Have you ever stopped and wondered why family and friends all tend to congregate in the kitchen? What is it about kitchens that evoke a mysterious magnetic attraction?
The kitchen is designed for preparing and cooking meals. However, over the past few decades, the kitchen has slowly morphed into the heart of the home.
In fact, in most homes, the kitchen wears many hats—its the center of the family team huddle, the place for bantering with friends, the computer room for paying the bills, an entertainment center, children’s art museum; and let us not forget its original purpose—a place to enjoy good food with family and friends.
To experience such moments in your kitchen: there are a few things to consider during your kitchen design.
- Let there be light
A well ventilated and well-lit kitchen makes you want to hang in there longer. Since the kitchen is a hardworking space having good natural and artificial light is crucial.
- Treat your walls
While sitting in the kitchen, it would be nice to have something to look at while you wait for your food to cook. Use texture, mosaic tiles, paint, or artwork to spruce those blank walls.
- Function
How you want to use your kitchen will determine what’s fitted in it. If you are a large family, you probably want to have double sinks because of the dishes. If you always want people sitting around the kitchen while you prepare meals, it is worth considering having an island or table in the kitchen.
- Have a theme
Have a subject or an idea of how you want your kitchen to look. Having a theme in mind will guide you even as you search for inspirational images on the web.
Your house might not turn out exactly like the photos you have downloaded, that is ok that was not the intention in the first place. Remember to be as practical as possible to avoid disappointment when photo searching.
- Materials and accessories
These include the board selection. Is it smooth or textured, is the color flowing with your theme or contrasting it? What material do you want for your accessories? Is it stainless steel or brass finish?
How about the countertop? Make it simple and have two options. A butcher block or granite stone?
As far as the floor finish is concerned, it’s always advisable to use non-slip tiles and if you want to use wood, please ensure there are no leaks or overflows from the tap as that would end up being messy.
- Let it flow
An efficient kitchen allows for easy movement, easy reach to the top cabinets, enough space on the island counter for people to sit on.
A well-designed kitchen also locates things appropriately. For example, the sink and cooker cant be placed together as that cant work. In a kitchen, a system called a working triangle needs to be in place. See image below.
- Storage
There is no efficient kitchen without proper storage. Every cubic cm counts. That doesn’t mean you cramp the kitchen with cabinets in all four walls? It means that every crockery item, cutlery, pots, and pans need storage to maintain an organized look in the kitchen.
The kitchen is the most detailed area to design in a home. It just has to work. The primary user has to like it there enough to want to spend all their time there.
It’s not a job for the faint-hearted and, that’s where I come in. As an Interior designer, I have specialized in kitchen design for five years. I turn blank spaces into full-size kitchens working with installers and service providers every step of the way. Whether you want to design for a new build or renovate your existing kitchen, you are in the right place.
For more information on my design services, click the link here and send us an email or call us for more information on how we can be of service to you.
I hope this post was insightful and informative. I also hope you have learned a thing or two.
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