, boilers or boxed-in pipes (including the measurements).
- If your room has a sloping ceiling or eaves, mark the shortest and tallest heights and how far the slope extends into the room.
Alternatively, one of our surveyors will visit your home and take some measurements so that you can plan a room that fits perfectly into your home.
It’s Design Time
Everybody wants something different from their kitchen, which is why we’ve designed the biggest kitchen collection in the country with the widest choice of colours, styles, and sizes.
Book a showroom design appointment with one of our experts and see your dream kitchen come to life right in front of your eyes. You can even see your kitchen in real life using our 3D technology and explore your new design with our virtual reality headset!
Checklists:
Once you’ve confirmed your order and have a set delivery date, it’s important that you prepare yourself for the work to begin. You may want to consider setting up a temporary kitchen space or creating an eating plan for the duration of your project! Here’s a few handy checklists to help you along the way.
Creating a Temporary Kitchen Space
Setting up a temporary kitchen space is a great idea until your dream kitchen is complete. Just keep in mind that you will be without water in the kitchen for a few weeks, so plan to do the dishes in another sink or the bath!
- Move your old fridge or buy a small mini fridge to a convenient space close to a water source. Add a table with a microwave and place a bin below the table.
- If washing up in the sink or bath doesn’t appeal, keep essential items handy such as paper towels, bin bags, dishcloths, dishwasher soap, paper cups and napkins, paper plates, and utensils.
- Don’t forget your tea or coffee, along with mugs, milk, and sugar.
- When it comes to cooking, consider buying a slow cooker or skillet. For this, you’ll need to remember your oven mitts, spatula, cooking spoons, cooking spray.
Food for Thought
The kitchen is the epicentre to cook, eat and prepare food. While your dream kitchen is in progress, chances are, you’ll probably do a mix of both dining-in and dining-out.
Dine-In Options:
- Prepare meals and freeze them but make sure to set aside utensils and freezer bags.
- Invest in a slow cooker or skillet.
- Use the BBQ on the weekends.
- Stock up on tinned goods (don’t forget the can opener)!
Dine-Out Options:
- Source and support local restaurants.
- Treat yourself to a takeaway.
- Download a delivery service app such as Deliveroo or Just Eat.
- Kindly ask a friend or family member to have you round.
Although it may feel daunting, preparing for your brand-new kitchen is exciting. We want you to enjoy the whole process – with no surprises – as that’s the Wren Way!
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