How To Design Your Dream Kitchen-Factors For Ideal Spacing, Storage, And Smooth Functioning

Your kitchen is a space in your home that needs careful and proper planning. Whoever uses the kitchen must find it functional and the work flow must be smooth. Care must be taken in placing the kitchen appliances correctly and the height of the kitchen counter must be calculated accurately, so as to have an ergonomically designed kitchen. The colors chosen for the floor, cabinets and tiles must be coordinated well. The kitchen functions as a place where you not only cook delicious meals loving for your family but also a storage space of sorts and if it doubles up as a dining area as well, then your choice of dining furniture should match the kitchen. Any member of the family must be relaxed when walking into the kitchen and find what he or she wants without having to rummage through every cabinet. And they must be at their creative best while whipping up an ordinary meal or an exotic spread. This can happen only if the kitchen is comfortable to cook in. Kitchen organization and management is an art that can be emulated for happy living.

Designing your kitchen for smooth work flow calls for the proper placing of the kitchen appliances. The most important of all appliances that are used on an everyday basis, are the cook-top, the refrigerator and the sink.  Depending on the size of your kitchen and the dimensions, you can choose to have any of the following.

An L-shaped kitchen, an island kitchen, a galley kitchen, a U-shaped kitchen, a 2-sided galley kitchen ,etc. I have not come across an oval kitchen but I think if you have the space, well, why not ? Functionality and storage is what matters, anyway.

Ideally, every kitchen should have the sink in the center and the refrigerator and the cook-top on either side of the sink, whatever be the kitchen shape. This ensures smooth work flow - removing your supplies from the refrigerator , washing in the sink and heading to the cooking area of which the cook-top is the center. A chimney above the cook-top further ensures that your kitchen will be rid of all fumes thereby keeping the area odor free.

The location of the kitchen in a home is extremely important so as to get optimum sunlight during the day. North, north-east corner or east would be ideal. A couple of windows on adjacent walls will ensure cross ventilation too. This is particularly good even if you have an exhaust fan or a chimney over your cook-top. Outer doors and windows can be covered with wire gauze to keep mosquitoes and rodents out.

Considering you have a separate dining area, the optimum kitchen size should be at least 5 sq. m with a width of not less than 1.8 m. If a separate storage area is available, then the kitchen size could be reduced to 4.5 sq.m.

The kitchen should have a minimum height of 2.75 m, from the floor surface to the lowest point in the ceiling. The counter top or the kitchen platform should be placed at a height of 30-36 inches. Some prefer 32 ". Most modular kitchen companies offer a 36" counter. This should be calculated taking into account the height of the lady of the house who is to cook. You can have a counter made from granite, stainless steel, marble, wood,etc, according to your personal taste and budget. Above the counter top it is ideal to have glazed tiles on the kitchen walls for quick cleaning, and these come in a variety of colors. One can use a combination to create interest. These tiles must be placed up to 2 feet from above the counter top.

Kitchen Cabinets can be customized according to your personal functioning. You can have cabinets under your kitchen counter as well as above the glazed tiles over the counter top. Depending on the size of your kitchen, you can arrange your utensils, tools and cutlery in well-appointed pull out drawers or shelves with neat handles. Laminated inside and outside these will be durable and not warp due to weather conditions or spillage.

The kitchen lighting is important as well especially over the cook-top. Adequate electric points should be made available so as to accommodate kitchen appliances such as the microwave, the toaster, the refrigerator, or the oven.

The flooring in any kitchen should be 1 centimeter lower than the other floors in your home. Ideally kitchen can be covered with marble tiles, ceramic tiles, or terrazzo which are resistant to chemicals. And slightly sloped towards the floor trap. Kitchen drainage is an important aspect to consider. Choose a sink made from stainless steel for easy cleaning with or without a drainboard. A tap that best suits your need with hot and cold water would be ideal.

Selecting the right quality paint for your kitchen is absolutely necessary, in lighter hues so as to create the illusion of space. Wood colors or white are ideal.

Choose your kitchen colors to please the eye, while keeping your favorite and the practical aspect too. And that includes the flooring, walls, cabinets, the glazed tiles and the kitchen counter. Every home reflects the personality of its owner, especially the kitchen. The kitchen should remain clutter-free with easy work-flow for preparing healthy meals for your family. Great care must be taken in organizing one's kitchen so as to be a master of kitchen management.

If you are short on space in your kitchen, you can opt for a movable storage shelf that can double up as a counter. Pull-out shelves can be very useful in organizing your cutlery, tools or grocery jars. Take care to find one with adjustable heights so as to be able to use for a number of different types of containers.

A standing pantry cabinet would be ideal if you have lots to store and very little space in your kitchen.

A Cabinet Organizer can help you organize everyday cutlery and plates within easy reach. Most are available with adjustable height and width for use in optimum storage in your kitchen.