If you’re renovating your existing kitchen to make it more functional and easy to work in, then you need to give functionality priority over visual looks. While making a highly functional kitchen, you can try to inject visual looks with material choices, colour selections, finishes etc. So the focus should be around creating a highly functional kitchen. Listed below are the six core ingredients that will help in creating the highly functional kitchen of your dreams.
1. Kitchen Layout
Designing a functional kitchen begins with selecting the right layout-design. Kitchen layouts used commonly include L-shaped kitchen, U-shaped kitchen, one-wall kitchen and island kitchen. The right layout-design selection needs to be done as per the available space in your kitchen.
2. Benchtop
You have plenty of choices when it comes to selecting a material for your kitchen benchtop — Options include quartz, granite, marble, laminate, wood, stainless steel and stone benchtop. However, you should select from stone, quartz, granite, marble or laminate because these are the most hygienic, simple to clean and maintain. With these benchtop materials, you’ll also get many styles and colour options. Try to include as much space as is possible for your benchtop because, with more of bench space, your kitchen will become more functional. Moreover, your kitchen layout will play a crucial part in determining how your benchtop will be placed.
3. The Work Triangle
The work triangle is another vital element when designing a functional kitchen. The work triangle includes three points of contact in a kitchen, which include the stove, the refrigerator and the sink. A person should be able to access these three points of contact with ease, which is the idea behind the work triangle. If your kitchen does not have a work triangle, then you should make provision for it when renovating your kitchen for enhanced functionality. If you have sufficient space, then you can integrate an island to help create a functional work triangle in your kitchen.
4. Kitchen Appliances
Kitchen appliances are equally vital for a functional kitchen. Figure out what kitchen appliances you will need and buy quality appliances that will serve you for a long time, offering value for your money. A cooktop, refrigerator, microwave oven, range-hood and dishwasher are the indispensable kitchen appliances that any functional kitchen should have. Make it a point to include these useful kitchen appliances in your kitchen. Besides, you can also add other kitchen appliances such as a wine fridge and a freestanding oven as per your requirements.
5. Storage
Storage is vital for a kitchen to be highly functional. Add wall cabinets and shelves over your counter-tops and base cabinets beneath the counter-tops. Consider integrating pull out drawers, custom cabinets, racks and shelves for your kitchen storage. Also, include a hidden or secret storage space for your disposables and trash. Think of how you will be using your kitchen space, and accordingly, add all the required storage options. Per your needs, you may want to include a pull-out waste bin, pantry cabinet and any other cabinets in your kitchen design.
6. Lighting
Many homeowners tend to ignore lighting when renovating their kitchen. In a functional kitchen design, lighting is a very crucial factor. Ensure to include bright, well-lighted lights above your cook-top, benchtop and any other surface on which you’ll be preparing food. Whether your kitchen is small or big, you should make sure that it obtains sufficient natural and artificial light. If you’re looking to create a highly functional kitchen space, then you should also consider under-cabinet lighting.
Final Words
Visual looks are desirable, but functionality is much more desirable. When designing or renovating your kitchen, you should give priority to functionality because it will make your work easier and you’ll love to work in your kitchen. Above-mentioned is crucial to get a functional kitchen.
In a nutshell, you need to set up the perfect kitchen layout for the available space; set up work triangle to get easy access to the cook-top, refrigerator and sink from a single point. Next, adequate storage is vital for a functional kitchen that can include visible and secret storage spaces. The latest kitchen appliances will make your work a lot easier. So it’s prudent to buy high-quality kitchen appliances. For benchtop, if you’re on a budget, then go for laminate benchtop; however, if money is not a constraint, choose stone, granite, quartz or marble, as these are hygienic benchtop material, which is easy to clean and maintain. Use both natural and artificial lights to light up your kitchen space, which will add to the functionality and aesthetics.