Kitchens
Kitchens
The contemporary kitchen is increasingly looked upon as the heart of every home, the command centre where all the action in the modern family is planned. With this in mind it is imperative to design and lay out the kitchen to maximise the use of space and get the most out of any existing features.
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Kitchen Design Ideas
An ideal design would be to make the kitchen and the family room all one big area, with a raised eating or bar area separating the two centers of activity. This coupled with a high ceiling in the kitchen will give the area a perception of spaciousness.
Whether you are redesigning an existing kitchen or planning a new kitchen in a new home there are some design considerations to keep in mind, such as including in an island or peninsula as part of the kitchen design. These can be used to connect the kitchen to a nearby dining area or family room thereby creating a single large room. A kitchen island will also allow the cook to keep in visual and conversational contact with family members or guests in the adjoining family or dining room.
The basic design for the contemporary kitchen is a straight line across the longest wall. It's the easiest to build, but isn't the most creative layout. The shape you choose will ultimately depend on the space you have available. Regardless of which design you decide on, it is generally a good idea to plan to have the fridge and stove a fair distance away from each other - the heat from the stove could affect how well your refrigerator works.
The three main functions in a kitchen are storage, preparation and cooking. The areas for these functions should be arranged in such a way that activity in one area does not interfere with activity in another area, the distance between these areas is not too large, and there are no obstacles to get in the way. The ideal arrangement would be a triangle, where the refrigerator, the sink and the stove share a common position alongside the other.
Kitchen Layouts
- A single-file or one-way galley kitchen, where all these items are along one wall, and the work triangle transforms into a line. This style of kitchen is typical of a studio or warehouse apartment.
- The double-file or two-way galley kitchen consists of two rows of cabinets on opposite walls, one containing the stove and the sink, while the other contain the refrigerator. This design is typical of the classical work kitchen.
- In the L-kitchen, the cabinets occupy two adjacent walls.
- The U-kitchen has cabinets along three walls, typically with the sink located at the bottom of the ‘U’. This is another example of a typical work kitchen.
- The block or island kitchen is an example of a more contemporary design, usually found in more open plan kitchens. This design usually features the stove or both the stove and the sink placed within the freestanding island, separated from the other cabinets. In an open plan design, this makes the stove accessible from all sides, so that two people can cook together, while allowing for contact with guests or the rest of the family. This design assists in bringing the living area into the kitchen environment.
Another feature of the contemporary kitchen is that they have enough informal space to allow for people to eat in it without using the formal dining area. These areas are usually termed ‘breakfast bars’ and the kitchen known as an ‘eat-in kitchen’.
Other Design and Selection Factors
- Cabinets Contemporary kitchen designs typically feature cabinets made from wood, melamine, or stainless steel. The finishes applied to the cabinets include, polyurethane, laminate, and vacuum vinyl cladding. Plan out the kitchen design in blueprint to see how your cabinets and drawers will be used and how much space and storage you will need before you start your new kitchen design. The type of cabinets you choose will ultimately set the tone for your kitchen.
- Door & Drawer Pulls The contemporary kitchen will feature either no drawer or door pulls, or something simple and metallic. An increasingly popular feature of the modern kitchen are doors and drawers that are virtually self closing, thus eliminating any excess noise when opening and closing them.
- Benchtops Granite, marble and limestone are commonly featured in contemporary kitchens, as opposed to colored laminates. Ceramic tile benchtops are versatile, practical, and available in many colours, as well as many shapes, patterns and finishes. Concrete benchtops are known for their versatility, as well as strength, while stainless steel benchtops do not absorb stains, but tend to scratch easily. Finally, wood benchtops are long lasting and easy to clean and repair, but the wood will not withstand exposure to water and household chemicals.
- Kitchen Sinks The kitchen sink is one of the most used fixtures in a home and with so many design options it's important to consider the function that the sink will perform.
Some available styles include: Topmount or overmount, where the lip rests on the surface of the countertop, and is usually held in place by clips and screws. These tend to be easier and faster to install than under-mounted sinks. Topmount sinks come an array of materials and styles (single, double or triple bowl) and are generally used with laminate countertops, because the lip can mask the seam where two parts of the laminate are joined.
Another style is, the undermount sink, which are popular because they're sleek looking. While undermount sinks often take more time to install than self-rimming models, they make wiping off the counters into the sink a breeze and allow you to combine bowls of different shapes and sizes. They may also require solid materials for your countertop, such as granite or solid surfacing, since the counter material is exposed. - Appliances Most contemporary kitchen designs employ appliances of the stainless steel variety, from ovens, cook tops and microwaves right through to refrigerators and dishwashers.
- Taps There are many conventional and contemporary options available for taps for the kitchen. The first decision is separate hot and cold taps or a mixer (the one tap which mixes hot and cold water). In both ranges there are swivel or fixed spouts. There is wide choice in the range of spouts including a large high U-shape for ease of filling pots that may be too difficult to put in the sink. There is also a range of tap heads with retractable flexible hoses. By law, all taps in Australia need to be marked and sold with a water rating (WELLS). Check the availability of spare parts especially with the ceramic cartridges used in mixer taps. Cheap taps made from an unknown source and maker may need to be thrown away if you cannot buy replacement parts. There is a new tap on the market available through us, Australian designed and built, that incorporates a below-the-sink quality dual water filter through the one mixer tap spout, using a second outlet and a second tap on the shaft.
- Plumbing- Another important aspect of your kitchen design is the layout of the plumbing and its relationship with the various appliances within the kitchen. Basically there are two considerations when planning the plumbing. The first is the delivery of water within the kitchen. This becomes more complicated when an island is included in the design, which may incorporate a sink and a dishwasher. The second area to consider when planning your kitchen renovation is the removal of wastewater and material from sinks. In our climate conscious age this would ideally incorporate an environmentally-friendly ‘Grey Water’ recycling system into your kitchen design. This can even be extended to include a ‘Rainwater Harvesting’ system. Continuing the plumbing theme you may want to consider spending a little more on your taps to install an all in one sink mixer incorporating an auxiliary tap for rainwater or filtered drinking water.
- Splashbacks Another popular feature of the contemporary kitchen is the trend towards incorporating splashbacks around the rear of benchtops. Glass is the most popular material for a kitchen splashback as it resistant to constant wetting- something that would not suit ceramic tiles for example. Toughened safety glass is used in any kitchen splashback- this is a 6mm thick tile which will not shatter should it receive a sudden impact. Available in a range of colours, splashbacks provide a clean and modern style to your kitchen. Another advantage of a kitchen splashback is it very effectively covers up any imperfections in the plastering or wall finishes- something that can be very noticeable for older homes.
- Flooring Wood flooring is most often attributed to contemporary kitchen designs, but you could also use simple ceramic, marble or slate, which are all long lasting surfaces, designed to withstand a lot of use by members of the household
- Lighting Contemporary kitchens feature a few different lighting options, from recessed ceiling light for an overall lighting effect to under cabinet light units to provide specific task lighting. By using simple spot or fluorescent lighting a smaller kitchen can be made to look larger.
- Kitchen Exhaust- One final point to consider is the inclusion of a kitchen exhaust fan, which can assist in regulating any heat, moisture and cooking odours created while working in the kitchen. These elements are best expelled to the outside of the building through an efficient exhaust fan.
Whatever kitchen renovation plans you are considering, you can turn your kitchen into a modern and efficient cooking centre. Be sure you consider all of these design points. Quality design and a well thought out kitchen renovation plan will encompass all aspects of a room.
Kitchen Retail Showrooms
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