A Hug For A Hoody

A kitchen extractor hood is a simple, easy to choose appliance.  Right?  Well, there are a few things you need to consider before you make that choice.

Duct-out or recycled?  So which one should you choose? The duct-out system expels both moisture and odours to the outside.  This makes them much more effective, circulating at least 30% more air than the recycle equivalent while not requiring charcoal filters to clean the air.  The down side is that they will need to be ducted through the wall to the outside involving significantly more fitting work. Recycle extractors, on the other hand, filter the air through a charcoal filter back into the kitchen.  They are quick and simple to fit and will remove the odours, but not the moisture. If possible, it is almost always better to choose a ducted hood.

Think about the practicalities before you choose. With either hood system think about where and how it is going to be fitted.   Is that ceiling sound and strong enough to take the weight of an island hood?  And, if ducted,  where will you route the ducting? If you want the ducting hidden will it go into the ceiling? Does your ceiling have joists and in which direction do they run? 

Consider noise! An open-plan kitchen/diners can enhance your entertaining pleasures significantly, but bear in mind that kitchens "in full swing" can be quite noisy places to sit.   So look at decibel levels for the hood and opt for a quieter extractor.  In other words, think of how you kitchen is going to be used and set your priority list accordingly.  An industrial hood will certainly clear the air but may not be the best company for a quiet glass of wine!

And remember to use your hood wisely.  To remove cooking odours most efficiently, turn on your hood before you start cooking and then leave it running on the lowest speed for a few extra minutes once you’ve finished.

Finally, don't feel an extractor hood is just a blank piece of steel.  Today you can have hoods that look anything but the traditional idea of an extractor. If you need advice, Kitchen Solutions Kent would welcome the opportunity to discuss your ideas and desires.  A little time in reflection over this simple appliance may prove most rewarding.

Hidden Art

Small kitchens and small budgets need not dictate a style free kitchen.  With a little thought, a touch of modern technology and a capable kitchen designer it's more than possible to create a stylish kitchen in a small space.   Modern hideaway kitchens are starting to make there mark over here as they are well suited to those space and budget challenges. 

Light, light and light again

In a small space good lighting is an essential. Consider flush ceiling lights with directional spot lights for the cooking and work surface areas.   And fit lights under the wall units.  This will light up the work areas and give the units a floating effect.

Broad shoulders

Working surface will be at a minimum so consider fitting a wide island that can house the sink and cooker.  With suitable design you can fit an entire kitchen into a relatively small island, a kind of kitchen in a box!  

Smooth and silky

Keep the finish smooth and simple.  Minimalism is the watchword here as complex patterns will diminish the feel of space. Consider smaller appliances with minimal detailing, underfloor heating to reduce wall clutter, simple plain units,  and matching floors.  Hideaway kitchens are sleek and streamlined, so any appliances on show should be too.

And breathe...

All kitchen require good ventilation, but the key to success is to choose a hood that hides. Clean lines and simplicity in glass or steel are good for minimalism.  And if you choose that kitchen in an island then go for a designer hood that looks, well, nothing like an extractor!

Why not come and talk to Kitchen Solutions Kent and discuss your ideas.  What ever your design, it can always be hidden

Nautical Cooking

 A galley kitchen usually consists of two rows of units divided by an essential corridor.  These can be difficult to work with but there are a few tricks you can use. So how do you design a galley kitchen?

The first essential feature is a corridor that's wide enough!  The minimum is considered to be 1.4m. You may believe that you could cope with less but remember you need space to open unit and appliance doors, and you may well need to have two people squeezing passed each other. So 1.4m minimum it is.

Plan in that magic kitchen triangle, an imaginary triangle formed between the sink, cooker and fridge.  You need to check that all three are easy to reach while also allowing room between them to work. Remember you'll need food preparation space next to the hob and never place the cooker, hob or sink within 40cm of a corner or behind a doorway.

As galley kitchens tend to be smallish, plan in plenty of kitchen storage. It's a good idea to speak to your local kitchen designers at Kitchen Solutions Kent  as there are many clever ideas to increase storage space. Innovations include skinny larder units which pull out and then rotate 90 degrees on their axis to make it easy to pick the can or bottle you want. Other helpers are extendable baskets within units, corner units with carousels or pull-out shelves so you can easily reach items at the back, and drawers fitted into the plinth below the units.

If space is really tight bear in mind that small is both beautiful and practical.  Many manufacturers now provide multi-function or half size appliances.  Go for sleek hobs and narrow fridges and freezers. A cooker hood is all the more important in a limited space so get your designer to work out the power you need from it, based on the volume of the room.

A touch of class is always welcome.  Add some luxury with finishes in stone, glass, steel or sleek Corian.  Using the same material for the worktop and splashback is a match made in heaven but coloured glass can have a spectacular effect.   If you do introduce colour limit your choice to one vibrant hue, adding multiple coulours in a small space can easily be an overkill.

And finally maximise daylight!  This is vital in a small room and will help it feel larger, however small the initial space..

Kitchen Design: Where To Begin

Your kitchen could well be the room where your family meet and engage most often, or just a small cooking facility! Whatever roll your kitchen fulfills it must be efficient, comfortable and beautiful for it is central to your familiy life and needs careful consideration when it's up for change.

So what should you consider when contemplating a kitchen change?  Well, we at Kitchen Solutions Kent feel you should consider a few basic points before you begin.

Firstly you need to assess your kitchen needs.  At this stage, remember it is your kitchen and the advice of others, while helpful and interesting, will not have contemplated the same needs, likes and loves as you.  So chat with your family, and friends extensively, but do speak to professionals whose first step is not to talk but to listen.

Don't worry if you feel bewildered at this time.  Everyone does. Kitchens are complex and no one design fits all.  Look at as many displays, photographs and brochures as you can and keep pictures or notes of things you like.

Remember, set your budget, establish your essentials and note how you really live.  Be honest with yourself.  While a state of the art oven may sound ideal, if it's not going to be used to it's full potential then a saving here could release that budget for something that really lightens your kitchen life.  Be sure you have fun thinking things through and involve all of your family. They will all have needs from the kitchen.

One essential tip to remember is the kitchen triangle.  Efficiency experts have noted that a natural pathway exists in any kitchen between fridge, oven and sink. This natural pathway forms the heart of your kitchen and while it's sides need not be equal, it is always present.  Consider this natural affinity and try to imagine how you would move around it and, in some kitchens,  what distances you would cover!

Also make sure your design includes counterspace next to the open side of the fridge for standing those bags of shopping, as well as plenty of heat and wet resistant counterspace on both sides of the hob and sink for landing of heavy, hot, or slippery cookware.

Big or small, most efficient kitchen designs fall into one of a few basic arrangements. L shape kitchens have one long "leg" housing two of the three basic appliances and one short "leg" housing the other. U shape kitchens have two "legs" and a connecting "middle leg", while G shape kitchens are L or U shaped with an added peninsula partly separating the work area from an adjoining space.  Finally, galley-shape kitchens often have the hob and sink on one wall, the fridge on the other, and a walkway in between.

Whoever you seek advice from, though, always remember they should be "listening".  No two kitchens are the same and your needs are unique.  A good kitchen designer doesn't tell you the latest craze but listens to you talk about your kitchen life and designs it around you. 

Little things will give the game away.  So if they ask if you're left or right handed, feel assured ... they are looking to put the draining board on the correct side of the sink for you!

My work experience with KSK

I am Harry I am 15 years of age and I have been doing work experience with Kitchen Solutions Kent. So far I have learnt how a business runs and gets a profit. I have also learnt how to use C.A.D (computer aided design) to plan kitchens the one I have uploaded to the blog is one I actually helped design for a customer whose kitchen I helped to measure.
I have also helped doing general things like tidying up and fixing things but I had to call the foreign exchange people and change some money and get confirmations on other transfers. I had to do this and I am only on work experience, it is amazing. Having all of this responsibility has taught me to think things through a bit more. Today I am going to help update the website which I will like because I am into computers so this work experience has helped develop many skills such as:
-team working
-problem solving
-self managing
-perseverance
-communication
-business and economic understanding

So overall I have gained alot

Thankyou for reading .




This is the kitchen that I measured and helped design.

Kitchen Design

Kitchen design has a number of challenges for the consumer. What style and colour of kitchen to have, what materials to use for your worktops etc. One of the hardest things for homeowners to do is visualize how there new kitchen design is going to look before finally deciding on some of those other things. At Kitchen Solutions Kent they use state of art kitchen design software from Planit who are based in Ashford. The graphics are superb and it means that their customers get a realy good idea of how there new kitchen is going to look before they commit to making a purchase. Not only does it provide great pictures of kitchen designs like the one above, it also produces a Quicktime movie so that people can have a virtual walk around their new kitchen and make sure that they are completely happy with all aspects of the kitchen design.

German Kitchen Design Tips

Whenever you are looking for a modern German kitchen you'll want to create the most effective potential design that's delivered promptly and within budget. These 3 design tips may arm your kitchen planner with the right information so they're able to advise you and deliver the best possible design for your particular needs.

There are 3 crucially significant things one should weigh over;

Illumination – What sort of lighting ought you to consider? Storage – How much do you require? Purpose – What's the primary function for your kitchen?

After scanning this article you'll be in a much more favourable position to achieve the kitchen design of your dreams. Let’s consider those important points in a bit more detail.

The function and form of your kitchen is exceedingly individual to you. Are you the sort of person who wants to entertain mates each weekend or do you favor something a little more intimate. It is wise to consider when you will be utilising your kitchen and what for. Commonly there are 3 work areas in the majority of kitchens, preparation, cooking and cleaning or sink area. Additionally many kitchens will have a serving up or dining area. Thinking about these details may make a difference in the plan and layout as will ones storage requirements.

Storage room has become much more than merely an afterthought particularly when it pertains to German designed kitchens. Whenever you spend any measure of time looking at German design you'll come to recognise that ergonomics are all important. The aim here is to allow for outstanding practical storage space and concurrently to deliver style and great aesthetics.

You'll need storage for things like cookery utensils, pots and pans and they should be placed adjacent to the range in order that they are handy during cooking.

Kitchen drawers and kitchen units may be improved with specialised organisers that make better usage of space and store everything neat and tidy. Talk to your designer regarding the diverse types of materials that are now obtainable.

Expert utilisation of Illumination in a kitchen can create a monumental difference to the whole space. There are 2 fundamental sorts of lighting to chew over.

Task lighting in food prep regions is evidently essential however so is Illumination within kitchen cabinets. Incidental or ambient lighting will help produce the right climate. If you have a dining table in the kitchen it is sometimes a beneficial idea to have a dimmer switch, this will help to maintain the illumination a bit gentler and give a nice atmosphere as you desire.

Now that you understand these 3 tips you can assist your designer in furnishing you a with cracking kitchen and one which you'll be proud of. One final detail, please provide a budget. Kitchens come in all types of sizes, materials and equipment levels. Having a budget can ensure you obtain the best optimised design and will save a lot of time in the long run

Kitchen Designing Tips

Kitchens come in all shapes and sizes, which explains a lot of their challenge -- and much of their appeal. Similar kitchen units, appliances, and worktops may appear completely different in somebody else's house than in yours. Standard kitchen units could be customized with literally inexhaustible specialty finishes and a modification of hardware. If ones wallet can stretch to bespoke kitchen units, ones options are yet wider. Worktop materials come in an enormous array of options, but they may be tailored yet further with particular routing or inset strata of some other colour or material. The same applies to flooring, walls, and kitchen dining furniture. Therefore even if ones kitchen is modest and unexceptional, it's not hopeless!

You'll be able to transform it into a noteworthy room different to anyone else's. Cabinet makers and kitchen designers have experienced it all, and the outcome is that you are able to possess every last the conveniences you require and even in a small kitchen. Cool, space-saving solutions are on hand for the owner of the apartment-size flats, co-op, or townhouse kitchen. You will discover that practicality is not exclusive to only large kitchens.

To create a individual room, your 1st step is to consider ones kitchen to discern what could serve as a focal point. A big window, bay, or lengthy wall could be the start. Capitalize on a bank of fine-looking windows with a beautiful counter that ranges the duration of the window wall. If you enjoy to entertaining and are fortunate enough to possess copious room, look at adjusting your room up to include 2 consecutive kitchens; one with a large cooking stove, a fridge, hob, and a sink, and the other with an ice-maker, a wine cooler, a 2nd sink, a mini-fridge, and a microwave oven, with an abundance of storage. Practically anything you concoct may be accomplished with the assistance of a gifted designer. It's up to you!

Whether ones room is big or minuscule, and whether the outcome you want is pretty or pretty wild, you will do best if you adhere to the following elementary recommendations.

* Attempt to keep the straight-line length between the sink, refridgerator, and hob between twelve and twenty-three feet.

* Place the sink between the other 2 appliances, because it is used a great deal. (It's position may depend upon pre-existent plumbing.)

* Leave thirty-six inches of worktop to the right and thirty inches to the left of the cooker and sink if practicable; if not, allow for a lower limit of twenty-four inches and eighteen inches.

* It is tempting to locate a tall refridgerator and built-in oven adjacent to one another, but strive not to; both need setting down room on either sides of the appliance for safety.

* Seek to include a lower limit of ten linear feet of both base kitchen units and wall cabinets.

* Employ turntables to make possibly wasted corners fully functional.

* Use extendable drawers instead of unimaginative cabinets for maximum convenience. If you are retro-fitting existent kitchen units, have pull-out trays installed.

* Look at barrier-free design and solutions. They make life more comfortable for youngsters, pregnant women, and OAP's in addition to as people with disabilities. They will also contribute to the longevity of your kitchen.

German Kitchens, design influences.

German kitchens and kitchen design conjure the words words sleek. innovative and modern. You could take these principals and implement them in your new kitchen by following some fundamental guidelines. The following are some of the things we take into consideration when creating a modern German kitchen design for our clients.

The secret of German kitchen design lies in having a general understanding of the work of Walter Gropius who founded, in 1919, a 'house of building' or 'building school' more commonly known as Bauhaus. Gropius was an architect influenced by the modernist movement. It's core beliefs were radically simplified forms, rationality and functionality and the view that mass production was compatible with an artistic free spirit. If you look at other entries in our blog you will see that Nobilia kitchens continue with this ethos to the present day. Beautifully styled German kitchens produced in a high quality, cost effective way. So. when creating a kitchen in the German style your mindset should be firmly planted in achieving a balance between functionality, architecture and aesthetics. The successful combination of these should result in a look that is part industrial, part domestic and characterised by clean, straight lines, the use of different heights and angles.
Materials used in the kitchen design and manufacture will commonly be high gloss laquers, steel and glass.

Base colours in the kitchen will probably be neutral enhanced by a palette of complimentary, not contrasting, suitable accents. The decor for the kitchen should be there to provide the backdrop for the kitchen furniture. In German kitchen design it is the cabinetry and worktops that provide the drama and contrast unlike the more comfortable, together look that you might strive for with a farmhouse kitchen for example.

Appliances lean toward industrial steel and the use of stainless steel or glass splashbacks is common. Often the splashbacks cover the entire extent of the kitchen walls, not just the areas behind the hob and sink. Kitchen worktops also tend to have industrial undertones, we often use steel, granite or Corian in our German kitchen installations.

Functionality is a key part of the mix and, for lots of our customers, the versatlie use of space and ease of access to every kitchen cupboard or drawer is one of the biggest attractions of Nobilia German kitchens.

For more information or advice or to arrange a free design visit and see how we would plan your German kitchen visit our main site at kitchensolutionskent.co.uk