Functional Design Secrets to Help Refurbish Your Kitchen
The kitchen is arguably the most complex room in your entire home, owing not only to the multitude of appliances, as well as the plumbing and wiring necessary to make them work, but also because it is a place where you carry out a multitude of activities. From cooking and baking to hosting dinner parties and welcoming guests, having family discussions, or simply spending some quiet and relaxing moments with a mug of tea in the morning, there’s no shortage of activities you can do in the kitchen.
However, it doesn’t exist to serve as a purely aesthetic space. After all, it serves a very practical purpose, so the space should be designed to meet these requirements. So, if you’ve been planning to refurbish your kitchen, here are some of the techniques and design choices you should use to make the most use of the space you have at your disposal.
Maximum storage
Contents
One of the first and most important signs of a well-equipped, practical kitchen is that the storage space has been used to its maximum potential. You might think this is only possible in the case of larger kitchens, but the trick is to find the best solutions to work even if the room is much tinier. You’ve most likely never heard anyone say that they have too much room in their kitchen that goes unused.
The important thing is to remember that there’s a lot of dead space in kitchens because they are not arranged in a straight line. Unutilised areas and corner cabinets can be customized and employed as extra storage space. For instance, you can transform them into pull-out spice rack organisers. Bonus points if you can add this feature close to the stove for easy access.
If you’re thinking about kitchen makeovers, consider handy space-saving hacks that can come in really useful. You might want to look into neat tips and tricks that can be really helpful alongside custom furniture for your brand-new space.
Everything in its place
When your kitchen is well-organised, working with the space is much easier. Make sure there’s a designated place for all the appliances you own. This encourages you to put your things in order, so you’ll never lose time searching for hours on end for a hand mixer or colander. Arrange your cutlery, utensils and spice in the same manner so that the moment you need something, you can go directly to the drawer where it’s located.
Putting the kitchen appliances away and not leaving them laying on the counter doesn’t only protect them and ensures they last longer and are in better condition, but it also frees up much-needed space you can use when meal prepping.
The workstation
When you’re thinking about designing a functional kitchen, there’s no way you can ignore the importance of having a good workflow. This means you can move from one task to the next without worrying about backtracking. If you want to use the work triangle model, you must include three main areas in your planning, the stove, sink and refrigerator. This concept originated back in the 1940s when the average kitchen was much smaller compared to the ones of today. The work triangle ensures that the kitchen becomes much more efficient, as the lines between the points are easily reachable and clear of all obstacles.
The other design you can use is the workstation. This version is much more modern and allows you to cook while others around you do something else, such as talking or socialising. Children can even do homework as they wait for dinner to be ready. This arrangement creates an environment similar to that of luxury restaurants, where food is cooked directly in front of you before being served. The workstation is also pragmatic because it allows you to dine in the same area where the cooking occurred without the extra fuss of taking all the plates and bowls to a different table.
Choose matt handleless kitchens for this arrangement, as they’re one of the easiest options out there when it comes to cleaning. You only need to wipe the counter with a clean, damp cloth, and dinner is ready to serve. This means you don’t have to use harsh cleaning agents or detergents that could contaminate the food.
Streamlining
The concept of streamlining has a great deal of notoriety in all areas of life, from business processes to traffic flow. It’s not difficult to see the reason for this overnight stardom. After all, it refers to doing things in a simpler, more straightforward way. When it comes to your kitchen, streamlining means focusing on proximity and the way in which you allocate space. Think of all the ways in which you could make things easier for yourself, as well as how you could make cooking and cleaning quicker.
For example, you could put your utensils drawer close to the sink or the dishwasher to make things faster. The bins and recycling should be placed under the sink to make clean-up faster after the meals. Most cabinets come in standard sizes, and some might be easier to reach than others. Make sure that the most frequently used items are placed within reach for everyone in the household to promote accessibility.
Lighting
You might think that lights are only important when considering the atmosphere, but they’re crucial in designing a practical kitchen environment. You need both natural and artificial sources, and the way in which the room is illuminated is very important. Meal prepping areas, the stove and the countertop are the areas that need bright lights most of all. Not having sufficient lighting means your recipes might turn out all wrong, as you won’t be able to measure the ingredients correctly. It can also be a potential safety hazard when you’re dicing vegetables or slicing meat.
Ideally, you should have as much natural lighting as possible. However, for smaller spaces, you can use under-cabinet lights to illuminate your kitchen and make it easier to find things and move around.
Creating the perfect kitchen largely depends on your personal taste and particular requirements. However, if you’re looking to assemble a fully functional kitchen, keeping a few useful tips in mind will save you a great deal of trouble.
