Designing your dream kitchen can be exceptionally exciting while stressful at the same time. This cocktail of emotions could lead to costly unwanted kitchen no no’s. Hence the question, “what should I consider when designing my dream kitchen?”.
Well as a start towards your dream kitchen journey consider some of the following:
- Layout—The kitchen needs to be functional, pay careful attention to the location of the fridge, stove, oven and sink. These need to be in close proximity to each other to ensure cooking efficiency.
- Flooring—Flooring needs to be hardwearing to withstand foot traffic, while at the same time stain and odour resistant.
- Counter tops—The top must be durable, maintainable and look good. Budget will also play a key role. Consider engineered stone, granite, natural stone, wood and Formica to name a few.
- Budget—Have a budget in mind. If your design exceeds your budget, remove nice to haves, as these can be done or purchased later. Don’t sacrifice functionality and key materials like flooring and counter tops to accommodate the budget.
- Design—Have a picture in mind as to what you desire. Thrash out all ideas, changes and requirements with your designer and/or carpenter before committing. Consider item placement/grouping (crockery, pots/pans, appliances, groceries, etc), direction of flow, quality of materials, etc.
- Lighting—Natural and artificial lighting is key in a kitchen as it creates a bright and airy environment while at the same time accentuating the elegance of the kitchen. Don’t forget the artificial lighting for night cooking. The artificial lighting must be strategically placed to provide maximum lighting while at the same time highlighting the kitchen features.
Breathe new life into a dated kitchen
Over time kitchens become dated, however outdated does not necessarily imply total swap out. There are several options to modernizing an outdated kitchen in a cost effective manner.
The options typically include:
- Painting the kitchen cupboards, remember to prep the surface first, by lightly sanding, cleaning and applying an appropriate primer
- Replacing doors and side covers (exposed covers) with a modern trendy colour
- Replace the door handles with a modern design
- Convert some of the doors into display doors with glass insets (frosting optional)
- Install a trendy backsplash
- Introduce additional lighting
- Create a feature wall using paint, wall paper or tiles
- Replace old and worn-out counter tops
- Introduce a new appliance or two in a vibrant colour or stainless steel