The kitchen is often referred to as the centre of a home so it's very important that you get the design right when you're considering new house designs or exploring a remodelling project for your existing property.  It's a good idea to discuss what you would like with your builder to make sure that your design will fit in with utilities connections.

Here are some kitchen design concepts you will need to keep in mind as you design your perfect kitchen.

Questions to ask yourself

1. Where do you want countertop space to be in relation to your oven? And how much counter space do you ideally need?
2. What items do you want to be close to each other, for example your fridge and cooker?  
3. How much storage space do you want?  
4. How much space will you need for your appliances?  
5. Are you intending to use the kitchen for entertaining or just for food preparation and cooking?

The answers that you give to these questions are important, as they will influence the location of utilities connections.  You also need to consider how many windows you want to have, allowing light and ventilation into your kitchen.  Perhaps you'd like to have patio doors installed, leading on to an outside entertaining area or maybe just a single back door giving access to your garden.  These are all important considerations to make before beginning design discussions with your builder.

Kitchen layouts to consider

If you are thinking of an open-plan layout, an 'L'-shaped galley-style kitchen where the fittings are arranged along two walls next to each other works well.  If you only have a small space to play with, a 'U'-shaped kitchen can be a clever way of fitting lots of storage units into a very small space.

If you have more room and you want to have plenty of storage space and countertops, a 'G'-shaped kitchen design places everything within easy reach, whilst maximising space.  A kitchen island is also a very good idea if you want to use it to double-up as storage space and a breakfast bar.

When you are working with your home builder on designing your new-build home, bear in mind the above considerations and plan your kitchen so that it meets all your needs.  Cosmetic matters, such as flooring materials, unit choice and décor are best chosen once the actual room has been constructed and you can assess aspects like available light.