All you need to know about designing your dream kitchen

The key to a well-designed kitchen is ensuring it not only looks beautiful but functions perfectly too. How do you achieve this? When planning a new kitchen there are essential elements such as the right layout, the correct position of your working areas and good-quality fixtures and finishes that make up a well-designed space and will maximise your kitchen’s potential.

So before you make any important decisions, make sure you have ticked off these important features that are critical for a well-designed kitchen.

Storage = Function

A functional kitchen is never complete without an adequate amount of storage.

A good place to start is by going through all your kitchen utensils and appliances to get rid of items that you do not use regularly and work out items you need to store. A new kitchen is a perfect time to declutter and let go of unused items that are taking up valuable space or small appliances that are collecting dust.

If you are restricted with the size and layout of your kitchen not to worry – there are plenty of space-saving designs that will allow you to maximize every storage opportunity. Some of our design team’s favourite space saving mechanisms include the ‘space tower’ for your pantry – using internal drawers instead of shelves makes it easy to see and access your pantry items, the Hafele ‘comfort pullout’ is a great solution for small spaces by your oven with options available between 150mm to 300mm wide to neatly house all of your oils and spices, and while you’re at it why not take your overhead cupboards to the ceiling – allowing you to maximise storage and minimizing dust.

Strong and stylish finishes

Do you love to cook? Are you always entertaining? How many people use the kitchen frequently? These are important questions to ask to determine how durable your finishes need to be.  A practical yet stylish inclusion to your kitchen could be to incorporate engineered stone benchtops, with a  wide range of brands and colours available to choose you will be left with a space that not only looks glamorous but is easy to maintain too.

Don’t forget to pay close attention to your fittings too. Simple touches such as a beautifully shaped handle can elevate a plain cabinet or pairing a detailed coloured tap with a basic sink can create a high-end look. The fittings in your kitchen are going to have to withstand a lot of wear and tear so make sure you invest in good quality fittings that are stylish, durable and easy to use.

A lighting plan is a good plan

Once you have your kitchen layout sorted, you need to put together your electrical plan, and understand where your lights and power points will be located throughout your kitchen. A well thought out lighting plan will include background lighting, mood lighting and task lighting. This will add both depth and practicality to your space.

Get creative! Add LED strip lighting to your overhead cabinets to light up the benchtop or include decorative pendant lights to add ambiance to the space. If your kitchen is dark and dreary during the day, consider including a skylight to naturally brighten up the kitchen and give the illusion of added space.

A sublime splashback

The splash back surface you include in your kitchen can completely transform the look and feel of the space. Splashbacks are a brilliant feature to play around with, as there are so many materials to choose from to either create a focal point or form a back drop within your kitchen.

Choose a durable material that is easy to clean, but also aligns with your design style. With countless sizes, shapes, patterns, and colours to choose from, a tiled splashback is an easy and effective way to add character to the space, or if you are after an extra wow factor in your kitchen a book matched engineered stone splash back will perfectly marry in with stone benchtops.

Do you need help designing your dream kitchen?

Our award-winning team can help you maximise your kitchens potential. Book a FREE in-home consultation today.