Well here are a few handy tips to consider so that you don’t lose your cool…

The most exciting element when choosing a fridge is the overall style you want to project – there are hundreds of different colours and designs that can be used for inspiration, from uber modern to retro to even having an England flag adorning the fridge!

Editor of Essential Kitchen magazine, Ronnie Whelan says “The fridge is a major element of a kitchen’s design”

And as to where to put your fridge – they can be hidden behind kitchen cupboards which is ideal for a streamlined look that suits open-plan living.

On the other hand, freestanding fridge/freezers use less floor space than built-in units making them perfect for flats. But can, on the other hand, they be less energy efficient and noisier.

Freestanding fridges are ideal for making a statement and can work with most kitchen designs -  plus there’s an enormous variety of colourful, retro-styled, black, white or stainless steel designs.

Another key point is to consider is your eating and drinking habits – if you enjoy a cheeky glass of wine every now and again then perhaps a special cooler would be a nice extra. Other special features include open door alarms and ice and chilled water dispensers.

So think outside the box, don’t just go for standard white when you could make your fridge a funky focal point in your kitchen.

As the World Cup gets in to full swing, we wonder if this could be the perfect kitchen for a football fanatic??

The Winning entry came from three designers from China and is called “Round cupboard assembling that can be rotated and lifted”. Each element is designed to allow objects to come to the user instead of the user moving to them to help save time and space.

Magnet loves this concept and think it would work great in a compact kitchen where space is of the premium!

Here’s what the designers had to say:

(1) Creating the new concept of happy kitchen: Sharing the joy with relatives and friends face-to-face.

(2) Cupboard adopts double-deck rotator structure, can rotate 180°respectively, the three major work center of washing, mixing and cooking can rotate in the front of the operator, let “zero” distance in each workflow; And can lift in certain distance in order to be suitable for the different operator.

(3) Flume has two kinds of outlets: The parallel water outlets of induction type lie on both sides of flume; The holding type faucets with metal hose lie in the middle of two flumes, that can be suitable for operating under various environments.

(4) Abandon the board type, slide rail and hinge of the traditional cupboard completely. This cupboard regards the structure frame of aluminum alloy and the combination of stainless steel pipe as the integer structure. Adopt level bearing, hydraulic pressure system, shutting system to realize lifting of cupboard and wall cupboard.

(5) Integrative structures with operational table-board, flume and kitchen, cupboard distribute icebox, disinfector and oven symmetrically, other borders are closets.

(6) Lower cupboard is drawing structure, can pull out wholly while using, and make the operation simplify. Hang the kitchen ventilator under the top cupboard with function of illumination.

One of the things I love most about editing Beautiful Kitchens is getting the chance to see designs that have been inspired by the magazine and the companies we feature. I love it when I get an email or a letter with images of a kitchen that has been put together with the help of the magazine.

I know to my cost (I’m planning a new kitchen myself at the moment) how confusing it can be and how much planning it requires to bring the whole thing together, so if you’re in the middle of a project at the moment, I feel your pain!

My current dilemma is how many drawers and how many cupboards. Having seen how much more you can squeeze into a design using drawers rather than traditional shelves my hoarding heart is moving towards more drawers… (follow how I get on at www.beautifulkitchens.wordpress.com).

Whether you’re doing the whole thing yourself or using the services of designers and planner there are so many choices to be made it can be a minefield.

Luckily, for one couple that wrote to me recently some of those choices had been taken care of as they found themselves the winners of a Beautiful Kitchens appliance competition. With their kitchen project well under way and their extension already built they were just planning their Haywood Magnet kitchen when they got the good news.

I’m sure you’ll agree that the finished design by Magnet’s branch in Sale, Cheshire, looks stunning (you can see the whole kitchen in our June issue on sale now.) I particularly like how they’ve made a real feature of the island by creating a border in the flooring to ‘frame’ it. I’m a big fan of built-in ovens too – it’s much easier to make sure you’re not burning that cake when you don’t have to bend to peer into the oven. It just goes to show that you don’t have to be flash to have a ‘wow’ kitchen.

This week we have a special guest post from interiors expert Jennifer Drew, from Housetohome, who writes the fantastic blog Room Envy. She’ll be talking about what makes her dream kitchen.

GUEST POST BY  JENNIFER DREW

www.roomenvy.wordpress.com

The only downside to working for an interiors magazine, is that just when you’ve updated your teeny kitchen to within an inch of its life, an image of your dream kitchen comes along and pretty much knocks its lights out.

I love this kitchen, I always have and I always will. I remember spotting it in 25 Beautiful Homes a year or two ago, and like a teen with a crush, I knew we’d be together at some point … unfortunately the cut-out of the kitchen still remains pinned up on my noticeboard, waiting for the day that it can be designed (although I abstained from drawing hearts on it).

First and foremost, I’ve always wanted a kitchen with beautiful exposed beams. I’m not sure if there’s a better reason to move to the country! Make sure you keep the walls neutral though – it will allow these original features to take centre stage – and DON’T paint them – for me it’s the same as painting an antique fluorescent pink.

Secondly, I love the chunky cream units, they’re rustic and perfect for this look. Oooh and the storage baskets are ideal. It’s great to keep a lot of your kitchen accessories on display, but baskets like these are great for stashing away the less attractive items. I LOVE the Linton range by Magnet for the rustic look, and the baskets featured in the Buxton range are perfect. All you need to complete the cabinetry is a classic Belfast sink.

And the icing on the cake? KITCHEN COLOUR! An AGA is a must-have in a country kitchen and I love how this ruby red design adds real pizazz, it’s teamed with a colourful tile splashback which looks great against the rustic brick.

Finally, it’s all in the accessories. Display your best china and glassware in a cream kitchen dresser. This one is perfect for storing cutlery while showing off your favourite trinkets. Add to this some chintzy floral fabrics and linens here; some polka dot hearts there; a whistling kettle and a nice cup of tea, and you’ve got yourself one super good-looking country-style kitchen.

This year stone floors are very popular – so If you’re considering getting one there are a number of things you need to consider before making the decision.

Stone floors look great in modern kitchens and are extremely hard-wearing and completely water resistant. They are also very easy to clean which is very important in the kitchen because it’s the room where spillages are most likely to occur.

Another benefit of stone floors is that during hot summer months they will help keep the room cool. However, during the winter they can feel cold and hard.

However, stone floors aren’t suitable for every home. They look great but they are also very expensive and costly to install. Sometimes a stronger sub-floor may be required prior to installation due to the weight of the stone which can further add to the cost.

To achieve the stone effect at a fraction of the cost you can try using a stone floor tile, such as one from Magnet’s Flagstone range. Tiles have the same look and feel of stone but will not require reinforced floor. It is also much easier to replace them if they get damaged.

It is also very important when choosing a stone floor to avoid glossy finishes as they can be very slippery when wet.

If you open any homes magazine you’ll see that this trend is already making it’s way in to the home. But now, thanks to the latest technology, it’s even possible to add floral prints to the kitchen too!

Vibrant colours look great in designer kitchens and can be highlighted by matching coloured appliances such as cookers, toasters or kettles. For a truly contemporary look try extending the accent colour into accessories such as vases and crockery.

Kitchen Splashblacks are also a great place to replicate an accent colour. Magnet’s glass splashbacks can be colour-matched to any colour to create a truly unique kitchen design.

Feng Shui originated during the third century BC in the West Han dynasty and it is believed to promote good health, family harmony, happiness and prosperity.

So how can Feng Shui be used in the kitchen?

The Cooker

The position of the cooker is very important – the cook needs to be able to concentrate on cooking without any distractions. However they also need to be able to see the kitchen door to allow the cook a greater sense of security. If this is not possible add a mirrored splashback to the cooker and angle so that the door is visible.

As chi leaves and enters through windows, it is very important that the cooker is not positioned under a skylight or in front of a window as it will allow too much energy to escape.

In the kitchen to the left, Urban Crème, the cooker is away from the window, separated from the sink and also the cook can clearly see out into the room/door.

The Elements

In Feng Shui there are five elements: Fire, Water, Earth, Metal and Wood. The elements of Fire and Water are opposite so when designing a kitchen it is important not to place the cooker opposite or adjacent to the sink or fridge. If this is unavoidable, you can add a mitigating element in between (Wood) – a wooden panel, chopping board or hanging wooden utensils will do the trick.

Eating and Communicating

One of the main aims of Feng Shui is to promote harmony and communication, so your kitchen layout should reflect this. Avoid stools with no mountain (back support) and never have them at a bar directly facing a wall – this discourages communication and encourages unhealthy fast eating. Where possible, have a table where the whole family can sit around to eat, promoting conversation and wellbeing.

The Colours and Lighting

When it comes to colours in the kitchen, try and stick to just two or three main colours otherwise you risk over stimulating the chi. Use light colours on the walls as these are very enlivening.

Both natural and artificial light can help circulate chi so try and keep the room as open and bright as possible. If you can, install halogen lights in the ceiling as they cast to no shadows and avoid neon lights as they are too harsh and flicker often causing headaches.

Here’s a quick overview of the four main types of kitchen sinks:

Undermounted

As the name suggest, this sink is fitted beneath the kitchen surface. This allows the cut edge of the worktop to be seen which means it can only be used with waterproof materials such as granite and marble. They come in a wide variety of style and colours, however they don’t offer an integral draining board.

Inset

Inset sinks are set into a hole cut out of the work surface (left.) Typically made of stainless steel they come in a huge variety of styles and sizes including twin bowls, 1.5 bowls and circular. Most come with an integrated draining board and they can be used with any work surface. They offer great value for money.

Integral

Modern materials such as Corian can be moulded to create a worktop and sink in flawless, seamless length. There are no joins so it creates a very sleek and stylish finish, however, it can be quite costly and dishes have to be drained on the work surface.

Belfast or Butler

Typically made of ceramic, the Belfast or Butler sink sits below the worktop which means they do not have an integral drainer. They look great in country kitchens (right) and are normally pretty large which means makes the great for doing the washing up. The only drawback is that dishes and glassware can easily get chipped by the hard ceramic surface.

GUEST POST BY KITCHEN EXPERT MAJJIE

www.advancedkd.co.uk

Can you visualise an old fashioned fitted kitchen? It’s the sort of kitchen that most UK homeowners aspired to, from the very birth of the fitted kitchen, after the second world war, right up to the 1980s. Every square inch of the room is filled with fitted furniture – all at the same height. With the country-look timber kitchens, popular in the eighties, it was also quite common to run a flyover pelmet – often with some fretwork – across the top of any windows, to join the wall units either side. The kitchen imposed it’s own rigid horizontal lines onto the room. People were so proud of their new kitchens, that they wanted them to dominate the room.

Today’s fitted kitchens are very different. They’ve been influenced by two trends; the first being the resurgence of the unfitted, traditional kitchen with free standing furniture; and the second being minimalism. Like the fitted kitchen, minimalism originated in the 1930s but it’s only in the last five to ten years that it’s had a big influence on kitchen design. For most of us, though, a truly minimal kitchen wouldn’t be practical.

Confusingly, the modern fitted kitchen also places a lot of emphasis on horizontal lines but where it differs from the old fashioned look, is that modern kitchens are designed to fit in with the architecture of the room. Have a look at this Urban Cafe kitchen from Magnet (left.)

I know it’s a display, rather than a real kitchen – but it still illustrates the point. The units are in discreet blocks and they don’t extend around the corner of the room. Allowing the room corners to be seen is a way of making the kitchen furniture look more free-standing. The horizontal lines are emphasised by the use of deep pan drawers – which are also a very practical form of storage.

Of course, in a smaller kitchen it’s much more difficult to achieve this open looking, less fitted style but have a look at another example from Magnet – in their Vicenza range:

This is a more conventional L-shaped layout – and the base units are indeed fitted around the corner of the room – but the wall units are much more varied than in an old fashioned fitted kitchen. There are also some midi-height and tall units to break up that horizontal worktop line.

So, how do you achieve a modern look for your kitchen, whilst maximising storage space – especially if you don’t have one large enough to accommodate a big island? Here’s how:

• Work with the architecture of your room, as much as you can – don’t cover it up
• Try to keep the room corners clear, at least above the worktop
• If you need to use the corners, use one side only – don’t wrap the units around the corner
• If you need to use all the corner space – fit some open shelves there
• Don’t try to make your whole room or all of one wall symmetrical – work in blocks of units
• Use more than one colour of unit door (have another look at that Urban Café picture)
• Use more than one type of kitchen worktop finish
• Use different heights and depths of units to create variety in a single run
• Try different colour plinths (or plinth lights) to delineate separate areas
• Unless it really restricts your worktop space, choose midi-height or tall units to maximise storage space (after all – the area between worktop and wall unit is the most convenient to reach – and it’s often left empty)
• If you have the space, use isolated units such as dressers or double width larders, as well as island units
• For larger kitchens, a trick often used to get that minimal look, is to fit tall larders, fridge-freezer     housings and oven housings all along one wall … so it still looks like a wall, without too many features

Of course, in a very tiny kitchen, you may not be able to use a lot of this advice … but you could always consider knocking a wall through and extending the kitchen into the living room. A lot of modern kitchen furniture – like the Cubista Walnut (right) – is designed to look good in the living area too.