The kitchen is a field for culinary creativity, which should always inspire people to create unique and, most importantly, delicious masterpieces and avoid small kitchen organization mistakes. This is facilitated by the design of the workspace, which should arouse a desire to create not only by functionality, but also by a laconic appearance.
Basic Rules and Small Kitchen Organization Mistakes
Attractive kitchen design always inspires and even distracts from unnecessary thoughts. To create it properly, a number of mistakes should be avoided:
1. Installing cabinets with bulky handles. Often large handles prevent the cabinet from opening completely, and also do not always fit into the interior. It is necessary to install miniature handles on cabinets, but you can abandon them altogether, replacing them with knob handles that automatically open the drawer when pressed.
2. Choosing kitchen furniture with a glossy surface. A glossy finish requires more frequent and thorough maintenance. Its significant disadvantage is the ability to collect fingerprints even of clean hands. To avoid such a problem, you should give preference to matte surfaces, which are a little easier to care for.
3. Installation of standard shelves. Not always the usual shelves are convenient, especially if installed in deep kitchen cabinets. In this case, the most effective are drawers or shelves retractable type. They provide access to all the items in the drawer at once.
4. Choosing a large kitchen table. The wrong table can look bulky and take up unnecessary space, which is not always enough even without it. A great option would be a small kitchen table that will look neat and significantly save space, making the kitchen visually more spacious. An alternative to the table is a bar counter, which can fit in almost every interior with dignity.
5. Installation of a large number of open shelves. Open shelving accumulates dust, which is difficult to combat. It is better to install kitchen cabinets, in which food and utensils will always be protected.
6. Installing small countertops. The work surface in the kitchen should be sufficient to carry out several manipulations in cooking at once. This becomes possible only by choosing a large countertop, which will prevent inconvenience.
7. The use of cheap materials for the kitchen apron. Standard wallpaper and paint should not be used. When installing a kitchen apron, preference should be given to easy-to-clean materials: tile, glass, etc. They will facilitate the process of cleaning and keep a decent view of the kitchen for a long time.
8. Mixing several styles. It creates a sense of bulkiness and pressure, and causes the space to visually narrow. Finding and cooking in such a kitchen is not a pleasure for anyone.
Style should be chosen according to the preferences of the residents, because the kitchen – not just a place for cooking, and a cozy place where all the household will gather around the table. Be sure to pay attention to the tastes of the hostess.
Properly Designing the Arrangement of the Elements of the Kitchen
The kitchen space should be arranged in a practical way, so that the inventory will last as long as possible and not cause discomfort when using it. To achieve such a result, you should think in advance details on the location of inventory, paying attention to the following rules:
- The stove should not be installed close to the refrigerator. The kitchen stove during operation heats up and gives off heat to the walls of the refrigerator, which as a result ceases to cool properly. A cabinet should be placed between the refrigerator and the stove.
- Allocate space for small household items. When designing the kitchen, it is necessary to think in advance about the arrangement of small items and appliances for cooking, so as not to further encounter a lack of space and clutter of items. Also, do not forget that small appliances require access to electricity, and therefore it is necessary to think about the location of outlets.
- Consider the place of storage of things. At the design stage, you should think about the storage system for small items, utensils and food, which will allow you to competently distribute the space and prevent it from cluttering.
- Choosing the height of the workspace. For the convenience of working in the kitchen, it is necessary to choose the right height of countertops and floor cabinets. The standard height is 85 cm, but it can be increased if tall people will work in the kitchen.
- Consider the working triangle. The work triangle has 3 tops – the refrigerator, stove, and hand basin. They should be located from each other at a minimum, but convenient distance for a person. This will allow for cleanliness in the cooking process.
- Choosing the right height of chairs for the bar counter. It depends on the height of the residents, but for comfort, the difference between the chair and the bar should be about 14 inches.
Thought-out kitchen design in advance helps to avoid mistakes that will be difficult to correct later, and most importantly, ensures the convenience and comfort in future use.
Obligatory Elements in the Kitchen and Their Location
Kitchen set – the most important component, which will later be supplemented with small elements for the convenience of cooking.
It consists of the following elements
- Basic modules: the upper row of cabinets, the lower row of floor table-tables, dining area. These elements are basic, allow you to competently structure the space of the kitchen.
- Additional elements: lighting in the kitchen and inside cabinets, appliances, a bar counter with chairs, a kitchen apron. Secondary elements set a special atmosphere in the kitchen, as well as facilitate the work.
- Lower tier consists of worktops and cabinets with drawers and shelves. These are complemented by large appliances like a stove, refrigerator, freezer, dishwasher and washing machine. For convenience and space saving, some appliances can be built into drawers.
- For a competent arrangement of the main elements of the set, you should first understand where the elements of plumbing and large appliances will be located. In accordance with this, measurements are taken, and then a project on the location of the modules is made.
Particular attention should be paid to the type of kitchen: linear or corner options.
- For example, the stove should be placed at least one floor cabinet away from the refrigerator to prevent unwanted heating for it.
- The stove should not be placed next to the balcony door, because the wind can make cooking difficult. It is necessary to maintain a distance of at least 20 inches between the stove and the balcony.
- High elements such as refrigerators or cabinets should be placed on the edges of the kitchen set. Such an arrangement will not break the upper tier of the set.
- Lower cabinets should be placed so that their opening does not interfere with anything. This will ensure full access to the contents. It is not recommended to install cabinets with drawers next to the stove, if small children live in the room.
- The kitchen sink should not be placed in the corner, as such a location will make it difficult to clean, and the walls will quickly become dirty.
- The kitchen sink, as well as the dishwasher, should be installed no more than 118 inches away from the sewer pipe. This will make it easier to install the appliances. The sink should also be installed at a distance of 24 inches from the stove.
Proper Zoning of the Kitchen
For the most comfortable work, the rules of zoning should be followed. They will allow you to intelligently design the zones of the kitchen space for the convenience of everyone:
1. The kitchen set should be placed along the wall. If necessary, you can make an island or place a bar counter with chairs.
2. The dining table should be set closer to the wall if the room is small. On a large space, the dining area can be freely placed in the middle of the room.
3. Small appliances should be placed along the kitchen apron. It is also possible to place on special installations above the island, which will save space.
4. Racks and shelves can be installed in those places where there is free space after the installation of the set.
Rules of Lighting in the Kitchen
Lighting in the kitchen is an important component, in connection with which the following recommendations should be followed:
- Light sources should be placed so that the workplace does not have shadows from large objects and people in the room.
- At the same time the lamps and the glare from the glossy coating of furniture should not dazzle the eyes. The surface to work should have sufficient light, which is why you can install additional lights and lamps over it.
- One chandelier in the kitchen space is almost always not enough. Along the kitchen apron, you can install small lamps instead of the baseboard, which will allow you to have quality lighting of the working area at any time of the day.
- If the design of the kitchen is maintained in light shades, it is not recommended to install a lot of light sources, as the walls and furniture have a high light-reflectivity, equal to 80%. In the dark-colored furniture, this ability is several times lower, which means that more light is required.
Lamps in the kitchen must be at least 24 inches away from water and steam sources.
Conclusion
To avoid small kitchen organization mistakes, following the rules of the arrangement of objects will make it easier to use kitchen appliances. As well as create a comfortable and concise space that will please all the housemates.