Kitchen Design Guide

Follow our helpful guide below to get all the measurements you need to start designing your dream kitchen

Step 1. Define the room’s shape and measurements

Measure walls, corner to corner. If the plaster isn’t on yet, add 10mm for the plaster at each side.
Measure the windows (width, height, and window sill distance from floor) measure from the wall to the window architrave.
Measure ceiling height. Your cabinets can never go all the way up to the ceiling. A bulkhead (usually made out of RAW MDF and painted the colour of the wall) will ideally provide a surface for the cornice to be glued on, so that you can gracefully bridge the gap between top of your cabinets and the ceiling.
Most ceilings are a little more than 2400mm high and your cabinets are designed to reach up to 2300mm, giving you more storage than most flat pack kitchen companies that only go to 2200mm.

A Mud Map is a rough plan that you draw on paper, allowing you to think through the plan and position the cabinets to give you an optimal result.
Changing the footprint of your kitchen may force you to replace, or patch, the floor, move plumbing- water and gas, and electrical points for range hood and oven.
Always optimise natural light, so that your kitchen is a pleasant place to work in … to do this, bundle all your tall cabinets (fridge, pantry, oven tower, etc) together and position them as far away from the window as possible.
Think about the appliances you want to use in your kitchen. Your appliances will determine some of your cabinet choices. For instance, if you want a 900mm Free Standing Stove, it can’t be built into a wall oven tower. Similarly, you can’t hide a canopy rangehood in a cabinet. Please refer the ‘Guide to Appliances’section (STEP 5) of this document for a description of each appliance type.
For your safety’s sake, always provide a minimum of 900mm access (your average doorway is about 820mm) in and out of your kitchen.
Plan your corners and consider using the Bi-fold Corner Cabinets, instead of the old-fashioned Blind Corner Cabinets. Bi-fold Corner Cabinets optimize the space and provide an ideal space to store the large pot and pans that you will not access every day. If you must, you can add an optional Lazy Susan (turn- table) to swing the pans out when you need them.

Gas regulations (and insurance claim assessors) insist on a minimum of 650mm from the top of the flame of your gas cooktop to your rangehood.
Gas regulations (and insurance claim assessors) also insist on a minimum of 300mm from your gas cooktop to combustible surface (pantry cabinet, fridge cabinet, oven tower, etc.)
Your walls are also never square and you will need to use Fillers Panels to bridge the gap between the last cabinet and the wall. Make sure you have a sharp saw blade to trim the panel, to fit.
End Panels are required to cover any exposed carcass and finish off your nice new kitchen.
Bar Back Panels are required for the backs of Island Benches.
You need to order kickboards with your cabinets. All cabinets come with adjustable legs, you will need a Kickboard to hide the legs and finish the cabinets to the floor.

Once you have agreed on your Mud Map with everybody who will be using your kitchen, you can start selecting and placing your cabinets in the Kitchen Planner.
Your Kitchen Planner can be downloaded
All your cabinets come with Doors or drawer fronts included. Soft close hinges and soft close drawers are standard with your kitchen – each with a 10-year replacement warranty, as with our cabinets.
Don’t forget to order the CUTLERY TRAY, to suit your CUTLERY DRAWER.
Print out your new Kitchen Plan – you will need it to install your new kitchen.

Once you have your cabinets in place in the Kitchen Planner, you need to select your BENCHTOP and SPLASHBACK.
Your Benchtop can either be a LAMINATE BENCHTOP or a STONE BENCHTOP. Your budget and the look you want to achieve will assist you in making this decision.
You have a choice of five (5) LAMINATE BENCHTOPS and five (5) STONE BENCHTOPS.
The Stone Benchtops are available in three (3) Standard Range colours and two (2) Premium Range colours.
Your BENCHTOPS and SPLASHBACKS are costed on a linear meter basis – so you do not have to worry about slab sizes or square meters.
The Kitchen Bench is always 600mm deep and the Island Bench is always 900mm deep. If you want a deeper Island Bench, please discuss the UPGRADE COST with your BENCHTOP SUPPLIER (at SITE-CHECK).
When you place an order for a LAMINATE or STONE BENCTHOP, that cost is inclusive of the Benchtop supplier coming into your home to prepare a template and then coming back a second time to install your LAMINATE or STONE benchtop. All STONE BENCHTOPS are supplied and installed with a 40mm mitred edge and a substrate to match. All you do, is to assemble your cabinets and schedule the BENCHTOP SUPPLIER’S site-visit.
Your cost for the benchtops is calculated on the assumption that your sink is a Drop-in Sink. If you prefer an undermount sink, please discuss the UPGRADE COST with your BENCHTOP SUPPLIER (at SITE-CHECK MEASURE).

If you want Waterfall Ends on your Island Bench, please discuss the UPGRADE COST with your BENCHTOP SUPPLIER (at SITE-CHECK MEASURE).
Every Kitchen needs a Splashback and that can be either TILE or GLASS, as long as it meets your state fire safety regulations. Stone splashbacks are not recommended because they tend to discolour and deform when exposed to heat from the cooktop. You can only use a Stone Splashback if you’re using an Induction Cooktop.
Your neighbourhood Glazier (check local Free Paper) can supply and install your Glass Splashback.
Your neighbourhood tiler (check local Free Paper) can install a tile splashback for you – you’d have to supply the tiles.
A fantastic alternative is a Porcelain Slab, that can be supplied and installed by your BENCHTOP SUPPLIER. These Porcelain Slabs are available in a range of colours and they deliver a champagne look on a beer budget.