A good kitchen appliance layout is about much more than deciding where your dishwasher, fridge and washing machine will fit. When planning a new kitchen, it is important to think about how each appliance will actually be used, how its door will open and what happens to the space around it when it does.
This becomes particularly important in a small kitchen, where every centimetre matters.
A kitchen can look fantastic on a plan and still be frustrating to use if the appliance positioning hasn’t been properly considered.
Does everything actually work when the doors are open?
When choosing a new kitchen, it is very easy to look at the plan and think, “Yes, everything fits.”
But fitting an appliance into a space and making sure it works properly within that space are two different things.
For example, a dishwasher might fit neatly underneath the worktop, but what happens when you open the door?
- Can you comfortably stand in front of it?
- Can you still open the cupboard next to it?
- Can the washing machine door open at the same time?
- Can someone walk past you?
- Can you easily load and unload it?
These are the practical questions that need to be considered before the kitchen is ordered, rather than discovered once everything has been installed.
Integrated and freestanding appliances need different consideration
This becomes particularly important when a kitchen contains a mixture of integrated and freestanding appliances.
An integrated appliance has a furniture door fitted to the front, and this can affect how the appliance opens and the amount of space it needs.
A door that appears to open perfectly well on its own may create a problem when there is another appliance, cupboard or wall immediately beside it.
For example, if you have an integrated dishwasher next to a freestanding washing machine, you need to consider both appliances together:
- When the dishwasher door is fully open, does it interfere with the washing machine?
- When the washing machine door is open, can the dishwasher still be used?
- Can both appliances be loaded and unloaded comfortably?
- Is there enough space to stand in front of them?
These details can make a surprisingly big difference to how easy a kitchen is to use every day.
Small kitchens leave less room for mistakes
This is particularly important in smaller kitchens.
When space is limited, you don’t necessarily have the luxury of simply moving an appliance along by another 100mm if you discover a problem. Everything has to work together.
We recently had a new client with a very small kitchen and very limited space who wanted to introduce a dishwasher while keeping a mixture of freestanding and integrated appliances.
The challenge wasn’t simply whether we could physically fit the dishwasher.
We needed to look at how the dishwasher door would open, how that would interact with the neighbouring appliances and whether the proposed layout would still be practical to use.
We therefore highlighted the importance of carefully checking the appliance door openings and clearances with the kitchen designer before the final layout was confirmed.
That conversation is exactly why it is so important to think about the kitchen as a working space, rather than simply a collection of cupboards and appliances.
Don’t forget the fridge freezer
Fridge freezers are another appliance that can sometimes be overlooked during the design process.
If you are having a freestanding fridge freezer surrounded by kitchen housing units, you need to consider how the fridge and freezer doors will open in relation to those units.
Ask yourself:
- Will the doors open far enough?
- Can you remove the drawers?
- Can you comfortably reach everything inside?
- Will the surrounding housing restrict the door opening?
These things can be surprisingly easy to overlook when concentrating on the overall appearance of the kitchen.
Think about how you actually use your kitchen
One of the best things you can do when planning a new kitchen is to stop looking at the plan as a drawing and start imagining yourself using the room.
Think about:
- Where will you stand when loading the dishwasher?
- Where will you put things when you take them out of the fridge?
- Can two people comfortably work in the kitchen at the same time?
- If the oven is open, can somebody still walk past?
- Can you open the dishwasher without blocking access to the cupboards?
- Can you open the washing machine without hitting another appliance?
- What happens when several doors are open at the same time?
These are the questions that help turn a kitchen from something that simply looks good into something that works well.
Good kitchen design is about usability
At JW McDonald Kitchens & Bathrooms, we believe a successful kitchen renovation needs to consider both the appearance of the finished kitchen and how it will work for you every day.
The kitchen may look perfect on the plan, but it is only when you start opening doors, loading appliances, preparing food and moving around the room that you really discover whether the layout works.
That is why appliance positioning, door clearances and the relationship between neighbouring units and appliances should all be considered during the design stage.
A kitchen isn’t just a collection of units and appliances. It is a working space.
And the best kitchen design is one that looks great and works beautifully.
If you are planning a kitchen renovation in South or South East London or the Kent borders and would like to discuss your project, get in touch with JW McDonald Kitchens & Bathrooms. We can help you think through the practicalities of your renovation before the work begins.