Consider the overall impression of your house when designing your kitchen. Do you want your kitchen to form an integral part of your home or do you want your kitchen to stand out as a special feature from the other aspects of your home?

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An open-plan kitchen is the hearth of a home, seen as a place of comfort and where family and friends gather around to share food and love. On the other hand, a separate enclosed kitchen is mainly designed to be used by the cooks and keeps food preparation (and mess) away from view.

Think about the kind of atmosphere you want to create in your kitchen. Bold modern colours make a strong statement and can reflect your bright personality, whilst timber and earthy tones create a cosy and homely atmosphere. Stainless steel surfaces and open shelves combined with freestanding units and trolleys re-create the feel of a commercial kitchen.

If you are thinking of selling your property in the near future, "safe" colours and finishes such as neutral colours and tones attrack and appeal to broader range of buyers.

Take into account any other activities you and your family perform in the kitchen. Do you organize your house keeping affairs in the kitchen? If so, you may want to incorporate a home office in the kitchen. Do the children do their homework in the kitchen while you cook? Then a breakfast bar at a lower height may be ideal for meals as well as children doing their homework.

Mixing and matching different colours and materials of doors and benchtops in your kitchen can create an interesting result. For example, glass doors and stainless steel doors can be used sparingly to accentuate a rather plain white kitchen. Or try combining coloured doors with timber doors to create a unique design.