Designing Your Ideal kitchen
A kitchen is not just a kitchen. It is where everyone comes together. Kitchens are where you and your family connect, you talk over a good meal about your days, you help your kids with their homework and you share a couple of laughs with good friends over a glass of wine. The kitchen is where memories are made and this is why kitchen design is so important.
What makes a kitchen perfect? How can you make sure you have a kitchen where you can help your kids with their homework while you cook, have a glass of wine with friends while not being cramped and have dinner with the family without sitting on top of one another?
This all comes down to your kitchen design.
Dreaming up your ideal kitchen
When it comes to designing your kitchen the first thing you need to do is think about what you want from your kitchen, what you currently have and what you can afford. This will give you an idea on what sort of kitchen you will need. When assessing your needs for your kitchen, to look at the following three aspects:
1. How do you really live?
If you love to cook and entertain don’t shoot yourself in the foot with small counter tops, limited appliances, a single sink and no room to sit. Rather look for plenty of open counter space and all the necessary appliances. Finish it off with the Athena or Amaltia double kitchen sinks. Seating space (bar stools) around your kitchen island is always a useful addition. If you are the furthest thing from Jamie Oliver then rather go for a simplistic kitchen. No need to waste your time on all the expensive appliances if they are going to gather dust.
2. What is your current kitchen situation?
Do you have a kitchen that merely needs to be upgraded or is it at a bit of an area that is not functional? It is important to know what your current situation is and what your dream kitchen is, the difference between the two is what needs to be addressed.
3. What sort of dough do you have to spend?
It is important to assess what you have and what you want in your dream kitchen. The next step is to budget how much money you have to spend. If your dream kitchen is going to cost more than you can afford, assess how badly you want this kitchen or if the “dream” can be altered. Don’t be afraid to put the kitchen design on hold and save up a bit more. You don’t want to spend a ton of money on a kitchen that you don’t really want and most importantly that doesn’t satisfy your needs.
Kitchen Logistics
When you get to the nitty-gritty of designing your kitchen you need to think about logistics. Think function before you start to think interior design. What is the point in having your dream kitchen if it is difficult to move around, things just don’t fit and it is not a safe place to be?
1. The Work Triangle
Research was conducted into the steps and paths of people in the kitchen, the result is known as the ‘Work Triangle’. At each corner of the Work Triangle, you find the sink, the stove and the fridge. The main idea is to keep these paths open and the distances between these three as equal as possible.
2. Counter Space
Once you have your work triangle spaced out nicely, think about counter space as it is very important and you can never have enough of it. Having counter space near the open side of your fridge will be the best thing since sliced bread when you do a grocery shop. Counter space is also essential on either side of the stove and your sink. If you are a true lover of cooking you will know the hassle of the countless pots and pans, plates and dishes that go into cooking one excellent meal, if you don’t have the counter space to store these, things start to get incredibly cramped. When it comes to choosing the material for your counter tops, be sure to choose something that is heat resistant.
3. Storage space
Many things need to be considered in order for your kitchen to be functional and suit your every need. Pots and pans, spices, cutlery and crockery, cooking utensils, appliances, the list is endless. It is important to make sure you have the right amount of storage. The more you enjoy being in the kitchen will dictate how much storage space you will need. Be wise when it comes to storage, use every nook and cranny you can find, use the walls if possible, hang things from the ceiling if necessary, do what you have to do to make sure you can store everything you need in your kitchen.
4. Appliances
It is imperative you know where gas pipes, water sources and electrical lines are in your kitchen design before placing appliances. Your dishwasher requires easy access to a water supply, your stove needs access to gas pipes and all appliances need access to electricity. One of the fatal errors with kitchen design is placing appliances without knowing where their power sources are. Just be sure to check these before you make any permanent installations.
5. Safety is very important in your Kitchen Design
If you have kids you need to make sure you can see their play area outside and inside. Make sure you can keep an eye on them and you are able to run to the rescue if necessary. Consider round-edge counter tops rather than square edge to avoid injury. Anti-slip flooring is advised to prevent any mishaps if there are any spillages when it comes to your kitchen design. Our Fusion wood-look tiles are available in both natural and anti-slip with colours ranging to suit any room design.
6. Don’t forget about your trash
Most people don’t think about this in their kitchen design and when it comes to the final touches they remember their dustbin. A built-in dustbin should be plan A in anyone’s kitchen. It is clean, tidy and cannot be seen. No one wants to have their bin out in the open and smelling. Definitely not ideal if you ask us. Also, keep in mind recycling. If you are a firm believer or would like to start, the easiest way is to make the space for it. If you have the space, it all falls into place.
7. The flooring
When it comes to the floor of your kitchen you need to think of safety, cleanliness and durability. For safety reasons we suggest anti-slip tiles to avoid injury in the kitchen. Make sure you choose tiles that are less porous (porcelain), easy to clean and easy to maintain. Hardwood flooring looks fabulous but it doesn’t last as long around the fridge, stove and sink areas. If you’re looking for the more natural look we suggest you go for wood look tiles as these are also available in anti-slip. We advise that you avoid white tiles in the kitchen as these show dirt easily. While you may think it looks great, over time you may regret it.
8. Lighting
Something so simple can change the mood in a second. The best lighting for a kitchen is a dimming light. If you’re having a romantic evening with your partner cooking and relaxing, pour yourself a glass of wine and dim the lights to create a nice atmosphere.
The kitchen brings everyone together, make sure it is a place where you all want to spend time. Use these kitchen design tips to improve this area considerably.