Kitchens tend to be one of the most used rooms in the house. This space is utilized at the start of the day to prepare a quick breakfast before you head off for a busy day at work. Once the working day is done, the kitchen will then be a focal point of activity as you prepare a delicious home-cooked meal for the family, and it may even be where you all sit down as a group and enjoy dinner together.
Many people also enjoy hosting dinner parties to entertain and socialize with close friends and neighbors. Again, the kitchen will be the center point of preparation and might also be the area where you demonstrate your culinary prowess to impress your guests. Whatever you use your kitchen for, there are some key points to consider if it is starting to show its age and needs an upgrade or complete renovation. This article explains three key steps that will help to transform your kitchen and bring it in line with current trends.
Consider a kitchen island
A popular feature of many modern kitchens is the addition of a kitchen island. This can serve a variety of functions depending on your needs. If you want to make food preparation and cooking a centerpiece of your kitchen, it can be a wise choice to install essential appliances and work surfaces on your island. Instantly your kitchen will be transformed, and the focus will be on the art of cooking itself.
If you have a large family but a smaller-sized kitchen, the kitchen island can be used as a dining area with diner-style stools. This can be a great space-saving feature and frees up the need for a dedicated dining room in another area of the house. In short, a kitchen island can be perfectly tailored to your specific kitchen needs. See here for more inspiration on how to choose your ideal kitchen island.
Lighting
A key part of any modern kitchen that is both stylish and functional is lighting, which illuminates important areas and adds a touch of aesthetic flair to the final design. Lighting is an often-overlooked feature in many kitchen renovations but is an incredibly important one.
Consider task lighting that shines down on some of your important food preparation areas, such as worktops and cookers. These areas need to be well lit to allow you to work safely. It can be highly dangerous to prepare food and chop ingredients without suitable lighting levels; as such, high-quality lighting should be a key consideration. Many electrical supply stores boast a range of lighting solutions that are perfect for the kitchen environment, offering stylish designs that promote safe working.
The working triangle
When it comes to planning the layout of your kitchen in terms of essential appliances such as cookers and fridges and the location of worksurfaces, it is important to consider the working triangle theory of kitchen design. This principle states that essential appliances and operational areas should be located close to each other to reduce moving from place to place in your kitchen.
This allows you to work both quickly and efficiently on food preparation tasks. By bearing this principle in mind, it will give you a better idea of how to plan the layout of your kitchen so that its functionality and overall form are given proper thought and planning.
