When people think about renovating a home, designing a dream kitchen is probably pretty high on the priority list. Being the heart of the home, the kitchen is an important place where we tend to spend a lot of our time. For many families, we don’t just cook in the kitchen, it’s also a place to socialise and entertain, and to work or do homework. The role of the kitchen has changed dramatically over the years and it is now a hub where family life plays out.
So if you do renovate your kitchen, getting the design just right for your family and how you intend to use the space is really quite important. After all, how often to you get the chance to make changes to this room? Sure, some things can be updated but things like the spatial layout need to be given some serious consideration before any final decisions are made.
Luckily though, designing your dream kitchen needn’t be as overwhelming as you might think. Matter Designs, an Essex-based kitchen design company, has helped me put together 5 things to consider when designing your dream kitchen, to make the process more manageable.
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1. Consider Your Workspace
The ‘work triangle’ is a principle that is used by kitchen designers and architects when designing residential kitchens and is made up of your cooker/stove, your sink and your fridge freezer. According to this concept, they should be positioned close enough together to make cooking as convenient as possible, but far enough apart that you aren’t bumping into everything as you go.
However, with the growing popularity of open plan kitchens, the layout of the kitchen workspace has come under discussion, with many people asking whether the traditional ‘work triangle’ is still relevant today. As open-plan kitchens have become more popular, kitchen zones such as preparation, cooking, food storage, non-consumables storage, washing/cleaning, have become prevalent.
Whether you design your kitchen around the work triangle or kitchen zones, the most important thing to remember is that your kitchen needs to work for you and your lifestyle. Make sure you know how you plan to use the space and design for that.
2. Make It Sociable
So it’s important that your kitchen works for you and is functional but it’s also important to make sure it works as a sociable space too. Having an entertaining space not only makes it a more welcoming area, but it also makes hosting much easier as people can still enjoy your company while you’re cooking and preparing food. Do bear in mind, however, that the workspace and entertaining areas must be totally independent and not in the way of each other.
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3. Think About the Flow
This may sound like an obvious tip but if we had a penny for every time someone installed an island in their kitchen only to find a door opens out directly onto it, we’d be pretty rich. You should also include the swing of the fridge freezer doors and where they may be when fully open. Does it obstruct the free flow of the kitchen too much? Does it block a door to another room? Does your oven door obstruct the doorway into your hallway when open? These are all important questions you need to factor into your design.
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4. Consider the Cleanup
The bin isn’t always something you want to think about but it has a very important relationship with your sink and your dishwasher. Therefore ensuring all three of these essential items are within easy reach of each other is incredibly important to make cleaning up after meal times as simple as possible.
If you can’t conceal the bin or hide it away completely, consider getting a good looking bin like this one or this one.
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5. Plan for the Weekly Shop
Probably not something that many of us would take into account when planning a kitchen layout, but when you think about it, it makes perfect sense. I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve lost my rag when unpacking all the food that needs to go into the fridge and there isn’t enough workspace to do this.
The kitchen layout really should address more than just cooking. We spend significant time putting away our food shopping so this must be considered. Is there ample worktop space around the fridge, freezer and pantry? If not, you’ll need to consider making some, otherwise, you face never-ending runs from the worktop to the fridge and beyond, and no-one has time for that. I’m all for making chores as simple as possible.
So there you have it, 5 things to consider when designing your dream kitchen. It’s definitely worth taking the time to think through all of these tips carefully, after all, you don’t want to regret anything when it’s too late.
If even the thought of designing your own kitchen seems way too overwhelming, I would recommend you work with a reputable kitchen design company like Matter Designs in order to really make the most of your space and ensure it works for your family and your lifestyle.
Hi, this is full of great ideas! I love the designs you have shared with us as well. I really like your point abour work triangle. Thanks a bunch!
I love the last point you make about preparing for the weekly shop! Such a practical tip. Right up our street at http://www.charliekingham.co.uk! My favourite practical kitchen tip is having a bin cabinet next to the dishwasher and the sink – scrape the food into the compost bin, rinse and pop in the dishwasher. All within arms’ reach!
Great tip. We have our little compost bin on the counter next to the sink but it means we’re forever spilling stuff on the worktop which is annoying. Would be better if it was below counter level.
Remarkable Blog Posts!! Great work Buddy.