Choosing a kitchen is always difficult as it's a serious investment, can affect the value of our house and also needs a strong practical design. Plus there are lots of options and also lots of pictures of very expensive kitchens to drool over! With that in mind here are 3 quick things to think about when choosing a new kitchen.

• Ergonomics matter

It is important to bear in mind the ergonomics of the space. You should be aiming, wherever possible to position your 3 most-used items on the 3 points of a triangle. Designers usually aim to create a triangle between the sink, fridge and cooker which minimises the amount of walking needed and makes the space user-friendly for cooking in. 

Ergonomic kitchen design in Melbourne by Splinter Society Architecture - see the triangle between the sink, cooker and fridge (hidden in the large white cabinet).

• Space for seating

If you like to cook and chat then see whether you can incorporate your kitchen into your living space by knocking down a wall? If that's a step too far for your renovation, then do your best to squeeze in some seating - a breakfast bar or a little fold-out table will allow your dinner partner to sit with a glass of wine and chat with you while you work. 

A small kitchen where space has been given over to dining - via Apartment Therapy

• Contrast or Flow?

Finally when you come to thinking about the appearance of your kitchen - everyone's favourite part, I'm sure! Then ask yourself some questions about how it will fit with the rest of the house. Do you have a minimal house which needs a sleek, chic kitchen? Do you want to carry the colours from the rest of the home through to this room? Is it important for it to be in keeping with the period of the home? Do you want it to 'flow' with the design of the rest of the house or would you like to create contrast and a different feel? 

It's also important to think about how you use this room, in the same way as you would spaces in the rest of the house. If you don't cook much why not choose a kitchen design that minimises the "kitchen" appearance? That way you have another lovely space to use in your home, even if you don't cook a lot.

Open plan studio home in Camden by Craft Design, where the style of the kitchen fits seamlessly with the rest of the house - via livinginashoebox.com

A good kitchen can be a real pleasure to cook, eat and spend time in. It can also make your home attractive to buyers when selling up. There are many more things to take into consideration, but I hope these 3 quick tips will help you when planning your kitchen. 

Becky