John Oliver With each coming year, homeowners find themselves presented with a host of new design trends for the home. Some are transient and will result in a nagging sense of buyer’s remorse within months. Others will be timeless and stick with your home long after you’ve moved on up the property ladder. Nonetheless, if you’re planning to make a major renovation this year it goes without saying that you’ll want to get as much from your money as possible, ensuring the maximum return on your investment should you wish to sell later on down the line. Since the kitchen is one of the greatest selling points of the home, it’s important to make prudent choices when it comes to decorating this most familial of rooms and furnishing it with the right appliances
For those not in the know, this year’s design trends veer towards the streamlined with open plan designs, flawless quartz surfaces, and efficient storage solutions to help you get the most out of whatever space you have available. In terms of appliances, steam ovens and vintage colored refrigerators are all very much in vogue this year. After all, who isn’t sick of stainless steel by now?
Whatever bells and whistles you choose to incorporate, however, there are some design choices that can either elevate or negate the choices you make. Steer clear of these kitchen design mistakes and you’ll be set for a lifetime of happy cooking and dining…
Obstructing the triangle
Creating a sense of flow in your kitchen is essential to make the experiencing of cooking as pleasurable and time efficient as possible. This means that your access to the stove, refrigerator, and sink is easy, unrestricted and (ideally) equidistant. Design professionals refer to this trinity as the “kitchen triangle” and designing your kitchen so that you’re unable to move between them with ease is one of the most fundamental mistakes in the design process.
Poor lighting
Since this year’s trends are very much focused on clean lines and minimalism, it’s important that your lighting be used to emphasize this rather than detracting from it. Dull or off-white lighting can make even the cleanest and most spacious of kitchens look needlessly cramped and dirty. Kitchen lighting falls within three categories; task lighting (for lighting the stove, cooking hobs and areas in which food is prepared), ambient lighting (the general illumination of the room) and accent lighting (lighting a specific area for aesthetic effect). You’ll have to make judicious use of all 3 to get the most out of your kitchen.
Lack of counter/storage space
Far too many kitchens make inadequate use of their storage space and therefore stored items impinge on counter space. On the other hand, a lack of usable counter space is not only frustrating but it can make your kitchen look needlessly diminutive. If you have an L shaped kitchen, an island or breakfast bar should be considered must-haves. You should also look into the wide range of efficient storage solutions on the market to help you get the most of every inch of usable storage space.
