Before the real fun and excitement of a kitchen renovation begins, such as removing tiles, ripping up floors, taking out cabinetry and knocking out walls, there’s several practical questions and considerations that need to be addressed for your planning, in order to assist your kitchen designer create a space that perfectly suits your household’s needs.
Kitchen Renovation Plans – Who Are We?
Kitchen renovation plans aren’t a simple case of one size fits all. Giving your kitchen designer a clear picture of how you and your family live is an effective way to ensure that your renovation will work for you, not only now, but also over time as your household grows in numbers, moves into those fun teenage years or progresses to the empty-nester stage.
Your kitchen designer needs to get to know you and your family so that they can design a space that works to suit you and your requirements. So be prepared to be upfront and honest!
Prepare a summary to advise your designer of how many people live in the home and their ages; how you live, work and entertain; any lifestyle requirements and if you regularly have visitors. Obviously, a single person or a family of two will have different kitchen needs to a family of eight, and your kitchen designer will take this into consideration in their plans.
Perhaps you’re a busy single professional who won’t be at home that often to cook lavish meals. You may be part of a couple, who is hoping to grow your family, but in the meantime, loves to host dinner parties for friends. Others may have a tribe of teenage children who frequently have their school friends around who need to be fed, while other households may need to adapt to multiple generations living in the home, if ageing parents are moving in.
Kitchen Renovation Plans – How do we live?
Questions you may be asked include do you regularly entertain, and if so, do you employ caterers, who may need access to a butler’s pantry? Do you love entertaining outdoors, so need easy access to outside areas?
Do you cook specific cuisines? Are there specialist styles of cooking you particularly like to do? Do you have particular needs relating to religious beliefs or cultural requirements? For example, a Kosher kitchen for Jewish families needs separate areas for dairy and meat, and separate sinks and dishwashers, among other requirements. Meanwhile, some Asian families will ask their kitchen designer to adhere to Feng Shui design principles, and incorporate multiple woks.
Are you planning to have many items to store and access? Do you buy food in bulk? If so, a butler’s pantry or spacious walk-in pantry will most likely be high on your list of must-haves. A kitchen within a kitchen, a butler’s pantry is the perfect area to prepare meals and then hide dirty dishes and saucepans, as well as a microwave, coffee machine, dishwasher, toaster and kettle.
Keeping it casual
Where do you and your household like to eat your meals? Perhaps you prefer to eat breakfast or lunch at a kitchen island or breakfast bar with bar stools. The kitchen island/breakfast bar is ideal for busy mornings for a quick breakfast before dashing out the door and is also where children can draw or play while parents cook.
Integrated seating such as a padded banquette nook is another relaxed option and saves space in smaller kitchens. Speak to your kitchen designer about whether this option is right for your needs and will suit your space and layout.
Planning space for homework and personal admin
If you’re part of a family with young children, parents will need to be able to keep an eye on them while meal preparation is underway. Fortunately, today’s kitchen layouts allow this. Planning for a nook or corner in your kitchen renovation design where children can do homework as adults prepare meals is very helpful, as supervision is close by, and ensures that children are safe while online.
If a homework nook is on your agenda, a quality Sydney kitchen design will need to incorporate ample powerpoints and charging stations for multiple mobile phones, tablets and laptops.
Even if there aren’t children in the home, these computer nooks are also the perfect area for quickly checking online recipes, streaming music while cooking or paying bills.
When you’re ready to start planning your kitchen renovation, contact the experienced kitchen designers at Art of Kitchens.
