Planning your new kitchen should be one of the most exciting adventures, especially if spending time in your kitchen is a passion. Unfortunately, for most of us, it can seem extremely daunting especially if you have a limited budget and a big desire for a perfectly fitted dream kitchen. Let's break down the key kitchen and design planning questions in simple order and leverage the invaluable experience of kitchen designers with 20 plus years of knowledge.

Lifestyle: what kind of kitchen?

Most important for planning, and how you spend your budget, will be a prioritization of your basic requirements. This really boils down to how you will use your kitchen. Determining who and how your kitchen is used with help you plan for the features you most desire. Let's review a couple of key lifestyle requirements for you to consider:

• Chef Lifestyle – will emphasize efficiency and functionality. This kitchen would feature large adjacent work areas with plenty of counter space, easy to access storage, and well-planned task lighting.

• Entertainer Lifestyle – from dramatic to simple, an entertaining kitchen will strike a balance between space and functionality. This kitchen will focus on spacious area for lots of people to gather and provide for informal intimacy for smaller gatherings.

• Family Lifestyle – at the heart of your home, the family kitchen should be easy to clean, comfortable and safe. This kitchen focuses on durability and needs to hold up to lots of daily wear and tear.

• Urban Lifestyle – when space matters, finding a highly functional balance with storage and smaller appliances in a smaller layout. This secret to this kitchen will be to make it larger than it appears.

• Accessible Lifestyle – a kitchen designed for independent living provides design features focused on accessibility with easy functionality making everyday tasks comfortable.

Style: what style kitchen fits your home?

Whether starting from scratch in a new home, doing a complete kitchen make-over, or simply updating your existing space, it's critical that your kitchen style fit to the overall style within your home. Kitchen design and planning takes into account the mood, as well as, the functionality of your kitchen design. Your kitchen style should fall into one of these four major categories:

• Traditional – A traditional style kitchen is a formal reflection of elegant European and American designs from the 18th and 19th centuries with ornate moldings and antique fixtures. Traditional cabinetry, meticulously crafted and seen in perfect symmetry and balance, is usually finished in cherry or mahogany stain, although painted white cabinetry is also very popular. Trim for traditional cabinets would include fluted panels, corner blocks, beaded trim, rosettes, finished with dentil crown molding. Countertops would be along the lines of marble or granite.

• Contemporary – Clean and simple architectural lines most describes a contemporary style kitchen. Influenced by European design, contemporary kitchens are notable for their spacious and efficient use of space and monochromatic color schemes. Often void of any personal touches and decorative elements, a contemporary style is typically reflected with use of chrome, glass, and stone and use of the latest in technology. Although a slick look, wood is not out but often combined with metal like stainless steel, copper, brass, pewter on surfaces like countertops, cabinet doors, and floors.

• Country – There are several different takes on a country kitchen style all of which should be nostalgic, pleasant and simple. Whether a reflection of English, French, Italian, or American, etc., this comfortable style has implications of rustic outdoors. Maple stain with distress elements and a crackled or pickled finish are most associated with the country or cottage style. Use of color, mix and match finishes, furniture pieces, and potted plants help make this one of the easiest styles to use for your kitchen. The key to country is to keep it simple.

• Transitional – If you are looking for a style which is open to interpretation, transitional is an eclectic blend of traditional and contemporary. Transitional is a popular choice for a remodel especially when you want to ignore the rules and just like what you like. Harder to define than traditional, contemporary, or country, transitional is more a blending of modern innovation with classic design and can be dressed out in any way you prefer. An example might be to design an all-white kitchen but mix the finishes and details. Another example might be mixing components, such as hardware, moldings, cabinet doors, etc., from different eras. Think of transitional as a more playful blending of old and new design. Here's an idea, replace the sticky notes on your refrigerator door with a chalkboard wall!

With the foundation of knowing your Lifestyle and Design Style, it will be less daunting and certainly more exciting to understand the decisions you'll need to make about appliances, cabinets, countertops, faucets, sinks, and more. In additional to planning your budget, experts in kitchen designs can also help you know the latest trends whether it's building an eco-friendly kitchen or selecting the hottest in fashion colors.

Most importantly, a good kitchen design and plan will help you consider all the tips for a safe, functional, and clutter-free kitchen, so you can get down to cooking.