A lot of life happens in the kitchen. No matter how
different our lifestyles may be, a lot of activity revolves around the kitchen:
Cooking , preparing a quick snack, eating breakfast or a 3-course dinner
with family or friends. Not only do we socialize in the kitchen, getting
together with family and friends over a cup of coffee or a glass of wine, the
kitchen is one place that needs to be both beautiful and functional. This
raises a double challenge of do’s and dont’s in kitchen design. Because of this
specialists warn us about the 10 mistakes we should avoid in order to achieve
both practical and elegant kitchen design.
1.
Don’t obstruct access to the kitchen triangle.
Specialists refer to the sink, stove
and refrigerator as the kitchen triangle, the area of greatest activity which
requires careful planning and unobstructed access. Of the three, the sink will
see the most action and should have easy access to the stove and refrigerator,
as well as your countertop workstations.
Sinks need to be installed in close proximity to the
plumbing, but often kitchens are designed with the sinks installed right above
the plumbing or in a poor location. Instead of making this kitchen design
mistake, consider hiring a plumber to relocate the drains and the plumbing to
accommodate the best placement for the sink.
Regardless of kitchen size or layout (L-shaped kitchen,
galley, U-shaped or Island style), the sum of all the legs in a work triangle
should not be less than ten feet and greater than twenty-five feet. If the sum
of the legs in the work triangle is too small, people will be tripping over
each other and if too large, food preparation could be a very tiring task.
2.
Don’t waste storage space.
Kitchens typically contain lots of stuff. Not only that, but
items often concealed behind built-in kitchen cabinet doors can be oddly shaped
and require a lot of space, such as food processors or stand mixers. Finding a
home for your kitchen stuff while keeping it easily accessible can be a tricky
proposition. Because built-ins are expensive and the overall size of the area
you’re working with may be limited, one big design mistake is not including
enough storage.
Almost every kitchen design has wasted space, but this can
be minimized with adequate planning and forethought. If the kitchen is small,
consider installing extra long upper cabinets with molding for extra storage
space. Place lighting or greenery along the molding to draw the eyes up. Also
remember to always install cabinets over the refrigerator. Not to fully utilize
the space above the refrigerator is a waste of potential storage space for
large or seasonal kitchen items.
Install shelves across the backs of the lower kitchen
cabinet as they will save you nearly a 2 foot by 2 foot or 4 square foot
potential storage area. Otherwise, the kitchen will feel smaller than it is
because you will constantly be trying to find more storage space.
3.
Don’t ignore counter-top work space.
One of the biggest complaints about kitchen design is the
lack of counter-tops. Consider all the kitchen activities that require a
counter-top, as well as appliances that are permanently located there, you
might want to fit as much open horizontal surface areas in a kitchen as
possible. This may be achieved by adding an island or breakfast bar to an
L-shaped kitchen.
4.
Poor lighting.
The kitchen is one room where you can’t afford to have poor
lighting. It’s not only a matter of design and atmosphere, but also a safety
matter when it comes to handling sharp kitchenware. Rooms generally need three
types of lighting: general lighting for overall illumination, task lighting,
and accent lighting. For the kitchen you especially should evaluate
the work areas and focus on how you can provide each spot with the light it
needs. Consider adding lighting directly above all the main working areas, use
pendant lights or a series of mini-pendants in areas where these can enhance
the lighting and beauty of the kitchen. Pendants look great above kitchen
sinks, while a series of mini-pendants enhance the appearance and lighting of
breakfast bars and kitchen islands. Also, install under-cabinet lighting as an
additional way to ensure that the counters have sufficient lighting for common
kitchen tasks. After all, the more light you have in the room, the better you
can show off all of those amazing design elements you’ve added to the space.
5.
Don’t forgo a back-splash.
While budgeting or designing a new kitchen or kitchen
remodel, sometimes the backsplash considerations slip to the end of the list.
Occasionally, the backsplash area is completely left out of the plan. This is
one mistake that saves you money on the short term, but on the long run costs
you a lot of time and effort. Imagine the steam, high humidity and grease
content in the kitchen and you will understand why installing a backsplash
behind the oven and extending it above all the counters throughout the
kitchen is a smart idea. It is much easier to clean grease off a backsplash
made of tile, metal, or plastic, than wall paint or wallpaper.
6.
Don’t forget to ventilate.
The best of kitchen design fades in the presence of bad
smelling air. If you’ve ever walked into someone’s home and smelled last
night’s fish&chips lingering on the stale air, you’ll understand the
importance of good ventilation. Inexpensive range hoods simply circulate dirty,
stale air, while a good ventilation system will help improve the quality
of your indoor air and also help keep your kitchen cleaner.
Effective ventilation systems also help
extend the life of your appliances and although they can be an investment, if
you have a kitchen that opens to a living area or family room, they will make
life easier, cleaner and more pleasant for everyone.
7.
Don’t choose a wrong kitchen island.
When it comes to kitchen islands we generally think of additional
storage, preparation and serving space in the kitchen, but the fact of the
matter is that kitchen islands can waste a lot space. Choosing the wrong island
or placing it in the wrong spot can be a disaster, especially in a work area
that can get over cluttered. Islands that obstruct the flow of traffic to and
from the sink, refrigerator, stove and primary workstations will create
bottlenecks and major hassles. At minimum, an island should be 4 feet long and
a little more than 2 feet deep, but it must also have room for people to move
and work around it. Specialists recommend that unless the kitchen is at least 8
feet deep and more than 12 feet long, one shouldn’t even consider an
island.
8.
Don’t ignore your recyclables.
These days, with the advent of recycling, dealing with trash
in kitchen design has gone beyond sticking a bin under the sink. As recycling
is here to stay, be prepared to manage your trash efficiently and incorporate
trash sorting bins into your kitchen design.
9.
Going too trendy.
Although it’s not necessarily a mistake, choosing the latest
kitchen designs and high-end equipment may not be the best of choices. The most
stylish colour of the season and trendy designs have a short half-life, and you
may never get your return on large investments in the latest kitchenware.
10.
Avoiding professionals.
Taking over a kitchen design project on your own to save
money is a common mistake which can waste more money, time and energy. There
are some jobs where, for safety and quality work, a professional is not a whim.
Kitchen designers possess the latest trends, ideas, and manufacturer’s details,
help you identify your specific needs and translate those details into an
efficient plan according to your taste.
Read more : http://freshome.com/2012/10/23/10-mistakes-you-dont-want-to-make-in-your-kitchen-design/
