Tips to help you get yourself the perfect kitchen

The kitchen is one room in which a lot of activities take place, so it is important to have one that is both beautiful and functional. This means that design and layout are very important.

“Some people do not give adequate consideration to  where they will  place the stove, sink or refrigerator and thus end up having problems manoeuvring in the kitchen,” say Ms Becky Siwa, an interior designer.

She adds that others do not pay adequate attention to the storage space, kitchen counter, ventilation, drainage and lighting, among other factors

Kitchen triangle

Ms Siwa says that the sink, cooker and refrigerator,  known as the kitchen triangle, is the area of greatest activity, so they should be place in a manner that allows easy movement.

“Since a lot of activities take place in the sink, it should be easily accessible from the refrigerator and cooker, as well as the kitchen counters.”

Ms Siwa says the space in the kitchen triangle is  important because if it is too small, people will trip over each other while if it’s too large, food preparation can be tedious.

Storage space

Regarding storage, Ms Siwa says that care should be taken in the design to avoid either wasting or limiting space.

“Some items such as food process have an oblong shape, making it tricky to fit them into the standard cabinet,”  she says, adding that as result, “most people are forced to store them  wherever they can, where they cause obstructions and also risk getting damaged.

However, she says, “Where funds allow, you can have special, built-in cabinets,” adding that if you have a small kitchen, it is advisable to go for extra-long, moulded upper cabinets. 

Little counter space

When it comes to counter space, Mr Siwa suggests that the best you can do is have as much open horizontal space as possible to ensure that there is enough room for all the activities that take place in the kitchen. 

Ventilation

No matter how elegant and neatly arranged your kitchen might be, it will give and impression of poor hygiene if it has an unpleasant odour. 

“If someone visits your home and smells last night’s fish lingering in the air, they might not tell you but will form an opinion about your standard of cleanliness, unaware that it is the ventilation system that is the problem.”

She says a good ventilation ensures that air circulates in the kitchen, such that there are no odours.

Lighting

The kitchen is the one room in your house where you can’t afford to have poor lighting, Ms Siwa says. This is because it is not only a matter of aesthetics and atmosphere, but also safety when it comes to handling things like sharp knives and other kitchen appliances.

For those with some cash to spare, it is advisable  to have three types of lighting in the kitchen.

“General lighting is the most common form and  is used for overall illumination but task lighting and accent lights are also important,” says the interior designer.