Whether it’s part of an extension, a renovation or simply building a new home, a well-designed kitchen renovation with high quality materials can provide a great return on investment for your home. A great kitchen must be comfortable, practical, stylish and blend in with the rest of your home. Let’s be honest here, a kitchen is the hub of the house that has so many different functions – cooking the family meal, socialising, supervising homework, chilling out and the general day-to-day life. Everyone gathers in the kitchen and no two kitchens are the same. Each one is unique which makes them special and worthy of some serious planning.
Firstly, look at your current kitchen and note what works and make a list of the elements that you want in your dream kitchen or parts that need changing. How does your kitchen function? If there’s something on your wish list that simply doesn’t work in the design or space you have available, be prepared to compromise. What works on paper doesn’t always work when it comes to being constructed.
Do your research, lots of it! Go and visit display homes, showrooms and browse the internet – particularly Instagram and Pinterest – look at what is trending, what is no longer cool and what new design features are available. 
Have you heard of the working triangle? This is a rule dictating the functional relation between key aspects of your kitchen – usually the cooker, fridge and sink – to ensure your new design is ergonomic for you. Nobody has ever complained about having too much storage, right? Plan solutions around your working triangle. Think about the practicalities of the kitchen design – can everyone move within the room? Do you need to consider special needs?
Budget – like any project, and this one will be significant – you need to have a budget and then add another 10% for contingencies that are unforeseen. Make sure you also allow for installation, plumbing and electrical works. Knowing where to spend and where to save is one of the toughest parts of the process.
Storage – is there ever enough? Don’t compromise on cupboards, utilise every nook possible and install clever storage solutions including drawers, cupboards without handles (spring-loaded), shelving for everyday items, practical pantry for your family and even a bookcase.
Seating – often overlooked but think about the activities surrounding the kitchen, as the family gathers for breakfast, a friend drops in for coffee or a child needs homework supervised. Can you add a kitchen table in the room or just a breakfast bar with stools? A space-saving option is to build in some banquette seating, which will allow everyone to fit around the table comfortably. You may want to lift up the seats for added storage or bookcases at the end of an island for all those books that end up laying around. You could also designate a couple of baskets or boxes for each person to throw their ‘bits and bobs’ in. This way you can encourage the little people to take responsibility for keeping the kitchen tidy too.
As our little people love to bring their artwork, photos or certificates home to display, then why not consider a cork board or magnetic noticeboard and keep the fridge free of clutter.
Cull the clutter by incorporating a useful ‘command centre’ in your kitchen. Hang magazine racks along the wall to use as in-trays, and include a notepad for writing shopping lists and errands. You could also incorporate a family calendar, so everyone can see the weekly schedule at a glance.
Here’s a few high-end upgrades to consider that will become must-have inclusions in no time and add value to your investment:
- Bin drawer – hide the rubbish and sort it out of view.
- Water-resistant kickboards – you will only ever be grateful when you flood the kitchen – whether accidental spills, plumbing malfunction or flooding. Most kitchens are made of MDF board or particleboard and when exposed to water repeatedly or large volumes of water, they expand and can be damaged.
- Wine and drinks fridge – cheaper than a wine cellar but will keep the family fridge free from unnecessary bottles and save the food fridge from constant opening for drinks. If you are considering a larger fridge, it may be located in another room.
- Soft closing drawers – not a deal-breaker but you’ll be glad you don’t have to hear the drawers banging shut like standard doors do.
- Butler’s pantry – fast becoming an essential in-home design for those wanting maximum functionality and seeking a high-end kitchen to keep the other part of the kitchen with minimal mess.
- Appliance cupboard – a compromise to a butler’s pantry is a niche area just for all those kitchen appliances to be stored out of sight.
- Power points with USB chargers – for a small additional cost, you can be reading a tablet, watching a video, reading the phone for emails, recipes, social chat, homework etc while it is charging making it practical sense.
- High-fold cabinets can be extremely practical for high and mid-level cabinets. They open smoothly, items are easily accessible and there are no doors in the way. This also gives the kitchen a high-end plush look.
There is a lot to consider when planning a new kitchen from concept to completion, from functionality to aesthetics, from budget to wish list and more.
If you are unsure where to start, then we need to have a chat to discover what is possible for your home. Call me on 0413 596 131 today.
