The cook report

Whether it's bohemian, hi-tech or good old Ikea, the key to a successful kitchen is mixing, matching and, crucially, measuring

"History sinks into a kitchen the way fish odours sink into your hands," writes Nora Seton (rather pompously) in her memoir, The Kitchen Congregation.

It's not an attitude that appeals to kitchen manufacturers or TV makeover programmes, implying, as it does, a distressingly anti-consumerist fondness for old things. In truth, though, this is one element in the cult of the kitchen: the tendency to associate this heart of the home with all things battered and worn. At the other end is a modernist's dream of gleaming surfaces and hi-tech gadgetry. Most of us want something in between and, if we are lucky, we'll have more than one attempt to get it right. (On average, the UK homeowner renovates a kitchen every seven years.) These are big decisions, however, so a helping hand is needed.

Structure Kitchen designers speak archly of fitted versus freestanding units. There is a degree of pretension here. All units stand on legs, it's just that the fitted variety (which are firmly attached to the wall via a splashback) have legs hidden behind a plinth. As an assistant in a smart kitchen shop admits: "People like the idea of the modular (ie free-standing) kitchens, but in the end they usually don't go for them, because they know they can't be bothered to rearrange the units. And besides, you have to clean underneath them all the time."

Before you do anything with the room in question, consider how you plan to use it. Liz Hammond, who created an open-plan area out of four adjoining rooms, says that now her children are older, she wishes she could shut them out of the kitchen. "I don't want members of the family blasting at me from all directions," she says. "Nor do I want the in-laws hovering about, giving unwanted advice. I want to be left on my own to concentrate on what I'm cooking."

Common mistakes Everyone knows you can design (and fit, in some cases) a kitchen yourself. It's not rocket science and budget retailers are keen to encourage this: MFI offers a design facility on its website; Ikea supplies free pencils, grid paper and natty little stickers to represent units and appliances, all to scale. Nevertheless, a common mistake is to mis-measure the space (the prevalent reason for returning goods to the shop). This is why it is always best to keep packaging in pristine condition until you are sure that everything fits.

Another trap that people fall into is assuming the washing machine must always go in the kitchen. The noise from this can be very irritating, especially if you eat in the same room. Think about putting it elsewhere. Similarly, you should also be careful about what you do with the fridge. A freestanding fridge in a kitchen where everything else is fitted might prove a big, white eyesore.

Experts Besides appliances, the critical decisions concern available space and materials - which depend on cost. This is where professionals can be really useful, be they retailers, designers, craftsmen or architects. It is no surprise, then, that most of us will at some point call in an expert - usually soon after yet another DIY row.

The most common route is to walk into a high-street showroom, where the cost of the advice and plans is concealed in the price of the finished kitchen. Be warned: most kitchen retailers (such as Shaker, PlainEnglish, Bulthaup, etc) are unwilling to sell accessories or units individually. They will design for you, provided you pay for the full shebang.

The most expensive route (but one that may prove better value in the long run) is to consult an architect or interior designer. Many space constraints could be alleviated by moving the kitchen to another room. The plumbing and wiring costs of this are often overestimated by consumers, and an architect will be able to advise on the best value for your budget. You can find an architect in your area by contacting RIBA (architects' governing body). Expect a minimum fee of £4,000.

Interior designers might charge £2,000 to design and choose materials for a kitchen. Though they're more associated with curtains than copper pipes, an experienced designer should be able to oversee technical work.

Still appalled by such fees? Here's some free advice from architect Paul Monaghan, of Alford Hall Monaghan Morris: "If you're on a tight budget but would like something better than a mass-produced kitchen, start by buying carcasses from Ikea and get a joiner to make the doors separately. You can then paint them (spray painting is best) and buy high-quality handles, so no one will be able to recognise the make. Go to a reputable retailer such as John Lewis for appliances, to benefit from their advice and guarantees. Then, with the money you've saved on the cupboards, splash out on a really good work surface, such as granite, slate or Corian. The surface will probably cost the same as the rest put together, but because the eye is drawn towards it, the whole lot will look like a million dollars."

A tale of three kitchens

The bohemian look Georgina von Etzdorf's occupation is easy to spot in her bohemian country kitchen. The sofa gives it away, covered in the fashion designer's lustrous velvet. But it's not hot off the catwalks: the sofa, like the cooker, with its red Bakelite knobs, came from a skip, years ago. "Friends say, why don't you get a proper cooker? But it does the job and now it's like a friend." A lot of care has been lavished on von Etzdorf's kitchen. The cupboards and work surfaces were made by a local cabinet maker, and every item seems to have a history behind it: even the fridge, which her parents bought in 1950s New York. Von Etzdorf feels completely comfortable in the kitchen. She's only ever had to change one thing: "I had a butcher's block in the middle, but people always stood around it chatting and getting in the way. So I moved it against the wall. That stopped them; now they flop on to the sofa instead." Contacts: Just Doors (bespoke doors and drawer fronts), 0870 200 1010. Allgood (smart handles, etc), 020-7255 9321; Fired Earth (tiles, fabrics, paint), 020-7589 0489. Steve Charles & Co (flooring/work surfaces), 020-7384 4424.

A little designer number

At first, Lucille Lewin's London kitchen looks like one of those expensive, minimalist jobs. But Lewin has more eclectic tastes. 'None of it is textbook: it's a mix of fitted and freestanding, new and old things.' She had few fixed ideas when she commissioned architect Seth Stein, except that she wanted an indoor barbecue (as you do). Stein struggled with the idea but, in the end, converted the period fireplace into a 'campfire'. Open shelves allow her to grab things easily and change the look by moving ceramics around. But Lewin likes best the 17th-century baker's table that she uses for chopping: it looks better the more often it's used. She was firm in her choice of appliances: a big (and monstrously expensive) range cooker with two ovens, and a walk-in fridge (for parties). Her only mistake, she says, was insisting on a floor of old, bleached, French oak, which shows up every grease spot. 'I'm always sloshing Domestos on it.' Contacts: RIBA's Client Advisory Service (to find an architect in your area), 020-7307 3700; CVO Firevault (for indoor barbecues), 020-7580 5333.

On a budget

Oliver Bennett designed his kitchen with his partner, Helen Healy, three years ago, with family life in mind. 'Having kids, you use the kitchen a lot, so it has to be workable.' He also had that common constraint: a tight budget. So the units were made by a local builder by adding cherry wood fronts to mass-produced carcasses. Bennett had wanted a granite work surface, but it was too expensive, so he opted for reclaimed wood instead, for half the cost. Other elements are economical with both space and money, such as the small and unobtrusive dishwasher (45cm wide), and the boiler, hidden behind a wood facade. In the end, the kitchen cost around £4,000. Contacts: For ready-made units to customise, Ikea, 020-8208 5600, Magnet, 020-7486 8711, MFI, 020-8200 8000; Dupont Corian (work surfaces), 01442 346779; Gec Anderson (bespoke stainless-steel sinks and tops), 01442 826999