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This is a collaborative post
New kitchens are great. But unless you create something functional, you’ll ultimately fall out of love with your creation, no matter how stylish it might be.
In this post, we’re going to take a look at some of the best ideas out there in the land of the internet for creating a workable kitchen. Ideally, you want a space where you can whip up a delicious meal for all the family, whenever they want food.
Think Carefully About Your “Work Triangle”
The concept of a “work triangle” pops up all over the place, including in modern kitchen design. It refers to the three areas cooks spend most of their time – the fridge, stove and sink.
The basis of a functional kitchen is clustering all these elements together in close physical proximity to each other. You want your sink to be close to your stove, avoiding the need to traverse colanders full of dripping pasta over vast distances. Equally, you want your refrigerator close to your preparation space so that you’re not endlessly walking back and forth.
Ensure All Your Appliances Are Fit For The Task
A functional kitchen relies on appliances that make sense for your particular home setup. You want ovens, microwaves, dishwashers and coffee machines that can fulfil the demands that you place on them.
There’s no sense, for instance, in having a tiny, single-story cooker if you have five screaming kids. You’ll never have enough room to cook everything.
Building a functional kitchen is all about being generous in the space that you allow your appliances. Don’t be afraid to opt for oversized ovens and refrigerators. If you have a growing family, you’ll use the space.
Put Your Microwave In A Mount
If you take a look at some of the kitchen ideas on Kaboodle, you’ll quickly notice that everything has its proper place. Arrangements like this don’t happen by chance – they’re deliberate. Putting everything in a self-contained area helps to control the chaos of the kitchen and keep everything neat and tidy.
A lot of people, though, will take liberties, such as putting their microwave on the counter. In general, this is a bad idea. It reduces your total space, making it more challenging to prepare a large meal.
Mounting your microwave in its own specific slot is a much better solution. It is neatly out of the way, keeping your surfaces clear.
Place Kitchen Seating Well Away From Preparation Areas
A lot of homeowners place kitchen seating right in the middle of the room because it looks just like the pictures in the magazines. Unfortunately, most kitchens are too small to accommodate setups like this, causing all sorts of difficulties when it comes to meal-prep and tidying up.
If you do have space for seating, then place it several feet away from your preparation areas. If you don’t, then save yourself some money and use the dining room instead,
Would you like a more functional kitchen in your home? Following this common-sense advice should help.