Thursday 7 March
1. Find a focal point.You don’t want your kitchen to be too busy. Choose one focal point in your kitchen design; it could be striking tiles, a fancy floor, bright kitchen cabinets or maybe an eye catching kitchen worktop. Find things that complement the focal point not compete with it.
2. Leave plenty of space. Make sure the walkways are wide enough. Paths through a kitchen should be at least 36 inches wide. Paths within the cooking zone should be 42 inches wide. 42 inches is suitable for one cook, slightly wider; 48 inches is recommended for two cooks. Don’t forget when planning make sure islands and peninsulas have plenty of space.
3. Keep appliances away from corners. Avoid putting appliances in corners and make sure doors won’t bang into each other or get in the way of other doors if they are open at the same time. Make sure all cabinet doors are fully functional and have enough space to swing open, don’t forget to consider the swing direction too.
4. Use light colours in a small kitchen.Dark color schemes will make a small kitchen seem smaller! The dark colour will have the effect of shrinking the space making it less inviting. Use soft shade kitchen cabinetsand natural light to visually expand a small kitchen.
5. Plan landing space.Allow at least 15 inches of countertop on each side of the hob and refrigerator. Space near the microwave is also useful.
6. Make recycling easy.We all like to do our bit for the environment; there are some great recycling systems now that can be tucked away in cabinets and offer separate containers for different materials.
7. Taps! A swing-out tap -- also called a pot-filler, installed near the cooker top fills pots near where you heat them. Or you can install an extra-long hose attachment on your main faucet to fill pots on the hob.
8. Determine the island's function.When it comes to kitchen islands, form follows function. If you want to cook and eat on kitchen islands, plan enough space so the hob is safely separated from the dining area.
9. Plug sockets.Install multiple sockets along the backsplash and on the island, you can have pop up ones on islands if required.
10. Use Professionals! Taking on a kitchen design project to save money is a common mistake and if things go badly it can be costly. Professional designers have the latest ideas and information, they will identify your needs and translate them into an efficient plan that works for you, meets your requirements, style and budget.
