If you love to cook, then you'll definitely want your kitchen to be superbly designed with easy access to all to utensils and spices. Functionality is the key word in designing your kitchen. you don't want to be running helter-skelter looking for stuff while you are cooking. Something to take note of is that most home accidents occur in the kitchen followed by the bathrooms. Your ability to design your kitchen to have things safely stored in the right places and out of the reach of children, is the beginning of wisdom in designing this very important space.
While some people like to build their kitchens separate from their dining and living areas as seen in many african homes, others like to build it into one space separated by the dinner table or work surface ( this arrangement is common in America and Europe). Personally, the two most important things to check when designing your kitchen is the lighting and the storage facility.
As previously discussed in the lightings articles, there are the natural and artificial types of lighting. Your aim therefore, is to have as much lighting as possible during the daytime and also just as much lighting at night. The lights are not just so you could see what you are cooking, they are also necessary to reduce to accident rate in this space. Storage may include open shelves or cabinets or both, whichever it is, they are designated to enable you put things off in their proper places.
In designing your kitchen, you can take whatever route really, there are no boundaries anymore for example, a very busy housewife who is almost always in the kitchen and also need to run some errands may decide to set up a board on a strategic wall to put down reminders like whose birthday party is upcoming, what to shop in the next grocery shopping, when the next PTA meeting is e.t.c.
The shape and size of the kitchen may affect your design plan as it may limit the amount of appliances you can bring into the space so as not to crowd the space. However,I believe in working with what you've got and making the most of it. While the western world says "if life gives you lemons, make lemonades," in Nigeria, we say "cut your coat according according to your material not your size because you may be too big for the material you have." Here your budget comes in, afterall you don't want to be in the middle of designing your space and realise you have no money left. This then brings us to the very important appliances to have in your kitchen and they include; refrigerator, gas cooker, vent, sink, cabinets and lighting. If you have problems with the size of the kitchen, your refrigerator can be in an adjoining hallway or pantry. Some smaller appliances include; microwave, sandwich maker, coffee maker, blender,
The mood is just how you want to feel when you are in your kitchen. Do you want to feel like a chef, a housewife e.t.c. This gives an idea of the kind of kitchen you want, be it modern or country.
Lastly, even if it is a kitchen, it too has its own accessories. Accessories to consider when designing this space are;
As previously discussed in the lightings articles, there are the natural and artificial types of lighting. Your aim therefore, is to have as much lighting as possible during the daytime and also just as much lighting at night. The lights are not just so you could see what you are cooking, they are also necessary to reduce to accident rate in this space. Storage may include open shelves or cabinets or both, whichever it is, they are designated to enable you put things off in their proper places.
In designing your kitchen, you can take whatever route really, there are no boundaries anymore for example, a very busy housewife who is almost always in the kitchen and also need to run some errands may decide to set up a board on a strategic wall to put down reminders like whose birthday party is upcoming, what to shop in the next grocery shopping, when the next PTA meeting is e.t.c.
The shape and size of the kitchen may affect your design plan as it may limit the amount of appliances you can bring into the space so as not to crowd the space. However,I believe in working with what you've got and making the most of it. While the western world says "if life gives you lemons, make lemonades," in Nigeria, we say "cut your coat according according to your material not your size because you may be too big for the material you have." Here your budget comes in, afterall you don't want to be in the middle of designing your space and realise you have no money left. This then brings us to the very important appliances to have in your kitchen and they include; refrigerator, gas cooker, vent, sink, cabinets and lighting. If you have problems with the size of the kitchen, your refrigerator can be in an adjoining hallway or pantry. Some smaller appliances include; microwave, sandwich maker, coffee maker, blender,
The mood is just how you want to feel when you are in your kitchen. Do you want to feel like a chef, a housewife e.t.c. This gives an idea of the kind of kitchen you want, be it modern or country.
Lastly, even if it is a kitchen, it too has its own accessories. Accessories to consider when designing this space are;
- clock- you can't do without
- oven mitts and hand/plate napkins
- plate/ spoon/ cup racks
- storage containers
- Some others are artworks, flowers e.t.c.
Just before I forget, if you have a beautifully designed kitchen and there is no running water, or there is a problem of any sort with the plumbing, you are definitely in for a lot of troubles. Now finally, even if I have stressed the need for proper lighting in this space and i'm sure you agree with me that it can't be overemphasized, you still need a window blind for night time especially when everyone have gone to bed.
I hope you enjoyed reading this article, share your thoughts on it by commenting. The kitchen in green was designed by kays fittings, others are web photos gotten from "http://www.housetohome.co.uk".
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