There was a time when kitchens were merely a corner in which to cook and nothing more. Redundant for a large part of the day, the kitchen served its purpose at mealtimes and was then forgotten about. How times have changed! Modern kitchens are at the centre of family life and are now used for a host of purposes. Our kitchens have become somewhere to chat to friends over a coffee, somewhere for the children to do their homework, somewhere to hold a dinner party, somewhere to watch T.V. and much, much more. It’s perhaps unsurprising, therefore, to learn that recent studies have shown that people spend more time in their kitchens than in any other room in the home.

Open plan living

Several decades ago, having a separate room that was a dedicated kitchen area was seen as a luxury. Most people’s kitchens were nothing more than a sink and an oven within their main living area. Nowadays the trend towards open plan living regards the notion of multi-purpose shared spaces as a positive thing, perhaps even inspirational. People no longer want their kitchens to be detached from the rest of the home. Instead, kitchen-diners have become increasingly popular, as have completely open plan contemporary “loft-style” designs.

Family Kitchens

The changing design of family kitchens

The trend towards using kitchens more as family living spaces has seen a markedly different approach to kitchen design in recent years. kitchens need to be bigger in order to accommodate more members of the family at times other than mealtimes and many people are choosing to extend their homes to achieve their dream family kitchen. Many kitchens now incorporate facilities like flat-screen TVs, fireplaces and comfortable sofas. Some families opt to do away with the more traditional table and chairs arrangement and replace these with a central island and a breakfast bar. The most important thing about designing family kitchens is that they’re tailored to meet the needs of each individual family’s lifestyle and preferences.

Planning your family kitchen

If you’re planning your dream family kitchen, here are some ideas to get you started:

Keep it low maintenance

High-gloss white cabinets are fine for single people or young couples but they’re not a good choice for family kitchens. Choose cabinets and countertops that will be hard-wearing and easy to clean. Floors should also be low-maintenance and ideally, non-slip.

Storage

To avoid a permanently cluttered look, a busy family kitchen needs plenty of storage. Planning this carefully in order to maximize the space available will be time well spent.

Relaxing

Every family kitchen needs a place to chill-out and relax; a corner area is ideal for this purpose. Add a comfy sofa (or even 2 if space allows) and a T.V. or even a stereo system for listening to music.

There’s no doubt that a well planned family kitchen can enhance the time you spend with those closest to you. Very often, creating an ideal family kitchen will not require the complete remodelling of your existing room. With a few minor changes to layout and some carefully chosen furniture, the perfect family kitchen isn’t too difficult to achieve.

Planning a new kitchen can be a tricky business! But with Kitchens Brisbane, we can make this task a lot easier. Here are 10 top tips to get you started:

1. Make a decision about your available budget and stick to it. It’s very easy to get carried away and end up over-spending only to regret it later. If you’re using a kitchen designer from Kitchens Brisbane, it’s a good idea to underestimate your budget as kitchen designers can also get carried away! That way, you’ll have a bit more room to manoeuvre.
2. Try to identify the things you dislike about your current kitchen as this in turn will help you to decide what you really want. (For example, are you happy with the amount of storage you have? Do you have a big enough food preparation area?)
3. If your budget is limited, consider just replacing cabinet doors and countertops. Kitchens Brisbane specialize in this and it can give you a whole new look for a fraction of the cost.
4. Start a collection of ideas and pictures of styles that appeal to you. Search the internet, magazines and brochures for inspiration; cut out and keep the designs you like so that you can refer to them later.
5. Remember the kitchen triangle! Think about the 3 main areas in your kitchen; cooking, food preparation and cleaning (i.e.-sink area). The locations of these areas should be carefully planned to ensure that your kitchen is user-friendly. Wherever possible, avoid moving plumbing and power supplies as this can be an unnecessary additional expense.
6. Maximize your space; this is particularly important if your kitchen is on the small side. Think carefully about the dimensions and positioning of your cabinets (tall, thin cabinets can be a great space saver). Slightly raised cabinets can give the illusion of more space, as can a lighter colour on the walls.
7. Think about how you will use your kitchen. Will it be used solely for cooking or will it be a place for the family to hang out? Your lifestyle will be important in determining your kitchen layout and choice of fixtures and furnishings.
8. Your kitchen is a considered purchase so it’s important to choose something that you’ll love for years to come. It’s also worth thinking in terms of adding value to your house. If you’re considering opting for bright orange high-gloss cabinets, be prepared for the fallout when it comes to selling your property!
9. Be practical. There’s no point in buying sleek, shiny white cabinets if you have three children and a dog. Ideally, your kitchen should be low maintenance. Choose something that’s going to be hard-wearing and easy to clean.
10. Consider hiring a kitchen designer from Kitchens Brisbane. Although this will add a little to your costs, it will undoubtedly save you a lot of time and stress. A good kitchen designer will take care of the whole project for you including co-ordinating plumbers, electricians etc, which can make things a whole lot easier for you. The Kitchen designers at Kitchens Brisbane will also be able to offer you a range of ideas regarding major appliances meaning that you can organise absolutely everything you need to at once.

Planning a new kitchen can be a stressful experience. With so many things to think about and decisions to make, it’s easy to lose your way and end up with something that falls short of your expectations. A new kitchen is a considered purchase so it’s natural to want something that’s going to tick all the boxes. If you’re considering enhancing your home with a new kitchen, here are some tips to help you plan:

The “working triangle”

This is a term used by kitchen designers and it refers to the 3 main purposes of your kitchen; cooking, food preparation and cleaning (i.e. – sink area). Whether you’re a would-be a chef or a ready-meal fan, your kitchen needs to be functional, convenient and user-friendly. When planning your kitchen, you need to think about the practicalities of how you will actually use the room. It’s a very good idea to have your refrigerator positioned within easy reach of a work top and to have your oven close to the sink. You will also need to think about the location of your cabinets and drawers in order to facilitate easy access to cooking utensils, crockery and cutlery.

Kitchen Designer

Styling

Choosing the style of your kitchen cabinets is central to achieving the look that you want. If your home is of an open-plan design, this becomes even more important; you need to ensure that the style you choose is sympathetic to the decor in your main living area. If your kitchen is an entirely separate room, you can afford to be a little more adventurous. However, bear in mind that if you decide to sell your property two years down the line, it might be difficult to find a buyer who loves your purple kitchen as much as you do! You’ll find a huge range of styles to choose from, including everything from sleek contemporary high gloss finishes to real wood and frosted glass.

Lighting

Your choice of lighting can completely change the look of your kitchen so it’s important to choose carefully. If you’re opting for a more contemporary design, think about recessed spot lights, under counter lights or track lighting. If your kitchen is of a more traditional design, you might want to choose something a little more ornate.

Colour

Not only is the choice of colour for your cabinets important to your kitchen design, the color you choose for walls and floors is also central to achieving the look you want. Your wall and floor colors should complement your cabinets so if you’re not planning a change of color scheme, bear this in mind when selecting your cabinets and appliances. If your kitchen is on the small side, light colours are always best as they will help to create the illusion of space.

Kitchen designers

If the thought of negotiating your way through the maze of cabinets, appliances, lighting and wall colours is too much for you, hiring the services of a kitchen designer can be a good idea. A good designer will plan and co-ordinate all of the various aspects of your new design making the experience virtually stress-free for you.