Time for a new kitchen? Then these 10 designer tips are well worth considering before you spend …

1. Who’s the main cook? Make sure they can get to the hotplate, oven and sink, plus pots and pans. Don’t position the fridge centre-stage as casual users (kids) will be in the way of the cook.

2. What do you cook and eat, and for how many? Family roasts need a good, big oven, lots of stir-fries need a high-quality wok burner, fresh organic foods need superior temperature-controlled refrigeration.

3. Design for life, not for fashion Most Aussies spend $25,000 on their kitchen and expect it to last 10 years. If you’re renovating and selling soon, real estate agents say, white, white and just maybe off-white!

4. Storage is king Daily, weekly or monthly food shopper? Ensure you plan the right amount of pantry and fridge food storage, and keep both away from cooking areas but within easy reach of casual users (kids).

5. Choose surfaces to last Most kitchen `insides’ are cut from pretty much the same MDF board, but surface materials, like doors, differ a lot in durability and quality. So do hinges, door handles etc…

6. Work out your budget Cabinets are just the beginning. Add benchtops, taps, wall tiles, exhaust, sinks, major appliances, lighting, installation trades (plumber, electrician, tiler) when setting your budget. Kitchen flat-packs are a much more superior product than they once were - so if your budget is tight, start with DIY.

7. Design a focus to your kitchen  Something dramatic like a feature wall of tiles, hanging lights over an island unit, a large chalkboard for scribbles… give people something to look at/talk about.

8. Keep appliances in proportion  French-door fridges,  double ovens etc look good on magazine pages, but for a small kitchen they’ll reduce your usable space. Small appliances like 45cm-wide slimline dishwashers are great for apartment kitchens.

9. Think about your house Choose a kitchen design that fits your home’s architecture not just appeals to your personal likes. When you sell your house, you’ll get top dollar.

10. Kitchen trends Up-selling (all kitchen companies do it) with lots of cabinet `insides’ like baskets, fitted cutlery drawers, built-in storage containers etc, will add lots of extra dollars to your design.