Planning Your Dream Kitchen

Planning Your Dream Kitchen

Planning Your Dream Kitchen:  Your Needs and Wants

When taking on a kitchen project, try to define your priorities and examine the space at your disposal. Here are some points to give you some food for thought when planning that all perfect kitchen.

How do you use your kitchen?

Modern kitchens are not just for cooking.  Think about who mainly uses the kitchen and which kind of activities take place in there.  Of course, we all want our kitchen to look fabulous, but it is also important to be functional and safe, not only for the one who is actually piloting the stove, but also for everyone around.

Do you cook regularly or occasionally?  Which kind of dishes do you like to prepare?  Consider the work surface you are likely to require, as well as your storage needs and kitchen appliances.

Do you and your family take the main meals in the kitchen? Perhaps creating an elegant dining area or incorporating cool breakfast bar or even a cosy sitting area might be an option for you.

If different activities other than cooking also take place in this space, or if you are open to the idea of other functions being performed within, then maybe this is the ideal time to re-plan the whole area.  In this way, overall issues like configuration, layout and traffic flow between areas can be addressed.

Think about the space as a whole and how you could you maximise its potential.  Is your existent kitchen big enough?  Would there be a way of entrusting more floor space to it, either through building an extension or by removing a partition wall and opening it up into an adjoining room?

Ideally, a kitchen should cleverly connects to the other social areas of the house.  Is your kitchen situated correctly?  It’s important to consider things like entry and exit points, how close it is to the main or side entrance and how safe and practical it is for brining in the groceries.  Sometimes, the idea of moving the kitchen to a different part of the house or room, despite implying extra cost and hassle, might be an idea that pays off in the long term.  Perhaps centralising it or even bringing it closer to the garden might also be an option.

Finally, is there enough natural light coming into the kitchen? Would there be a possibility to enlarge the existent openings? Natural light brings cheerfulness and creates a happy and energetic environment.

By taking into account all these points you will have a better understanding of what you want for your kitchen, as well as the main aspects you want to address and what your true priorities are.  Failing to recognise your needs and wants will greatly impact on the overall look and functionality of your kitchen.  Please visit our Projects Section to see some great Kitchen ideas brought to life and feel inspired.