Kitchen Confidential: Tips for Kitchen Design
Today’s kitchen is no longer a basic service room dedicated to the preparation of meals. It’s a social hub and as a result it has to be inviting, says Jane Drew
1. Interior architecture
Thanks to the celebrity chef, cooking is back in fashion and architects are giving us more room to manoeuvre, either by dedicating more space to the self-contained kitchen or by pushing it through into the living area. If your kitchen is open-plan, have a breakfast bar fitted so friends can chat with you as you cook; or find room in an enclosed kitchen for a table even if it is collapsible.
2. Fitted cabinetry
Very few people can afford the luxury of freestanding cupboards, so opt, instead, for in-built cabinets slotted above and below primary worktops. These fit smartly into corners, circumventing the entire kitchen and take storage space to the max.
3. Ergonomic planning
Modern kitchens follow the so-called ergonomic triangle, which sees the refrigerator, sink and cooker placed at equidistant points of a triangle, and surfaces and worktops fitted in between. This neatly divides the kitchen into “hot” and “cold” areas, limiting the distance you have to walk to get things done by ensuring that the appliance you need next is always within arm’s reach.
4. Specialist storage
There is no longer any need to perch, climb or stretch to get to the back of reach-defying kitchen cabinets. Deep cupboards and corner cabinets benefit from pull- or roll-out drawers. You can also fit tall or walk-in cupboards with door-hanging racks to house bulky kitchenware.
5. Secondary storage
Space can always be found for pot racks, mug racks, knife stands and the like. But also consider freestanding stacking systems: replacing open shelving or the classic kitchen dresser, these are ideal for storing wine bottles, long-steamed glasses and tall or oddly shaped cookware.
6. Simplified decor
The all-white kitchen works like a dream, since it’s clean, bright and efficient looking. You’ll find it in most newly built homes and serviced apartments and for good reason. It makes small kitchens seem bigger, stretches out large ones and it won’t stand out like a sore thumb if your kitchen opens out into a whitewashed contemporary living space.
7. Urban style
Since most appliances, from the oven to the dishwasher, come in cool, grey stainless steel add in matching cabinet trims and handles. Combine this with near-black countertops and a classic black-and-white checkerboard floor and you have a slick yet timeless urban space to cook in.
8. Functional aesthetics
To break up an all-white space add in a couple of open or glass-fronted shelving units and install more than one type of work surface — a marble insert in the baking area, solid surfacing along the countertops and a wooden chopping block and stainless steel drainage area next to the sink.
9. Modern rustic
If you want a heart-of-the-home kitchen with a lot of character, take your inspiration from the classic country kitchen. Simply retain the traditional wood-panelled cabinetry and hide large-scale modern appliances behind matching doors. Lay a terracotta- or slate-tiled floor, and use wooden countertops to cement the look.
10. Impact lighting
A high level of shadow-free, general light is of course important in an area where you are handling razor sharp knives and scalding pots. Supplement ceiling spots with task lighting precisely where it is needed: on the sink, cooker, refrigerator and food preparation surfaces.
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