Kitchens are often one of the focal points of a home, both in terms of style and due to their functionality. As a result, careful planning about the style and design of your kitchen is an important step while you are designing it.
Keep these 14 tips in mind when designing your kitchen.
1) Build Wide Walkways: Walking paths through a kitchen should be big enough for numerous people to pass by with ease. Usually, a good size for a kitchen path is three feet in width, while a walkway in the cooking zone should be at least 42 inches in width.
2) Watch Your Corners: When designing the layout of your kitchen, make sure to account for the swinging of cabinet doors and any main doors in the design. Try to keep any appliances away from the corners and make sure cabinets or other storage compartments will not have doors that swing into each other once they are opened.
3) Figure Out the Microwave: Carefully consider how high the microwave should be based on who will be using the kitchen. For adults, 15 inches above the countertop is usually a good placement.
4) Find Use for the Island: Make sure your kitchen island has enough countertop space if you are looking to both eat and cook on it.
5) Properly Store Knives: It’s important to have a proper storage location for any knives so they can stay out of the ranges of smaller kids. Magnetic strips affixed to the backlash of a kitchen are usually good options.
6) Put Up a Message Board: Don’t be afraid to hang up a whiteboard or corkboard to write messages, phone numbers, or store a calendar on. The kitchen is a good place to display this type of information for other family members.
7) Let There Be Light: Smaller kitchens should have lighter color schemes to make them seem bigger and more inviting. Small rooms can also be expanded through the use of soft paint colors on cabinets and letting in lots of natural light.
8) Hone in on a Focal Point: Kitchens can be a busy zone, so tie in your designing into one central focal point to make your design scheme seem attractive and low-key. Once you have a particular focus, then make the other decorations serve as compliments to the focal point.
Click here to learn the 5 design tips to avoid!
9) Build Lots of Landing Space: Stoves, microwaves, and refrigerators should be installed with plenty of landing space around them so food can be easily set down and picked up.
10) Buy Two of Everything: If you have the space, installing two microwaves or stoves in your kitchen can make cooking go a lot faster, and let other family members cook their own snacks while you work on the main courses.
11) Plan Storage Out Accordingly: be sure to consider how you use your items during the day, and make plans to optimize. For example, keep your breakfast food near the dining table, and put your plates and bowls right near the dishwasher for an easy unloading.
12) Lay Out the Range: Install shelving near the range to store pans, pots, and spices.
13) Recycle, Recycle: Aside from the trash can, dedicate a couple of bins to glassware, plastics, and metals for recycling purposes. Separating the items can also be a great lesson for kids about how to recycle.
14) Adjust the Counter tops: If you need a lot of cooking space, consider installing multiple counter tops for more room. They can also come in handy for smaller children who want to feel involved in the kitchen.
Are you thinking of redesigning your kitchen? Click here to contact Interior Affairs today!
Courtesy of Cuselleration