What You Should Include in a New Kitchen Design
When you think about what to include in a new kitchen, chances are your mind immediately jumps to the big ticket items like appliances, new kitchen benchtops and functionality.
While these are key elements of any kitchen renovation, there are many other factors to consider for a well-designed, modern kitchen.
Here’s what we recommend including in your planning for your new kitchen design.
Storage
After nailing your kitchen layout, storage is arguably the most important element to consider when designing your ideal space.
Your kitchen storage options will not only be dependent on the space you have but also how you use your kitchen and what you have to store.
Families who love to entertain and have the space for it may consider a separate butler’s pantry, for example, as a home for small appliances and to hide clutter.
Smaller spaces may benefit from pull-out drawers and cabinets that make good use of deep and narrow spaces.
Having a well thought out plan for your storage will allow you to get the most of your kitchen, ensuring that there’s a home for everything and that clutter is kept to a minimum.
Materials
When it comes to kitchen design, not all materials are created equal. Again, how you use your kitchen will influence the types of materials you use for surfaces across your flooring and new kitchen benchtops.
If you have kids or pets, a hard-wearing floor that’s easy to clean will be a must. Some popular flooring materials to consider include terrazzo and quartz. These are natural stones that are hard-wearing and can come in beautiful shades to match practically any kitchen.
Low-cost flooring options such as tiles and linoleum will save you, to begin with, but will ultimately date and are more prone to damage. Considering the cost of repair or replacement, choosing a natural material is a more sound investment.
Popular benchtop finishes like marble or timber may have more maintenance involved, so steer clear if you don’t want to have to worry about scratching or staining the surfaces every time you cook.
Lighting
Lighting is one of the most under-considered elements of great kitchen design and can have a transformational effect on the space and how you use it.
Not only a great design feature with the right fittings, lighting should also complement the different areas within your kitchen according to their purpose.
Preparation and washing up areas should have bright lighting to illuminate what you’re doing. Consider installing a strip of LEDs under overhead kitchen cupboards to spotlight the new kitchen benchtops below.
LED strips can also be installed along kickboards for a subtle brightening effect that’s particularly useful in the evenings.
For overall illumination in your kitchen, downlights with a dimmer switch will help your lighting adapt to different times of day and fluctuations in natural light.
Feature lighting pieces will also create a sense of vibrancy and complete the space, design-wise. These could include a large pendant hanging over the island bench (if your kitchen is open-plan, you could have a matching one over the dining table), some well-placed sconces or even a row of pendants in the centre of the kitchen.
Cabinetry
Cabinets play a huge role in shaping the look and feel of your kitchen. There have never been so many options for custom joinery, and there are many decisions to make when it comes to the cabinetry in your kitchen.
Things to factor into your cabinetry design plan include whether you would like to integrate your appliances; if you need any custom solutions built for tricky spaces or to meet a functional need; how your sink will be mounted; whether you’d like an island bench and what kind of pantry you want to include.
Once you’ve worked out where your cabinetry is going, you then also need to think about what it looks like. From the style of doors (e.g. shaker style, frosted glass) to the material and door hardware, your kitchen cupboards are a major design element within your kitchen.
Looking for more kitchen renovation inspiration? Our eBook offers a wealth of design tips and tricks for your kitchen project, curated by our team of experts who have been renovating kitchens for over 50 years. Download it here.
