• The overall theme - country, modern, art deco etc.
• Availability and positions of services - it will be much more economical to minimise repositioning of major outlets in the new floor plan.
• Try to work around existing positions of services as much as possible.
• Try to position the sink near a window, not only for light but for outlook.
• Make sure you position a light above this important work area.
• Think about the the most appropriate way of extracting cooking smells. External ducting is best if it can be accommodated.
• Try to put a lot of thought into the type of flooring as some surfaces can be more suitable than others for long periods of standing.
• Keep surfaces and cupboard fronts easy to maintain and durable.

As far a design is concerned there are some essential basic elements to remember:

• designers often refer to the essential triangle in kitchen layout. There should be ease of access in a triangle fashion between oven, sink and fridge.
• benches should be between 900mm and 1200mm apart for maximum efficiency.
• fridges can be most convenient at one end of the kitchen, particularly near a family area to minimise traffic through the kitchen
• make sure you allow enough bench space for preparation. You will need at least 600mm near the oven and the sink to place bowls while preparing food
• when planning the size of serving areas allow 300mm per dinner plate. Try to make benches at least 600mm deep or even deeper along the sink run or serving area. Over 800mm can be difficult for access
• the normal bench height is 900mm, however, consider making your benches between 900 and 940mm high as many find this height easier to work on
• many householders now opt for drawers instead of cupboards for crockery, glasses, plates and pantry items to increase access
• for increased storage an idea can be to use the kickboards as drawers to store small items such as kitchen wrap, light globes etc. These drawers can be made to open with the touch of a foot.
• lazy susans in corner cupboards can eliminate the lost items at the back of the inaccessible areas
• narrow "leftover" areas between fridges, pantries and the like can be utilised for narrow pullout pantry type shelving.

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