The kitchen has been the heart of the home for centuries. Not only is it a place where food is prepared and meals enjoyed, it is also a gathering place where people build and renew relationships around the family hearth.
Kitchen plans for redecorating or remodeling are a time to take a good look at how the kitchen is used by everyone in the household.
While residents may seem to have many things in common for kitchen use (especially eating!), some members of the household may have special considerations such as food preparation and storage.
Many of today’s TV home makeover programs have emphasized turning a kitchen into a living space, rather than merely the place where meals are made. Such a transformation involves a lot of space, thought and planning to make happen, and lots of kitchens aren’t designed for that purpose.
In virtually all cases, the function of a kitchen will continue to focus on food preparation and cooking.
Following is a list of question to help homeowners think about the design of their kitchen projects. The best way to use this list is to print out this page. Then have everyone in the household start answering the questions, and write their answers down.
Soon it will become apparent that some compromises are going to have to be made, whether to match available space, to avoid unnecessary duplication or to stay within a budget (especially the last).
Try to think about how the household needs the kitchen to function, and build a project plan from that perspective.
And if you’re having problems, a good idea might also be to look at professional kitchens and how they’re laid out.
Just go to a local restaurant and ask to see their kitchen. Just go when they are slow, like opening time.
I did this at a local restaurant Treebeards. I learned a ton. I mean after all, they really cook food, so their kitchen is set up to be super efficient for the use of cooking food, right?
So lets get on with what you should do…
2. How many people in the household will use the kitchen? What activities will they perform?
3. Does eating as well as food preparation occur in the kitchen?
4. When you entertain, do you and your guests end up in the kitchen?
5. Do you feed your pets in the kitchen?
6. Will the kitchen be part of a building extension?
7. Is there any structural work needed, such as fixing roof leaks, replacing windows etc?
8. Will a boiler remain in the kitchen or be removed?
9. Check off which of the following major activities happen in the kitchen. (Remember, each additional activity requires more space and organization).
- Cooking
- Laundry
- Homework / Office work
- Entertaining
- Eating
- Other (List)
10. What decorating style should the new kitchen be? Will it coordinate or contrast with the decorating style of the rest of the home?
11. What type of flooring and wall coverings (paint, tiles, wallpaper, shelves) do you want in the kitchen?
12. How much storage do you need for food, utensils and equipment? Do you prefer open shelving or closed cupboards?
13. Will you use gas or electric for cooking?
14. How many electrical appliances will you have in the kitchen? Do you have enough room and enough electrical connections for them?
15. Do you want a dishwasher?
16. How big of a sink do you need?
17. What sort of lighting do you need? Maybe a drop light for specific areas like the cutting board? What about an overhead fan?
Thinking about questions such as these often sparks even more questions in the minds of homeowners.
Write down everything you think over, and then start making comparisons and figuring budgets for your new dream kitchen.
Scarlet is definitely an expert household designer who’s written extensively about kitchen plans. Her content articles here on Coachep.com contain valuable help and advice about hundreds of different kitchen projects.
The post Asking The Right Questions Helps Build A Dream Kitchen appeared first on Coachep Kitchens.