Planning Your Dream Kitchen
The kitchen is where all the action takes place in the home, so it’s worth putting a lot of time and effort into planning the design and layout. Use this opportunity to create a space that will work both as a practical cooking space and a sociable area to use and enjoy. House and Home, Ireland’s biggest selling interiors magazine tells you how.
Set a budget
It’s wise to do out a budget before you knuckle down to the business of buying as costs could get out of hand if you don’t keep within certain boundaries. Do your research- visit showrooms and trawl through brochures to find out what’s on offer so that you can work out how much you need to spend on everything, getting the best price possible and deciding where you want to economise or splash out. If you have commissioned an architect or building company to do the work, make sure you receive a clear breakdown of costs. Ideally you should have chosen your kitchen company and discussed a layout at the building stage, factoring in where appliances will go, how many sockets you will need, and where the island will be located.
Style
You’ll get the most from your chosen kitchen company if you have a clear idea of what you’re after in terms of both practical considerations and style. Create a file of clippings from magazines and brochures with pics of styles, finishes, appliances and storage solutions. It can often be difficult to put into words precisely what you’re after, so if you have an image that you can show your designer then it will make it clearer and you will be more likely to get what you’re after. Your best chance of finding a top notch designer is through word of mouth - find out from friends or relatives whose kitchens you like what they did and ask for recommendations. Before you begin, compile a list of what you want and have a clear idea of your priorities. It's also worth drawing a basic plan of the size and shape of your kitchen to take with you to the showroom. Don't forget to mark in (and measure) the position of windows, radiators and doors. You may also want to mark in the height of the room where there are sloping ceilings.
Ergonomics
Since nearly all work done in the kitchen involves laps between the sink, fridge and cooker, the objective is to make the distance between them comfortable. Depending on the size and shape of your kitchen, dimensions of the work triangle will vary, but here are the basic concepts.
- Leave a space of at least 1.2m in front of any unit or appliance with a door so it can be opened easily.
- Don't install cooking appliances (microwaves, ovens, hobs) in front of doors or in narrow spaces that you have to squeeze past to access.
- Avoid interrupting the flow of the work triangle with tall units or dressers.
- The ideal height for the top of the sink is 5cm below the base of a flexed elbow.
- Place the hob at a lower height than surrounding worktops to protect the surfaces from fat splashes.
- The height of worktops can vary throughout your kitchen but the standard elbow height of 90cm is recommended for general food preparation; for heavier tasks such as rolling out pastry, 75cm may be more convenient.
- Keep all electricity sockets at least one metre away from any water source.
- Place the dishwasher and washing machine near the sink and away from the main cooking area.
- Make sure your extractor fan is at least 750mm above the hob to prevent it from overheating.
Kitchen layouts
- When it comes to organising the layout of your kitchen, convenience is paramount. Efficient use of space depends on how it is laid out, rather than how much of it there actually is.
- The single line Kitchen: in this kitchen all the units and appliances are contained in one run.
- The galley kitchen features units and appliances against two opposite walls. This layout is best suited to long, narrow spaces.
- The double galley kitchen features two runs of units facing each other on opposite walls. The distance between the two runs should be at least 42 inches wide to work efficiently.
- The L-shaped kitchen features two lines of units placed perpendicular to each other at a 90° angle. This layout is particularly suited to a kitchen that incorporates a living room.
- The U-shaped kitchen uses the three walls of a room, a design that maximises use of space and is suitable for both small and large spaces.
- The island optimises large portions of floor space and can be a convenient and central location for storage, a hob, worktop and a sink.
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