Kitchen
One perhaps seemingly trivial, but effective, component of the kitchen was to place the bin at the end of the island so the owners can chop and slide scraps off into it, which they love for the convenience. It’s these practical details that you never want to dismiss due to site constraints.
Powerpoints in the cupboards Gone are the days of storing your toaster and kettle on the kitchen bench. The trend these days is to hide your appliances away in a cupboard. To this end, you need to ensure you plan for electric sockets to be installed inside your cupboards, so your appliances can actually be plugged in. I would suggest installing more than one double socket, as we are using more and more appliances these days. The humble toaster and kettle don’t cut it anymore – we have coffee machines, mix-masters and food processors. So install two double sockets so you can have all your appliances on the go!
Bin location The kitchen bin is not only used for food scraps and packaging. More often than not, it is used for everyday household rubbish that is collected around the house. For this reason, it is useful to place the bin at a point in the kitchen that is easily accessible from the rest of the house. I suggest placing it on the end of the bench or island, closest to the kitchen entrance. That way, you can simply throw something in the bin as you walk past, rather than walk into the kitchen and get in the way of the chef! As for a compost bin, that you can keep as close to your food prep area as possible.
Close dishwasher and sink placement If you wish to avoid dripping food and grease on the floor, place the dishwasher within arms reach of the sink. That way, when you rinse the excess food off plates, you can place them straight in the dishwasher. Otherwise you will have to travel across the kitchen dripping dirty water as you go, and I am yet to meet anyone who enjoys mopping the kitchen floor! It is also important to place the dishwasher by the sink in order to connect the dishwasher plumbing to the drain and taps.
Go for warmth Look at the temperature of light bulbs, which is measured in kelvins and is marked on the packaging. Light globes of 2000-3000K will give you a warm white light, perfect for a cosy kitchen. Opt for low-glare styles. A good mix of indirect (or ambient) lighting paired with task lights for prep zones will set a practical yet welcoming tone in the kitchen. Having them on separate dimmable switches makes it easy to alter the mood when cooking or relaxing. Tip: Be wary of shiny benchtops that can reflect glare back at you
Focus on how you’ll use the space Think about where you’ll need to see clearly in the kitchen, such as cooking, washing and prep zones, and select the appropriate fittings. Make sure the globes you choose emit sufficient light, then make sure you position them in the right spots. For example, if you’re choosing ceiling downlights, place them centrally over benchtops. Adding lighting beneath overhead cabinetry is another way to boost visibility in your prep and cooking zones. It can also create great mood lighting at night in an open-plan kitchen, once the cooking is done.
Factor in surrounding furniture and finishes When selecting tiles, keep in mind the look you’re trying to achieve and be confident in your choice. It’s also a good idea to go to the showroom armed with a mood board of the other elements in the kitchen, such as furniture and joinery, to make sure your chosen tile blends in well. A good rule of thumb is to avoid conflicting patterns, particularly between the walls and floor. If you’ve chosen richly patterned flooring, opt for simple wall colours; if you have a bold feature wall, choose simple floor tiles.
Poor preparation Some of the most common mistakes we see people making when tiling their kitchen come from a lack of preparation before the tiles are actually laid, for example not ordering the right quantity of tiles. This can be a costly mistake in terms of both budget and time. It’s recommended that you buy 10 per cent more square metreage than the area to be tiled.
Put function first Even before your initial appointment with your kitchen designer, start thinking about the practicalities of the kitchen and how you want it to perform. Ask yourself, how many people will be using the kitchen at once? How tall are the users? How do you cook – for example, will you need a lot of bench space for baking or a high-powered range hood for cooking curries? Do you plan to leave your benchtop appliances out on display or do you want them hidden away? Will the kitchen be used just for cooking, as a hub for family meals or a place where the kids will do their homework and display school notes? What frustrates you about your current kitchen and is there anything you like about it? At that initial consultation, give your kitchen designer as much information as possible about your lifestyle and how you plan to use the kitchen.
Gardiner Architects 2. Blunder: Settling for inferior hardware Good-quality accessories and hardware, such as pull-out corner units, drawer dividers, soft-close runners and door hinges, often get excluded from kitchen designs due to budget constraints. But this can be a false economy in the long run as features like these can make a big difference to your kitchen, boosting its storage potential, and making the space far more pleasant to use.
Highlight your best features with accent light Use accent lighting to draw attention to special features in your kitchen such as a show-stopping tiled splashback or a dramatic island bench facade. Installing strip lighting under wall cabinets or benchtops is a great way to achieve this. You could also add accent lighting to glass cabinets or open shelving to highlight your displays.
Add in ambient lighting for character Soft, ambient lighting will wash your kitchen with light and create a warm, welcoming mood. It could be in the form of a pendant light above a benchtop or dining table, downlights around the perimeter of the room, or a central ceiling light.
The foldaway doors help to increase the kitchen’s useable surface area, while also hiding appliances away and keeping the space clutter-free when the adjacent living room is in use. Having the kitchen and living room programs overlap visually increases the width of the room.
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