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My Place DIY, Hints and Advice Design Rooms Kitchens
My Place DIY, Hints and Advice Design Rooms Kitchens
While we need safe and efficient places to prepare our meals, you may have to reflect a family lifestyle where the kitchen becomes a casual gathering place.
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Things to ask yourself
Kitchen design is very subjective with few hard
and fast rules. Keep in mind it's not just where meals are prepared, it
also reflects family lifestyle. Most family members spend a great deal
of time at home in the kitchen and it's often a casual gathering place.
Contrast this with older kitchens that resembled caves with a few dark
cabinets and poor, single overhead lighting.
You should start by asking yourself what you need of your new kitchen and put your ideas on paper. A single person or a couple will have different expectations than families with growing children. If you eat out a lot, your kitchen will look completely different from a family that takes their evening meals together. Discuss your existing kitchen space and layout with its main users and list the good and bad points of the design. And what about the desired style and shape? Homemaking magazines often feature kitchens so browse and get some ideas. Visit kitchen showrooms at your local home centre.  Is there too much walking or movement during meal preparation or cleaning up afterwards? You can reduce this with layout changes. Include topics such as lighting, both area and task illumination, kitchen seating and appliance upgrades needs.  Combine your notes and rough drawings with accurate measurements and try to come up with two or three floor plans. Also bear in mind that there are certain accepted dimensions associated with kitchen fit-outs, including the counter height, space between base and upper cabinets, cabinet depth, as well as the space required for refrigerators and stoves. These dimensions are generally accepted by accessory and appliance manufacturers. The width of the majority of stoves is about 76cm (30 inches) and most refrigerators require 84cm (33 inches) for proper installation. Leave an allowance of a couple of centimetres and always check before buying. The best advice is to take your time, consult all the people who will be using the kitchen, and the end result will meet most of your expectations. The modern home owner spends about 20 hours a week in the kitchen so it's important to get things right. Decide on the cost you're comfortable with, including components such as cabinets, new appliances, countertops, flooring, fixtures and fittings, labour and professional costs. And if you're thinking of selling, your kitchen is possibly the most important feature with potential buyers and its renovation can return almost 100 per cent on investment. Real estate agents will tell you that the quality of the kitchen can make or break a sale. 
Kitchen
Benches
The standard laboratory height of benches is 107cm (42 inches) but you need to ensure this height is the most comfortable for you. You also need to think about the amount of bench space you need, particularly if it's to become a family focus area or if you like to entertain. This where the action happens so your benchtop has to cope with hot pots and pans, knives and dirt. There are a number of attractive and durable benchtop options available.
Below the benchtop you can store heavy items such as electrical equipment and heavy pots, pans and oven dishes. Think about how many of those items you have and how much storage space you'll need. The position of your stove or cook-top is very important, whether you want it against a wall so you have your back to others in the house or on an island bench. A hood will minimise the amount of smoke and oil through the house. 
Lighting
As
our use of kitchen space has
expanded, so has our need for
improved forms of lighting. A
large ceiling fixture, equipped
with energy-efficient
fluorescent tubes will supply
plenty of well-diffused general
lighting, but it may leave you
working in your own shadow at
the sink, range and benchtops.
So
think about incorporating track
lights or some form of
individual recessed downlight
over the sink and range and
other busy work areas.
Under-cabinet task lighting can illuminate your benchtops where you prepare the food. Energy-efficient fluorescent fixtures that cover at least two-thirds the length of the counter can be used.
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Flooring
The textural quality of the floor appeals to the eye and has a strong effect on how we see the room as a whole. The most elegant floor covering options are tiles / stone and laminated timber or hardwood. Ceramic tiles and stoneware are a premium product for the kitchen but have the disadvantage of being cold on the feet on winter mornings. Genuine hardwood and laminate have timeless appeal and warmth and flooring manufacturers have broadened their product range to meet a diversity of tastes and budgets. You can choose the appearance in terms of colour and whether you want plank, strip or parquet flooring, and in various widths or thicknesses.
Warm colours
(orange) provide a welcoming and
homely appearance. They have the
effect of closing-in a room and
making it feel warm and intimate.
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Space Tips
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