Small But Efficient Kitchen Design
It’s hard to overcome the feeling of not having enough space in a small kitchen. Once upon a time the kitchen was a place that was used only for food preparation, storage and clean-up. Today it has become an important room of the house where not only cooking takes place, but is a hub of activity where you can entertain guests. If you have a small kitchen to design then the problem of designing a great kitchen boils down to just what you can fit and where. There are many different cabinet designs and surface patterns that can help you provide your small kitchen design with a sense of space.
A small kitchen design requires creativity in coming up with storage solutions. Here some ideas to try :
Putting an island in the center of the kitchen that can provide freestanding storage that is also convenient from any spot in the kitchen.
Using a galley kitchen design in which the cabinets and appliances line up on either side of a corridor can work out very well for a small kitchen space.
Today’s appliance manufacturers have come up with more compact space-saving appliances make small kitchen design easier, such as refrigerators that are 24 inches deep instead of 30 inches deep, as well as appliances that can be hung underneath cabinets like microwaves.
Other small kitchen design tricks to create an eating area in the kitchen include using a drop table or a small sized round table with two small chairs that can be tucked into a corner. Or a built-in counter along the wall with chairs to provide an eating nook.
Another interesting challenge in small kitchen design is creating an illusion of space with under cabinet lighting or under the counter. With the proper type of lighting the kitchen can be made to appear larger and more pleasing.
The use of light colored cabinets with glass doors.
Installing deeper counters that can accommodate more appliances and increase work space.
Flooring tiles can be placed on a diagonal, and in a galley style kitchen hardwood flooring can be run the length of the kitchen.
For storage you can hang up pots and pans. This is a perfect way to free up cabinet space, and they add a certain charm and character to your small kitchen design. The insides of cabinet doors can be used to hang up everything from utensils, oven mitts, and other miscellaneous items. Pantry storage with units that go all the way to the ceiling with the upper cabinets to provide more space for seldom used items while making the lower cabinets more accessible with rollout shelves, lazy susans, and tilt-out bins.
Install a large kitchen sink, since larger sinks are considered to be more practical than small sinks when it comes to cleaning pots and pans.
Hopefully these tips will help you to design a kitchen that is both functional and appealing to look at. Detailed planning is worth the extra time and effort when it results in a space that you are happy with. Read more Interior Design Guide and Ideas
Considerations When Purchasing Kitchen Units
If you would like a brand new kitchen but have put it off due to the high costs involved, you may want to consider installing kitchen units yourself. Having a kitchen planned, designed and installed for you often adds up to thousands of pounds, but you could have the kitchen of your dreams for just a fraction of that cost.
Rather than go along to the high street to look at the range of kitchens and styles you may wish to shop online instead. Purchasing kitchens has never been easier, as not only are you able to browse through the styles and types of units, you are also able to order online and have your flat packed kitchen delivered to your door.
One of the first choices you have to make is of course the style of kitchen you want. There are many possibilities, dark woods, light, white, maple effect or oak, the list goes on and on. When considering the style of kitchen you may wish to take into account the flooring too, so everything fits into the style. The size of your kitchen may also factor into your choice of style. For instance if it’s relatively small, a light maple will give a feeling of plenty of space. Darker units may make the kitchen feel even more closed in than it really is.
The size of your kitchen floor space is one of the main considerations when looking to buy your new kitchen units. It may be easy to get carried away once you see the vast range of units on offer, but will they fit into the space you have?. It may be a good idea to plan your kitchen on graph paper and measure in millimetres. Of course you may have to plan around existing appliances, unless you are replacing everything in the kitchen.
Buying a new kitchen is easy when you purchase it in a pre-set pack of eight units. A typical pack consists of base units, wall units, soft close drawers and under oven housing. The packs come flat packed and are easy to assemble. Of course if you wish to add-on more units you can. Bear in mind that to finish off your kitchen to perfection you can add plinths. These are used as finishing touches to hide cabinet legs away from sight, and make a huge difference to the appearance of the finished kitchen. To make sure that your existing appliances fit it with your new look you can install appliance fascias.
Once you have chosen all the units for your new kitchen you can then browse the large selections of worktops and splash backs to match and contrast the units. Dont forget the kitchen sink; there are many styles and types available to enhance your new kitchen and make it stand out.
At Wickes, we can supply you with high quality flat packed kitchen units. A little work on your part you can turn your old kitchen into the kitchen from your dreams, and a workspace that your friends will envy.
Tim Carter, of AsktheBuilder.com, shows off his old kitchen, the demolition of the old kitchen, his newly remodeled kitchen, and all the great new amenities.
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Stylish Storage: How To Make The Most Of Your Kitchen Units
Article by Paul Trafford
The foundation of any kitchen starts with the units because they are going to provide your storage space and the base for your worktops. Your choice of kitchen units, therefore, has a great impact on the ultimate quality of your new or revamped kitchen. But what types of units are there? How will they function from a design point-of-view? And what kind of quality and maintenance issues need to be considered?
Types of kitchen unitsThe two main categories of kitchen units are:
Base units – Ground-level units that support worktops, sinks and major appliances.Wall units – Primarily used for storage space, these units often stand at eye-level.Within these two categories there are multiple variations, meaning there are a lot of options available to you in your choice of unit. With the base units it is a case of opting for either a cupboard, drawer or combined unit and your choice will largely depend on your individual storage needs. The wall units, contrastingly, offer more variety in terms of design. Corner units, bridge units and ‘peninsular-style’ units (on a support leg rather than fixed to a wall) can add some much-needed variation to the standard bank of cupboards seen in most kitchens.
Kitchen units and kitchen designIn terms of design, the most immediate consideration you’ll need to make is how you will achieve consistency in your choice of units. From a visual perspective, having several different types of unit in a small space can give the impression of incoherence and imbalance. At the same time, different units offer different storage options and it is often necessary to have an assortment of unit types. As a general rule, having a consistent layout broken by the occasional variation, tied together with a consistent colour scheme, can help create a cohesive design.
Your choice of colours will also play an important role and can have a dramatic effect on the impression of light and space in your kitchen. Using darker colours can help mute the scale of large kitchens, while lighter colours can work with a kitchen’s light to give the impression of greater size. This is especially important in smaller kitchens where your units may take up a substantial amount of the space. Colour and light are important considerations when it comes to making your units part of a balanced design.
Quality and maintenance issuesIn order to ensure that your new units are durable and of a good quality, it’s suggested that you choose units that are made from 18mm thick chipboard. If you are working to a budget, 15mm is also acceptable, but having 18mm will guarantee that your units are strong and able to stand the test of time. Also, when making the decision about the colour and finish of your units, think about how easy they will be to clean. Dirt and grime will show up clearly on white surfaces and need more frequent cleaning, while textured finishes can be a nightmare to clean effectively.
Balancing the aesthetic aspects of your units with more practical considerations is the key to choosing the cupboards and cabinets that will give you the best kitchen storage solution.
With AVENTOS HK-S, from HPP, there is now a scaled down lift system that is specially designed for stay lift applications on smaller frontals. It is therefore perfectly suited to the cabinets positioned at the top of larder units and over appliances. This video shows you how easy it is to assemble your Blum lift system
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