Designing a kitchen’s functions

Designing a Kitchen's Functions

As a highly practical space, there is a lot to consider when designing and decorating a kitchen. In this lesson, I will take you through some of the key decisions that were made in order for it to work and function really well.

Layout and Flow

• I often think kitchen islands are far too big, and are much more effective when they have a smaller footprint. The island in this kitchen is 250 cm in length, 90 cm deep and has a 20 cm overhang for bar stools - and I think it's the perfect size.
• The gap between an island and other countertops in your kitchen should be 1m.
• The depth of this countertop is 60 cm, but going a little deeper at 75 cm is lovely.
• It's both convivial and practical to position a sink or a hob within an island. A sink is often easier, as you need to consider where an extractor fan can be positioned over a hob and these aren't very attractive to have hanging down in the centre of a room.
• If you can, always try to factor in an additional 'overflow' space off the kitchen - typically a utility room, pantry or scullery. This extra room allows you to contain and conceal any mess that's created when entertaining, meaning you can dine without looking at dirty pots and pans.

Order and Organisation

Order and organisation is absolutely paramount in a kitchen; it should be both easy and comfortable to use on a day to day basis. This means not only designing enough cupboard space so that you don't need to have everything piled high within, but also being thoughtful about how that space works. Considering how the interior of a cupboard or drawer will function is just as - if not more - important as the exterior.

• Choose to have slimmer cupboards so that things you need don't get lost at the back of deep cabinets
• Open shelving enables your most frequently used items to be close to hand.
• Incorporate sliding trays within kitchen cupboards to make it easier to retrieve heavy pans or a stack of plates.
• Within drawers, you should include knife blocks and dividers for cutlery.

Look and Feel

• Glazed glass cupboard doors can look really beautiful, but they are also very exposing and only look attractive if the contents within them are styled and thought through. If you like the look of glazed doors, but don't want to worry about how the interior looks, opt for reeded glass to obscure the view, or hanging gathered fabric on the inside of the glass can look very pretty.
• Your kitchen island and kitchen counter don't need to have the same surface, mixing the materials can be really effective and help to break up the space.
• There are a few ways to approach the back wall of a kitchen. You can cover it in metal, stone, tiles or in wooden tongue and groove. If you want to have wallpaper, you can add a layer of glass to protect it.

Hidden Considerations

I can't stress enough how important it is to really drill down into exactly how you will use your space, and what your specific requirements are. Use the questions below to help guide your thinking in the right direction.

• Where is the easiest place for rubbish, recycling and food waste to be stored?
• How many people do you cook for everyday, and how big do you need your fridge to be?
• Where do you prepare your food, and what do you require to be nearby?
• Is one dishwasher enough?
• What appliances do you need to fit into your kitchen?

The Breakfast Cupboard

This can help to take quite a lot of clutter out of your kitchen by containing and concealing the items you normally only use once a day; kettle, toaster, coffee machine, big boxes of cereals and loaves of bread.

Sourcebook

For a hob with an extractor fan within it, try Gaggenau

Glass carafes from William Yeoward