As we commonly say, the kitchen is the heart of a home, a space we spend so much communal time in, whether it be preparing a meal, cleaning or getting a drink. The kitchen needs to be very practical as well as safe and beautiful. It is the one space that really deserves enormous attention to the design, detail and functionality . If you are in the process of designing a new kitchen, here are 3 practical design tips we suggest you consider for your kitchen.
1 – Bench Space Abundant bench space is great for creating an area that is safe and practical when cooking and other chores. Either side of the cooktop, for example, I suggest a minimum of 300mmm of benchspace, to provide enough room for the ingredients and utensils we need when cooking, but it can also be used to drop hot pans in a safe and convenient way, rather than trying to run for the sink.
2 – Drawers
I suggest preferring deep drawers for the floor cabinetry as you can look down and see everything that’s inside. It is also much easier to bend down down and see everything at a glance, instead of crawling into the cabinetry to search behind its doors.
3 – Lighting
Good lighting should be a priority in the design of any kitchen. With such a mix of blending, cutting, splitting and cracking, you surely want to see where you’re placing your fingers. A single light from the middle of the ceiling will never provide sufficient lighting for a kitchen and the best lighting is the one that shines from above onto the work areas, in front of you and not behind.
There are costs associated with any choice we make in the design of our homes, and the budget always should always be taken into consideration with every choice of fixture and design. But the safety and practicality of a room like a kitchen should always be a top priority benefiting the ongoing comfort of a room we use so very often.
James Treble is an ambassador for Planet Ark and firmly believes in sensible purchasing, recycling and creative re-purposing. James has three decades of accumulated experience in the Building Industry, Real Estate and Interior Design and regularly shares his knowledge and experience in adding value to properties through effective design & styling. Watch his free videos on YouTube, and follow him on Facebook and Instagram for more free information. More of James' knowledge is now accessible via Practical Design Online Course.