Bespoke kitchens, in Sutton Coldfield.

Make a larger plan work for ordinary days

Consider the shortest useful route between food storage, the sink and a clear preparation surface. A large room does not need every activity spread across its perimeter. Group the tasks you repeat and let the space beyond them serve dining, conversation or a connection to the garden.

If two people cook, discuss how they work together. Separate preparation positions can be more helpful than a bigger island. Check access to shared drawers and bins so one person does not have to move every time the other needs something.

Put tall storage where it supports the room

A tall cabinetry wall can gather refrigeration, ovens and food storage into a coherent elevation. Its position affects both the working layout and the view from adjoining spaces. Look at the room from the entrance and the dining table before fixing that wall in place.

Upper storage should have an intended use. Items reached several times a day belong in the most accessible positions; seasonal or occasional pieces can sit elsewhere. A kitchen full of impressive cupboards is still frustrating if the everyday things are hard to retrieve.

Compare the visual effect of different upper cabinet heights in our cabinet height design study.

Let materials establish a hierarchy

In a room with several elevations, decide where to place emphasis. An island with a stronger material can sit against quieter perimeter cabinetry. Alternatively, a consistent cabinet finish can connect the kitchen and utility while a timber detail adds warmth.

Test the proposed combination beside the finishes that will remain in the house. Flooring, internal doors and dining furniture are part of the same view. A sample board helps, but the amount and position of each material need to be understood in the drawings.

Coordinate the renovation before manufacture

For a kitchen within wider building work, bring the current drawings and programme to the first discussion. The agreed scope should identify responsibility for services, room preparation, fitting and the specialist elements such as worktops.

Include the postcode, photographs and your main priorities when you request a free design visit. Our Kings Norton showroom offers a place to see the cabinetry and compare finishes while the design for your Sutton Coldfield home develops.

Read the stages in our studio process.