Your dream kitchen can’t just look great, it has to function well too. Especially when you’re renovating and dealing with pre-existing construction, you may encounter some challenges that could get in the way of your ideal designs. Learn what the most common kitchen design issues are and how you can solve them.
Awkward window
When renovating a kitchen in an older home, there are often awkward corners, windows that break up wall space, thoroughfare complications and angled ceilings or ones with height changes.You can ask your builder if it’s possible to remove an awkward window where the view won’t be missed to provide more usable wall space for cabinets or come up with a solution to tweak the window height to fit counter space under it.
Storage
Having too many small appliances on countertops can make a kitchen feel cluttered and uninviting. If space permits, ask your builder to include a pantry cupboard for food items and an appliance cupboard for small, frequent-use appliances such as the microwave, toaster and coffee machine.
Recycling
Waste management is often overlooked in kitchen planning. What your kitchen needs depends on how you cook and use the overall space. Usually, a larger bin is required for general waste, supplemented with separate, smaller bins for different types of recycling. A smart solution is to install pull-out in a cupboard to the side of the sink with separate bins for general waste and recycling.
Lighting
Don’t get lost in choosing ambient lighting fixtures as it is important to have task lighting in the areas where you prepare and cook food, such as benchtops, the cooktop and sink. You could also choose a range hood with an integrated light to illuminate the cooktop when you’re cooking.
Layout
Larger appliances such as the fridge, oven, sink and dishwasher along with the cabinetry should be positioned close to the cook for easy use, but with enough space around them for doors and drawers to open comfortably. Be sure to choose a fridge that is not too deep for the cabinetry that will make it stick out beyond the edge.
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