Top 10 Kitchen Design Decisions for your Bungalow Renovation
The kitchen is the heart of the home! We all tend to spend a lot of time in the kitchen, preparing food, cooking up family feasts, entertaining, or our kids are doing their homework at the kitchen bench. It is important to get the design right, so here a some key design decisions to consider when planning your kitchen renovation:
Storage - Deep Drawers or Cupboards?
Organised storage spaces is a must in a family kitchen. Modern kitchens are more likely to have deep drawers under the bench top instead of only having cupboards for storage. The drawers make it easier to see and grab what you need at a glance - no need to crotch down and pull out a stack of pots from the back of a cupboard. Using soft closing cabinetry is a great feature where the cabinets have special bumpers and rollers that make it harder to the slam doors. Make sure to maximise storage by adding a push to open cupboard or drawer underneath the kickboard of the benchtop.
2. Benchtop Material - Engineered Stone is our pick!
Benchtops can be the focal point in the kitchen. There are quite a few materials you can choose from, such as engineered stone (caesar stone or quartz), laminate, timber, stainless steel, solid surface (acrylic resin with a filler of alumina), polished concrete, marble, granite and more. Before deciding between these materials you should decide on the overall look, durability and maintenance you are after.
Laminate is the most cost effective choice for clients with a tight budget. Laminate is resistant to staining and easy to keep clean, but it can be scorched or scratched if you do not use a cutting board or place hot pots or pans directly on it.
Engineered stone is made using natural aggregates mixed with resins. It is the most popular choice as it comes in many colours, can be one solid colour or have fleck in it, it is durable, does not require any maintenance, easy to keep clean as it resists staining or scratching. Depending on the look you are after you can choose between a thick chunky edge or a thin 20mm slimmer line.
Natural stone marble is a timeless choice but comes a cost and can get stain easily as it is porous.
3. Island Bench
The kitchen island bench serves many uses! if designed right it can:
offer additional storage space
a place for cooking prep, plating up, serving
prep area for washing up
entertaining + casual dining
homework + family time
If you are a LOVER, avoid these mistakes and make sure you consider:
Do you have the space for it? You will need a minimum of 90cm to 120cm of open space around the island. If it will affect the traffic flow or you are limited with space then give it a miss
How many breakfast bar seats can you comfortably fit?
Don't forget POWER! how many outlets do you need for food prep appliances
LET THERE BE LIGHT! Pendant lighting above the island is essential
4. Power Points
How many power points depends on your kitchen and length of your benchtop. We recommend at least 3 power points, but if you plan to have an island bench then add at least one more power point there too. Consider adding power points with USB ports.
5. Butlers Pantry
If you are limited in space and renovating a single storey, three bedroom home you many choose to add a simple walk in pantry with some shelves. However, if space is not an issue every modern, newly renovated home can’t go wrong with the extra food prep space and storage provided by a butlers pantry. It is a small kitchen within in your kitchen that is within reach, but hidden out of sight found behind a wall or door. Don’t like the idea of cluttering your main kitchen benchtop? Then you will appreciate the extra storage space to plug in your bulky counter top appliances, store your pantry staples, serving ware and hide messy food prep and clean up from entertaining guests.
6. Built in - pull out rubbish and recycling bins
Concealed pull out rubbish bins are one of the easiest additions you can make to your kitchen so don’t make the oversight of leaving it out. Conveniently install it under the kitchen sink cupboard.
7. Zip instant hot water/ filtered cold water tap
Installing a home water filtration system is a great way to improve the quality of your family’s drinking water. A water filtration system can remove dangerous contaminants like lead, chlorine, and bacteria from your water. It can also improve the taste and smell of your water, and save you money on your monthly water bill. These systems can take up space so it is best to consider them early when you are working out the layout of your shelving and kitchen design.
8. Mixer tap with spray out hose
No more cramming plates under a fixed tap and getting soaked from the splash back. The flexi hose of the pull out kitchen spray tap is a versatile accessory you didn’t know you needed until you have one. With their approx. 300mm height and a 360°C swivel spout you will have more space to move around in the sink. It will be easier to rinse off dirty dishes before popping them in the dishwasher, clean your vegies, fill up the mop bucket, or like a of families bath the baby or puppy in the sink.
9. Single Sink or go the Double?
Depends what is more practical and how you use this part of the kitchen…going double tends to be the preference for larger families. It makes it easier to:
handle an increase in dirty dishes (not have them sitting on the bench top)
you are able to divide between two sinks for washing up
use the double to separate dirty dishes in one side and prep/ defrost food in the other side
10. Let there be Light!
Depending on what the area in the kitchen is used for will affect the type of lighting needed. If your kitchen island is the family hang out spot with seating then ambient pendant lighting may be sufficient. However, if it is a task driven space where you need to safely prepare food or read recipes it is a good idea to mix up the lighting with a combination of recessed downlighting and pendant lights. Add accent lighting to your kitchen with LED strip lights over or under cabinets to illuminate areas that may be lower and harder to see or to highlight a feature area, such as open shelves or glass cabinetry.
