11 February 2008
Kitchen Design
I’ve been thinking a lot lately about the design of kitchens, as I discover subtle shortcomings in the one Nina and I have at the moment, and as I see suggestions and ideas elsewhere. In other houses we’ve lived in, the kitchens varied a lot. One of my favourites was a tiny one in a house in Churchtown, in which there was barely room for one person. When the dishwasher was open, there wasn’t much room at all, but I could reach just about anything in it from the middle of the floor. It also had a hatch which went through to the dining area, so I didn’t feel cut off from things when I was in there.
The one in the house in Ranelagh wasn’t designed at all, as far as I could see - the various immobile appliances had been placed where they fit, and that was that. It was a long, impractical galley of a place, redeemed from true horridness by an old tile floor and a working fireplace.
The current one is a big, open room, as bright as it’s possible to be, given where it is in the house. It has a good amount of storage space, which isn’t optimally arranged, but then again, where has optimal storage? Circular kitchens aside, that is. It’s a bit short on electrical sockets, and some of the high shelves and storage places are a little too high. The fridge door opens the wrong way - at least, I think it’s the wrong way. The “work triangle” of cooker, sink and fridge is well placed, though, and the large kitchen table (seats six for dinner or boardgames) doesn’t intrude on it. Aside from the electric cooker, it also has a wonderful Hammond stove; an ancient, low, cast-iron, solid-fuel affair, some sort of distant ancestor of the modern Aga and Rayburn.
It’s a little short on counter space. It would help if the counter beside the cooker did not get completely jammed with spice jars, and if another area was not occupied by the microwave. There is, of course, the tabletop, but it’s too low for me to work at properly. A butcher’s trolley or the like might be a lot of help, but since we’re not going to be there forever, I’m unwilling to invest.
I think one principle I’ll be following when I do get to lay out a kitchen is that if you can see the walls in the main work area, something is wrong. They should be covered with cupboards, shelves, hooks, cooker vents, or something - plain wall is no use. Counter tops should be at a comfortable height. There should be a window over the sink. The dishwasher should open such that you can still move around, and the same should apply for the fridge, cupboards, etc. There should be about six more sockets than could ever conceivably be used.
Hopefully, I’ll get to apply this thinking soon!
posted 11 February 2008 @ 12:17 by Drew Shiel
2 Comments currently posted.
elly parker says:
Kitchen cabinets says:
Hi Drew,
Here are some kitchen design guidelines for you to look at. Hope this helps.
Post a comment on this entry:
Hi Drew,
Here are some kitchen design guidelines for you to look at. Hope this helps.
Most fridges these days can be set to open in either direction - just ask when ordering, they’ll probably do it in the shop for you before sending it out for delivery.