For a first kitchen design discussion, sketch the room and record wall lengths, ceiling height, doors, windows and visible service positions. Add photographs and appliance model numbers. Treat these as briefing measurements. A supplier or installer should verify the dimensions that determine the order before products are committed.
A rough drawing does not need to look professional. It needs to make the room understandable to someone who has not visited. Clear labels and a few well-chosen photographs are more useful than a polished sketch with missing dimensions.
Draw the room before measuring individual cabinets
Start with the outline as viewed from above. Give each wall a letter and show which way the room door opens. Mark adjoining rooms and any route people use through the kitchen. Use one unit throughout, preferably millimetres, and write it on the page.
Record complete wall lengths as well as the shorter sections around openings. Check whether the smaller sections add up to the overall length. If they do not, repeat the measurements instead of quietly adjusting one to make the drawing look tidy.
Label anything uncertain. An approximate measurement is useful when it is clearly marked; a guessed dimension presented as exact can travel into a product order.
Include the details that interrupt a straight run
A designer needs more than the distance between two corners. Note window widths, sill heights, door frames, radiators, boxed-in pipes and changes in ceiling height. Photograph them close up and from far enough away to show their position.
Measure accessible surfaces safely from floor level. Do not climb onto worktops or remove covers to investigate hidden services. If a dimension is difficult to obtain, explain why and leave it for the site visit.
An existing cabinet can hide a wall irregularity. Record what you can see, but do not assume that the concealed wall continues exactly as expected. The survey should identify which dimensions remain uncertain until strip-out.
Show existing services without planning the technical work
Mark the visible sink, waste pipe route, sockets, cooker connection area and extractor position. Add photographs of accessible pipework inside the sink cabinet. Do not move wiring, disconnect appliances or expose concealed pipework to improve the sketch.
Then use a different colour or separate page for the changes you would like. The current position and proposed position should not look like the same information. Moving a service needs a feasibility discussion, not simply a new symbol on a plan.
For technical requirements, the relevant trades need to assess the room and products. Your sketch helps them understand the question; it does not specify how the work should be carried out.
Record appliance models, not only widths
A nominal appliance width does not give the designer every installation dimension. Collect model numbers and manufacturer drawings for anything you intend to keep or buy. Include integrated door requirements, ventilation information and any accessory that affects the housing.
Photograph the appliance label where it is accessible without moving a heavy or connected unit. If you cannot find it, send the information you do have and mark the model as unconfirmed.
Our integrated appliance guide explains why a door system or housing depth can matter as much as the width shown on a shop listing.
Add a short account of how the room fails you
Measurements describe the space. Your daily routine explains what the new design needs to do. Write down specific problems: a dishwasher blocks the plate cupboard, the fridge opens against a wall, or there is no clear surface beside the cooking area.
Also say what works and should stay. That might be the view from the sink, a useful pantry or enough room for two people to cook. Keeping a successful part of the layout is a design decision too.
Howdens’ design advice also starts with planning and budget. Your own notes turn those broad choices into a brief about this room.
What should be checked before ordering?
Ask who will verify the plan against the room, including levels, corners, openings and the selected products. Keep the checked drawing with its date and revision. Send that same version to the fitter and any worktop supplier.
Do not order a kitchen from the rough measurements alone. A final site check can reveal the need for a filler, a different unit or an altered service position.
Matthew 633 offers free kitchen design. Send Dan your sketch and postcode, along with photographs and the changes you want. You can start the discussion before every finish has been chosen.
