Kitchen Ideas
Herbs and knives Rummaging through your cutlery and utensil drawer to find the knife you are looking for is frustrating – and dangerous! Likewise, none of us enjoy rooting through the pantry to find the jar of chilli flakes when you are in the middle of cooking up a storm. Look for some drawer organisers that store items such as herbs and spice jars neatly, so you can see the labels and easily find what you are looking for. Also look for utensil organisers such as in-drawer knife blocks. They will help you to store your knives safely, and you won’t have to look far to find the one you need
Think of sound as liquid, says John Conroy, a founding principal at Princeton Design Collaborative in the US. Spilled water looks for a place to go, and will seep into cracks and spaces. Sound does the same thing. You want to give noise an escape route and places for it to be absorbed. Look at the shape of your room Room shape is one of the first things Bob Wetmore, a principal partner at Cornerstore Architects, considers when designing an open floor plan, particularly in rooms like this one. His clients were fond of hard surfaces such as concrete, metal and stone, which cause sound to bounce louder. Wetmore’s clients wanted a clean, modern room, which meant no curtains, doorways or rugs to help deaden sound. To control noise, Wetmore lowered the ceiling over the island, creating a space for sound to be absorbed. The columns in the TV room were also wrapped in wood, which is replicated in the ceiling along the room’s periphery.
Invest in hardware … Most of the time, the reason ‘budget’ kitchens wear out is because they use cheap hardware – flimsy drawer runners, wobbly hinges and substandard handles. This is kind of understandable if you’re a developer and you just need someone to buy a house. But if you’re planning to live there for a while, you want your kitchen to last. You won’t be able to afford the good stuff with a custom kitchen – but you can with a flatpack, so up-spec the hardware as much as you can. Our kitchen has Blum soft-closing drawers and all manner of beautifully built hardware, and we found very nice handles from a very-nice-handle shop that cost about $12 each instead of $4. All of which makes a modest little kitchen feel positively luxurious.
Magni Design Save Email Build a custom base Our builder turned some old plywood cabinetry we pulled out of the bathroom – long story – into a solid wooden base, which allowed us to recess the toe-kicks by 200 millimetres and fix the cabinetry to the wall. This turned out to be exorbitantly expensive, but it was worth it: the cabinetry looks like it’s floating. Fancy! (Not our idea, but one we stole from friends who had built a much nicer house than ours.) Failing that, you could float the whole thing on legs, as with this lovely kitchen that allows the light to bounce underneath. It’ll lift even the most prosaic of flatpacks to a new level.
The Kitchen Design Centre Save Email Aluminium finger pull This method of handleless kitchen ironically involves a handle! A J-shape handle in the form of a piece of moulded aluminium is attached to the top of each door and drawer front. These handles are generally sold in long lengths so they can be cut to size, allowing them to suit each individual door and drawer front. Although finger pulls are handles of sorts, they give a streamlined look and create a handleless appearance. PROS: This method has the same advantage as a moulded finger pull in the sense that it gives you full access to the inside of the cabinet. Using an aluminium finger pull is also a way of adding an element of interest to your kitchen without having protruding handles. CONS: One disadvantage of these handles is that they usually need to have a narrow channel routed into the top of each door for the handle to sit in. This may not be possible with some door materials, such as those with a vinyl-wrap finish, since it may cause the vinyl to start to peel away,
Moulded finger pulls A moulded finger pull style is where a channel is routed into the top edge of the door or drawer front, creating a small lip for you to grip in order to pull it open. PROS: The advantage of this option is that there is no additional hardware required, making this style one of the more cost-effective types of handleless kitchen cabinetry. Also, there are no changes needed to be made to the cabinet itself. CONS: One disadvantage of this method is that the channel that’s cut into the top of the door can be shallow, leaving you with only a small lip to hold onto. This can be a bit annoying, especially if you have big fingers or long nails. Another disadvantage is that the thin piece of timber or other material left at the back of the routed channel can be more susceptible to cracking or chipping. Ensure that you choose a reputable supplier who uses quality materials to avoid this problem.
rue handleless A true handleless kitchen features a continuous rail that is built into the cabinet. The rail sits behind each door and drawer front, and creates a space for you to grip so you can open them easily. This continuous rail can either be the same colour as the cabinet fronts or can be left in a plain aluminium finish to create an additional point of interest. PRO: The main advantage to this method is that no alterations are required for the doors or drawer fronts. CON: Additional costs are a disadvantage to this method, due to the specialised labour required for the installation of the continuous rail. This can only be done on-site once all the cabinets have been put into position.
leaning Regardless of whether your new handleless kitchen has a moulded finger pull, or it’s a true handleless kitchen with a continuous rail (I’ll explain these options under Types of Handleless Kitchens), there will be a channel at the top of each door or drawer that creates a space to pull the drawer or cabinet door open. This channel can become a bit of a dust and crumb collector, and will require regular cleaning. It’s something to take into consideration if you prefer to keep your home as low maintenance as possible.
Modern by Number Eighty One Number Eighty One Save Email Other types of handleless kitchen As well as the true handleless system, there are the popular push-to-open doors just mentioned. Some kitchen companies also offer a J-groove or J-pull system (pictured). On the plus side, these alternate options are generally less expensive than a true handleless design, but they can require more frequent cleaning, as the channel can collect dust, crumbs or splashes that spill over the front edge of the benchtop. With a true handleless style, this simply cannot happen. J-pulls are also quite shallow and not very forgiving for long nails or larger fingers. Depending on the quality of the door, the surface is also more susceptible to chipping or cracking.
Handleless islands The handleless option is also available for kitchen islands. As well as creating a sleek, modern feature, this style can be helpful in keeping the walkway around the island clear, with no handles on which to snag your clothing. For islands and kitchen end-return panels – the visible ends on a run of units or on the sides of an island – you have the option to continue the channel handle all the way around the side of the island and onto the back face. The end panel doesn’t touch the floor or the benchtop above, and as such is called a floating end panel. It creates the effect of the benchtop floating above the island for a sleek and sophisticated finish, as seen here.
Contemporary by DesignSpace London DesignSpace London Save Email Wall and tall units Handleless wall units are similar to the base units just described, with an integrated groove in the cabinet’s bottom shelf to allow space for your fingers to open the door. With tall units, as seen here, a recessed C channel of stainless steel creates a gap (called a shadow gap channel). This is inserted between neighbouring tall units to allow room for your fingers. The gap between the doors and tall unit sections is typically 25 millimetres. Some tall units can also have a horizontal channel fitted across them. The exception to this is if there are large appliances behind the door, such as a 70/30 fridge-freezer. Standard colour choices for the channel are stainless steel, white and black, but you can customise them to any colour you want, including shades to match your kitchen cabinets. However, for this option, it’s worth noting that, because the channel is recessed into a shadow, it might look slightly darker than your furniture’s colour, even if it’s actually identical.
Eat your way to happiness When the days are warm, eating light comes more naturally. But once the temperatures drop and the clothing layers are piled on, resisting kilo-inducing comfort food can seem futile. The trick is to make it as easy as possible to stay on track with your healthy eating – and that means setting up your kitchen for success. Stay stocked up on virtuous ingredients and give them the organisation they deserve. No excuses.
10. Ensure that floors are slip-resistant Floor materials that don’t get slick reduce the chances of falling when there’s a spill. Floor tile should have enough grout and texture to grip your feet. Porcelain tile absorbs less moisture than ceramic tile or other flooring types; it’s also easy to maintain and clean. Vinyl flooring can offer good slip resistance too, and it’s softer on your feet.
8. Pick drawers, not doors The best part about drawers is that they display all your flatware and utensils at once, which allows for easy grabbing. You don’t have to get on your knees and peer into the back of the cabinet to see what’s available. Large drawers don’t skimp on storage space. Any set wider than approximately 75 centimetres can stow plenty of pots and pans.
6. Choose standard-depth appliances and cabinets without any frills Designing an age-proof kitchen isn’t the time to get fancy with decorative legs, ornate refrigerator panels or angled benchtops. Though these eye-catchers add personality, they can transform your space into an obstacle course. You’re more prone to bump your knees, legs and hips on appliances and cabinetry details that jut out from the bench.
3. Keep the sink close to the stove As we age, it’s harder on our arms and backs to carry big pots full of water to and from the cooktop. And if anything spills on the way, it becomes a slipping hazard. You may be tempted to put your sink next to your stove, but be sure to leave workspace in between. It defeats the purpose if you’re forced to hold a pot longer than is comfortable because you can’t find a place to set it down. Where it isn’t possible to have the sink on the same side as the stove (or if the layout won’t work for the way you cook), there’s another option. Place the sink across from the stove, and you’re only 180 degrees and a step or two away. This works well in galley-style kitchens.
BMLMedia.ie Save Email 1. Install a pullout pantry Because it lets you see everything at a glance without having to shuffle items around, homeowners of all ages will find a pullout pantry useful. But besides being convenient, drawers that give you easy access to your tinned goods and cereal boxes also put less strain on your back and knees.
6. Clean lines Whether you prefer modernist minimalism or traditional elegance, you should keep some lines clean and tight for a polished look, especially in the kitchen. Notice here how the open-shelf portion of the cabinet sits flush with the bulkhead above and the splashback and benchtop below to form one continuous line. Getting the cabinetry and splashback to line up is usually quite possible, but installers may not bother to cut tile to achieve this if not instructed to do so. So you need to insist on it. It will prevent jagged edges that can make the design subconsciously read messy.
Keep coffee accoutrements next to the machine Cue the ‘Doh!’ again. I am not a morning person. So walking to the pantry to get my coffee, then pulling out the grinder from a lower cabinet, grinding the beans, then walking across the kitchen to put them in the coffeemaker was ridiculously inefficient. And dangerous – because bleary-eyed me tends to bump into things and stub toes. Now I keep my beans, grinder, sugar and mugs in one cabinet right above the coffeemaker. I have even expanded this genius to the rest of breakfast: porridge, cold cereal, tea, teacups, flax seeds for smoothies, smoothie-making blender and cereal bowls all live in one place, so that I don’t have to think or move any more than necessary in the morning. I keep all of my smoothie ingredients together in the refrigerator as well.
Trish Namm, Allied ASID - Kent Kitchen Works Save Email Do go for deep drawers In the past, shallow drawers that sat above cabinets were standard in kitchens. But the modern trend for a stack of deeper drawers can make more sense and offer greater flexibility. Deep drawers can hide a multitude of sins and provide homes for things that you might once have assumed belonged in wall cabinets or even fridges. Here they’re being used for bottles of wine, water and even spare lemons ready for G&T o’clock. They’re also great for storing big saucepans and casserole dishes. As it’s easy to see the contents, they can also help to keep things organised (minimising your chances of stumbling across that tin of sardines you last saw in 2007). You can buy drawer inserts and dividers for the function that suits you. When choosing units, try out drawers in showrooms: look for good quality, soft-close mechanisms that you find pleasing and easy to use, that won’t easily slide shut on fingers. And when planning dimensions, really think about what you’ll use each drawer and cupboard for in daily life.
Brayer Design Save Email Do conceal if you want to (but not if you don’t) Open shelves can look lovely in kitchens and give a feeling of space and added personality, but they aren’t for everyone. If your mismatched china collection is less vintage tearoom and more charity shop shocker, then you may not want them on display. And, of course, there’s the matter of dust and general grease and grime generated by cooking that can collect on bottles and jars. This clever folding door offers the best of both worlds. The stylish wooden shelving looks chic, but the doors hide mess when things get untidy and protect from general dirt.
Appliance shelf You might not have space for a walk-in pantry, but you could still squeeze an appliance shelf into a regular cupboard pantry. Choose the shelf that’s positioned around waist level as the one on which you’ll store some of your small appliances. Storing them at this level eliminates the need to bend down or reach up too high. It also means that you can open your pantry doors and easily find the appliance you need without having to rummage around for it. TIP: You could also consider having the appliances stored in a pull-out drawer fitted inside the cupboard. Again, check the weight capacity of the drawers first before loading them up.
8. Create a logical system Most organisation experts will tell you that one of the key aspects of any organisational system is having a place for everything. Nowhere is this more important than in the pantry where, if you’re anything like me, you’ll be rushing to find things as you cook (I’ve never got quite into the good habit of preparing it all in advance). If everything is a big mess and you can’t find anything, cooking will be harder.
for side wall of kitchen to hold TV and other stuff
Dan Kitchens Australia Save Email Kitchen Designer and Renovator Graeme Metcalf of Dan Kitchens: Well, it’s not so much a design rule but rather an industry standard – I really do not like specifying less than 660 millimetres deep (under-bench) kitchen cabinets. The standard minimum is 600 millimetres and for me that is far too shallow for a number of reasons. At 600 millimetres, you limit what kind of sink and tap you can have; you leave yourself very little room for cleaning; the cooktop becomes too close to the splashback and can be affected by the heat; you are limited to specifying only shallow 500-millimetre-deep drawers; wall cabinets are directly in your face; refrigerators in tall cabinets sit too far out exposing their sides; and, lastly, it’s near impossible to connect wall appliances and provide adequate ventilation in a 600-millimetre cabinet.
TrueSource Home Specialties Save Email If you’re more of a technical whizz, you might prefer to take inspiration from this clever kitchen. With a built-in iPad holder installed neatly under the overhead cupboard and right beside the stovetop, this mod con is perfectly positioned to follow recipes online and listen to your favourite music while you’re whipping up a feast.
. Your storage Maximise space through clever storage solutions for a clutter-free kitchen. Sliding doors may conceal hidden walk-in pantries, integrated cabinetry could include pull-out versions of the same, and soft-close panelled doors could hide large appliances behind them. Other inventive ways to conceal appliances and supplies include lazy Susans in corner cupboards, plate holders in deep, soft-close drawers, super-wide cutlery trays and integrated fridges and rangehoods.
Light it up underfoot LED strip lights are a great option for lighting up under your kitchen drawers and cabinets. It’s also a brilliant way to draw attention to that fancy flooring.
It’s also important to consider whether you prefer white light or warm light for your kitchen. Madsen recommends LED downlights in a warm white because they are efficient, provide excellent illumination, have low heat output and are cost effective over the life of the bulb,” Madsen says. “It’s only been in the past two years that LEDs have been our preferred under cabinet light; before then LEDs were simply too expensive and unreliable.” TIP: Don’t buy cheap LED lights. Although they may advertise the LED will last 30,000 hours, quite often it is the hardware behind the LED that fails first.
Under-cabinet lighting Getting task lighting right is crucial for preparing or cooking food – focused light on work zones will make life easy, but if it’s too bright, casts shadows or isn’t bright enough, it’s sure to annoy you over time. The Kitchen Broker’s Brian Patterson says lighting should be positioned not to throw shadows in the work centres. “This is achieved best by concealed LED strip lighting under overhead cabinets above the bench area,” Patterson says. “This achieves not only good light, but lovely even light that floods the bench area and evenly displays splashbacks and benchtops.”
DILEMMA 10: You can’t see what you’re doing. If you’ve ever tried to work in a badly lit kitchen, you’ll know how important it is to get lighting right, but if it has never been an issue for you, it’s an easy one to take for granted. SOLVED: Bright strip lighting is ideal for work areas, but be sure to add in-cabinet lighting in those with glass doors, task lighting where you need it, and dimmable feature lighting to set the mood. And make sure each can be turned on and off independently of the others, so you have complete control.
In the kitchen In this day and age, the kitchen is arguably the most power-hungry room in the house. Food-processors, toasters, kettles, coffee-machines, dishwashers and fridges are all power-hungry devices! Think about where you want to store each of these items. Some will inevitably live on your kitchen bench and remain plugged in day-in and day-out, so ensure you install sockets beside the bench for these items. If you are keeping some appliances hidden in the pantry or in a drawer, remember to install a socket on the back of the pantry wall, or in the appliance drawer – that way you don’t have to move the appliances onto the kitchen bench every time you want to use them. TIP: If you are building a new kitchen, remind your electrician to install sockets for your dishwasher and fridge.
underbench lighting
Extend the island top In this long, slim kitchen, the owners have extended the top of the island unit, meaning people can tuck feet under without knocking knees while enjoying a cuppa. When they’re finished, they can tuck the stools underneath to keep things streamlined.
6. Tight-fitting lids This compact system has two smaller compartments for organic waste. One, for composting and the other for non-compostable waste (think bones, orange peel etc). Both have tight-fitting lids that ensure kitchen odours and flies stay awa
2. In-built bench bins The sleek stainless-steel lid hides a removable 15-litre bin. Designed by German company Franke, the unit is perfect for composting. Installed flush to the bench it means that vegetable scraps can be scraped directly from the chopping board into the bin. It is also wonderfully space saving – it doesn’t take up floor space and can be installed in the ever-difficult-to-use-effectively corner of your bench.
DE atelier Architects Save Email 6. Adequate lighting The kitchen is the most likely room for accidents to occur, and it’s no wonder! Hot plates, sharp knives, and gas stoves can all be household hazards. It is for this reason that good lighting is essential in the kitchen. Consider a combination of ceiling lights, under-cabinet lights and pendant lights. Downlights provide general lighting in the room and illuminate the entire space. Pendant lights, on the other hand, provide more focused light. If you have benches underneath hanging cupboards, you might also like to consider under-cabinet lights. This will ensure those dark corners will also be illuminated. Above all, think about where you are going to need light at all hours of the day. Stay up late with friends? Choose dimmable lighting over the dining area. Cook on the island bench? Choose task lighting to shine directly on your prep zone. BONUS TIP: When installing pendant lights, ensure you position them so the light falls in front of the food preparation area, rather than behind, as this will cast shadows over your workspace.
4. Dishwasher location Designing the layout of a kitchen is a little like solving a Rubik’s Cube. Earlier, I mentioned that you should always place the dishwasher near the sink for plumbing reasons. Well, with that in mind, you should not install your dishwasher next to a wall. This will greatly limit your access to the dishwasher and make it very difficult to pack and unpack, as you will only be able to access it from one side.
3. Bin location The kitchen bin is not only used for food scraps and packaging. More often than not, it is used for everyday household rubbish that is collected around the house. For this reason, it is useful to place the bin at a point in the kitchen that is easily accessible from the rest of the house. I suggest placing it on the end of the bench or island, closest to the kitchen entrance. That way, you can simply throw something in the bin as you walk past, rather than walk into the kitchen and get in the way of the chef! As for a compost bin, that you can keep as close to your food prep area as possible.
2. Close dishwasher and sink placement If you wish to avoid dripping food and grease on the floor, place the dishwasher within arms reach of the sink. That way, when you rinse the excess food off plates, you can place them straight in the dishwasher. Otherwise you will have to travel across the kitchen dripping dirty water as you go, and I am yet to meet anyone who enjoys mopping the kitchen floor! It is also important to place the dishwasher by the sink in order to connect the dishwasher plumbing to the drain and taps.
1. A breakfast bar overhang Kitchen islands with bar stools are must-have commodities in modern kitchens. These breakfast bars are the perfect way to separate the living area from the kitchen, while maintaining an open living environment. Parents can cook dinner and keep one eye on their kids as they do homework, and friends can sit and have a glass of wine while their hosts cook. If you are planning to include a breakfast bar in your kitchen, ensure you include an overhang on your island. This will provide legroom for those sitting on the bar stools. Anywhere between 12-19 inches overhang on the back side of the island will ensure the sitters are comfortable.
This layout makes all points of the work triangle equally accessible – the fridge, stove and sink. TIP: Glass-fronted wall cabinets can make a galley kitchen feel less claustrophobic, especially with interior lighting that gives the cabinets a golden glow after dark. BONUS TIP: The aisle in a galley kitchen should measure 1.2 to 1.8 metres wide to avoid congestion. Modern Kitchen by TerraCotta Properties TerraCotta Properties Save Email Pull-out storage is a wise move in a galley kitchen – the less you have to reach into the depths of cabinets to access cooking tools and supplies, the more you’ll like working in your kitchen.
This galley kitchen is at home in a Victorian-style Melbourne home. Although this design manages to incorporate plenty of bench space, a hidden pull-out chopping board above the dishwasher makes it easy for two people to prepare food at the same time.
This is the rendered kitchen’s design on paper. The triangles are illustrated here for clarity. “As galley kitchens usually have an entrance both ends (some don’t), it is imperative that the traffic flow needs are understood,” Patterson says. Also, the dishwasher needs to be outside the triangle for others to use without hindering good kitchen function.” You shouldn’t have to cook AND clean up everyone’s dishes, after all.
Mirror splashback The benchspace in this kitchen appears to double thanks to the use of a mirror splashback. The mirror reflects light, making the space brighter, and, most importantly, is easy to clean. Use a mirror that has a smoky effect – after all, this mirror isn’t for the purpose of doing your hair. A grey or brown smokey effect will tone down the brightness of the mirror, reducing any glare in the kitchen. Always ensure that any glass splashback used behind the cooktop in your kitchen is made from toughened safety glass so that it won’t crack from the heat.
Never-ending floor The floor in this kitchen appears to extend right underneath the kitchen, with the cabinets merely standing on a few white legs. It’s a great look but an open space under your cabinets would be a nightmare to keep clean. This kitchen has used mirrors in an extremely clever way, in the form of mirrored kickboards. The cabinets appear to be almost floating as a result.
Wire your drawers Do you need your technology while you cook, perhaps to look up recipes or cooking hints, make cooking notes, play music or make diary entries? A powered drawer keeps your electronics off the bench and away from cooking mess and moisture.
Shenandoah Cabinetry Save Email In a small household, full height bins might be overkill and will waste space. If side-by-side bins or just one shorter bin deals with your rubbish load, use the extra drawer depth for a bag holder. This creates a cavity underneath for infrequently used items and room for a handy drawer above the kick space.
Simplify under-sink space Under-sink drawers that fit around plumbing fixtures are often an awkward shape. They can quickly turn into sorry chaos, chocka with bits and pieces. Crawlies love the warmth and sometimes moisture of this cavity so don’t cram stuff in. Which items do you actually use in the kitchen? Do you wear more than one pair of rubber gloves at a time? Could some of it go, say, in the laundry? Pare down items like gloves, brushes, cloths and detergent for day-to-day use and top up from a centralised supply as needed.
A drawer insert with holes cut to fit metal or plastic buckets (very cheap) will help you get a handle on cooking clutter. TIP: Separate utensils into wooden, plastic and metal so you can grab something quickly.
“Egg of an hour, bread of a day, a wife of twenty years” … or something like that. Crusty artisan bread should be eaten as soon after baking as possible. Commercial sliced bread is best stored somewhere cool, but not cold, and sealed against any wandering pests. Bulky benchtop bread bins take up prep space, and fridge storage can actually accelerate staleness, so consider a bread drawer with a cover and an insulating pad in the base.
Cane baskets in wooden frames on runners or brackets maintain air circulation around vegetables and are a rustic touch for a country-style kitchen.
Give drawers air for food storage Store some vegetables, for example, onions, garlic, uncut pumpkin and potatoes, in ventilated drawers to maintain their flavour and save fridge and bench space. Potatoes particularly hate the cold, as the starch converts to sugar, and texture and taste suffers. Don’t refrigerate tomatoes, either – they taste better at room temperature. Lemons and oranges also give up more juice when not chilled. A low-level drawer with a mesh screen front is ideal for fruit and veg storage.
Toe-kick drawers are handy for: horizontal wine storage; infrequently used platters, trays and boards; table linen and tea towels; instruction books and paperwork; oversized cooking pans, like a paella pan; a hidden supply of chocolate for when you feel down; storing pet bowls away from other items; or as a lockable spot for valuables. TIP: Avoid storing good wine in the kitchen if you can help it. It’s probably the hottest room in the house. Lie bottles down in toe-kick spaces – a better, cooler option than out in the open kitchen area.
Get a kick out of your drawers Who thought of toe-kick drawers? Give that person a medal. Depending on your cabinetry construction, drawers can be retro-fitted in this forgotten space. Keep drawer pulls simple and flat to avoid accidentally kicking them.
Don’t waste an inch of space – fit a removable chopping board over a shallow drawer.
Charlie Kingham | London Save Email 8. Put together a work station behind closed doors Microwaves can be bulky and take up a lot of bench space, but you can give yours a home in its own little cabinet. Make sure you keep the doors open while it’s operating for maximum ventilation, but feel free to hide it away again when you’re done. Another popular storage nook idea is a breakfast station, with a coffee pot, kettle, toaster and other morning necessities all to hand in one place. Or you could create a baking zone, where a large food mixer can sit, plugged in and ready to go. This sort of function-specific storage is great for making the most of your mid-sized appliances while keeping your work surfaces clear.
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