Yes we know we sound boring but the perfect kitchen is only perfect when it not only looks good, but is practical too. So here are 6 practicalities to consider when drawing up your kitchen designs.
1) Incorporate Island Seating
By this, we don’t just mean plonk a few stools next to your island – if you’re having a breakfast bar, make sure you incorporate an overhang in the design of your island to provide legroom for you, the kids and any guests. Alternatively, add a dining table on to your island, as below:
2) Spread out
We recommend that you leave at least 1 metre of space between your kitchen worktops to allow for clearance of open drawers and cabinets doors. And if you have it to spare, an extra 20cm or so of space will give you even more room to manoevre around open appliances such as oven and dishwasher doors.
3) Keep unsightly sockets secret
Plug sockets may be unsightly but they are pretty vital pieces of kit in the kitchen. Thankfully, nowadays there are lots of clever ways to hide your electricity sources, such as island pop up power outlets or you can opt to install sockets inside cupboards, pantries or kitchen cabinets. This method has the added bonus that it allows you to keep small kitchen appliances like toasters, kettles, coffee machines and food processors from cluttering up your countertops.
4) Do right by your Dishwasher
Find a space in your kitchen plan for your dishwasher that’s not too far from your sink. This will not only prove convenient when you’re transferring items from the sink/drainer to the dishwasher (and vice versa) but it will also make life a lot easier when it comes to plumbing in your appliance. It’s also important to make sure you position your dishwasher so you can access it from both sides – corner plots are ill-advised.
5) Illumination is key
We cannot stress how important lighting is in a kitchen. For food preparation, dining, reading the Sunday morning papers – anything and everything that you do in the kitchen, deserves good lighting. And don’t be afraid to use more than one type of lighting in your kitchen either – mix island pendant lighting, with spotlights, under cabinet strip lighting and useful led cupboard lighting to really shed light on the situation.
And finally, perhaps the most practical tip we can offer when you come to designing your dream kitchen is…
6) Keep it zoned
If you’re designing your kitchen, chances are you’ve heard of the kitchen work triangle – a design theory which makes the practical and sensible suggestion of laying out your kitchen around the three major kitchen appliances: the cooker, the sink and the fridge/freezer. But with our kitchens getting bigger, filled with more appliances and used for more functions than ever before, it’s perhaps better to consider your kitchen layout in terms of ‘zones’ rather than in the traditional triangle sense. Instead of letting single appliances dictate the space, think about your cooking zone, a cleaning zone, an entertaining zone, a baking zone – even a kids zone. Considering the space in terms of zones will not only help you create a practical working kitchen but it’ll also highlight the aspects of your kitchen design that are important to you, your family and your lifestyle.
