Points to Ponder When Designing a Kitchen
By Hannes Dreyer
Let's face it, the kitchen is truly the heart of any home. This is because it is the one area of the home from which all the occupants sustenance and essential nutrition originates. Not only is it vital to be able to feed the family, but is the core of many amazing events and creations. This should be enough reason to justify putting careful planning and thought into renovating or improving the homes kitchen. One should always spare a thought for the individual who will be utilizing this area of the home.
Always try to design the kitchen so as to make the life of the cook as easy as possible, thus freeing up their worries and concerns and enabling them to concentrate on the essential work at hand, which would be creating an amazing meal or surprise treat. When working in ones kitchen, all the necessary equipment and practical design and functionality of the working area are paramount to making it a pleasure to create wonderful food.
Points to Ponder when Designing a Kitchen:
Organization
Be sure to put adequate time and planning into visualizing exactly what you want your kitchen to look like. Always plan ahead and leave enough space for equipment, cutlery and utensils you may plan to purchase and not already have. Be sure to leave some open space for fridges, deep freezers, vegetable racks and fruit bowls so as to make them easily accessible. Be sure to have adequate packing space and cupboards.
Architecture
Everything in a kitchen should be designed so as to make the life of someone working in it easier. For example, avoid having doors which latch or open with a handle, by simply installing swinging doors, you will greatly simplify the life of someone with hands full of plates or bowls. Install extractor fans or vents to rid the area of excess vapors, smoke and potential grease deposits. This will decrease the dirt and grime build up on fixtures, walls and fittings.
Equipment
Try to put some consideration into the practicality of where you will place various pieces of equipment. Be sure to have adequate power outlets and space available to accommodate them without seeming cluttered. The last thing you want is a bunch of extension leads running all over the kitchen which could prove to be a serious safety risk and non the less unsightly.
Space
This one aspect is probably the single most important criteria for a comfortable kitchen. Not simply the amount of space available, but rather the utilization and practicality. In other words, one should have place to move but not have to run a marathon to get from the stove to the fridge or working area. You may wish to use a guideline designed for this purpose which is the 'work triangle'. How this works is, you draw an imaginary line from your sink to the stove and then to the fridge, then once again back to the sink to complete the triangle. The overall perimeter of the triangle should not exceed 26 feet( 8 meters) and no side of the triangle should be less than 4 feet ( 1.2 meters) or more than 9 feet ( 2.8 meters).
This rule has had many shouts of praise but also has its critics, however it may be worth considering when planning your kitchen. If in doubt don't be afraid to shout. If you find that the entire exercise of renovating or designing your kitchen becomes a mind boggling affair, you should not be afraid to ask for the assistance from a professional. Considering that such a revamp or original design can be rather costly when it comes to the kitchen due to the expensive appliances, working surfaces and the like, it may be advisable if you are in doubt to get the assistance of a contractor or interior designer.
After all sometimes it is better to pay a bit more initially than to have to spend a great deal rectifying mistakes which might have been avoided. Always remember that you should feel comfortable and happy in your kitchen, this way it will transform the task of cooking into the art of creating something wonderful.
Enjoy your kitchen.
About The Author:
Dr Hannes Dreyer is a Wealth Creator Mentor and inventor of the Property Pro Investment System.
For more information and great tips on property investments, home improvements and home renovations and to get your FREE Property Investments Video showing you how to achieve a growth rate of more than 87% per year on your property investments - even in a recession visit http://www.PropertySchool.co.za
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