Have you ever wondered why the kitchen is the center point of every home? It is one area where all our friends and family tend to gather most of the time turning it into a lively hub. Though the kitchens in the households were planned and designed to prepare and cook meals and dishes, over the years it has evolved into being the favorite spot of every home where the family spends most of their time together. It is no wonder that the kitchen is considered to be the heart of every home.
The kitchen is where delicious dinners are prepared, a cake is decorated with love and care, a Thanksgiving meal is served for friends and families, newspapers are read, a place where bills are settled, and your family enjoy sharing all the important matters, jokes, and even secrets. So when it comes to designing a kitchen of your dreams it is not enough that the kitchen looks attractive and beautiful. It is highly important that the kitchen is functional too. This is a great article that gives you suggestions on how to build a kitchen that is both functional and beautiful. What are some of the things to keep in mind while building a new kitchen?
Think and plan ahead
When it comes to designing a kitchen there is no ideal shape or size. Doesn’t matter if your kitchen is L- shaped or square or rectangular shaped one, or if it is huge or tiny. You need to consider the size and space in advance to decide on where the fridge, cooktop, oven, and sink would be placed. These should be set up in such a way that there is enough space in the kitchen to move around freely.
The breakfast bar
Today, it is quite rare to see a kitchen without a breakfast bar. Modern kitchens do have a kitchen island with high-rise chairs and bar stools. This can be included within the kitchen design or can be used to separate a dining or living area from the kitchen. It is important that you have an overhang on the island to provide enough legroom while sitting on the stools.
Kitchen lighting
Compared to the other rooms it is not enough that you have only overhead lighting in a kitchen. It is one area where accidents happen quite often from gas stoves, sharp knives, and hot utensils. So, your kitchen needs to be properly lighted. It is best to have lights placed in such a way that it falls in front of you. A combination of downlights, pendant lights, ceiling lights, under cabinet lights can be used in a kitchen. Downlights keep the entire room bright, cabinet lights can help us to see even the dark corners and the pendant lights give us a focused light.
Placement of sink and dishwasher
It is best to avoid placing a dishwasher near a wall as it would be really difficult to place and remove dishes from it. Placing the dishwasher near to the sink can help you avoid dirtying the floor with grease and food waste.
Adequate number of power points
You need to ensure that enough number of power points are installed based on the appliances that you plan to use in the kitchen. Plan this ahead and decide on the space where you wish to install a particular appliance. You need to understand the size of the appliance and the size of the space allocated so that the appliance fits in, correctly. Having an adequate amount of power points can prevent the injuries that could be caused by using an extension cord.
Enough space for storage
Make sure that there is enough room for storage in your kitchen to avoid clutter on the kitchen countertops. You need to have enough kitchen cabinets and drawers that are deep enough to hold pans and pots and overhead cabinets too that reaches up to the ceiling. This will ensure that there will be enough space to store all the things in the kitchen without having to leave everything on the countertops.
Flooring
When it comes to flooring it is important that you choose something that is not slippery and which is easy to maintain. It is best to avoid hardwood floors in the kitchen. Stones that are hard and natural or tiles designed specifically for a kitchen would work perfectly.
Your kitchen is truly the heart of your home. It is important that your kitchen is safe, functional, attractive and family-friendly to make some of the most beautiful memories at home.