Make your kitchen a lively, functional space

Building a kitchen from scratch can be an overwhelming but exciting project, especially with the modern options available, writes WANGECI KANYEKI

If you take enough time to design, plan and finance the kitchen, it will offer a high return on your investment. 

A poorly, dysfunctional, haphazardly constructed kitchen is unattractive and inconvenient, and may cost you more in the long run when it has to be refurbished.

Before you begin, do your research thoroughly so that you know what is available at your location and budget.  Visit  kitchen suppliers, browse through interior décor magazines and on the Internet until you have a design that fits in with the style of the house and your personal taste.

Some online websites have 3D software tools that will give you a graphic model of how your kitchen will look when complete.

Select a kitchen type that will match with your house style; whether traditional, rustic, country, classical or contemporary.

Kitchen  Layout

According to George Arabbu, an architect, kitchens have four main functions irrespective of whether you have a small or big space. These include the stove or cooking area, the sink or wash area, the food preparation area and the storage area for dry goods, and refrigeration for perishables.

The centrepiece of most kitchens is the kitchen triangle, which places the three common work areas of stove, sink and refrigeration in an efficient distance apart, and minimises traffic through the work zone. If the areas are too far apart, a lot of time and steps will be required to prepare a meal.

If they are too close to each other, one will feel cramped and lack space to work efficiently.

A guiding rule is that there should be no obstruction such as cabinets and islands in the work triangle, and neither should household traffic flow through it.

Factoring in the kitchen triangle, there are established layout principles that can be used.

One or two runs of units

These kitchens are useful in smaller spaces where the cupboards, cooker and sink are placed in one linear row or two rows that are parallel to each other. 

The one row kitchen has the sink, cooker and cupboards on a single row, while the two-row kitchen offers additional storage space on the second row of cupboards.

L-shaped kitchen and U–shaped kitchens

These work with any size of space and allow for more than one person to work in the kitchen.

Island kitchens

These are ideal for large open plan spaces, which provide ease of movement and easy access to and from the dining area. To keep the kitchen neat at all times, the open plan kitchen should have adequate storage to conceal kitchen clutter and piling dishes.

A serving area should be factored in when designing the kitchen where the cook can use to pass food to the dining area.

Worktops

Architect Kamawe Nugi of Associated Architects, proposes that kitchen preparation area should be long enough to accommodate sharing.  Depending on your budget, find a worktop that is durable and easy to maintain.

Common counter top materials vary from wood, to concrete, stainless steel, granite and tiles, each with its unique pros and cons. Worktops should be at a height that is comfortable for the users so that they are neither too high nor too low.

Alno, the German kitchen producers with products available at Tile & Carpet Centre recommends that the right counter height should be approximately ten to 15 centimetres of space between your hands at 90 degrees and the counter.

Utility

Worktops should preferably be close to two double drainer stainless steel sinks for easy cleaning of food items. This enables one person to wash vegetables in one sink and still leave ample room for another cook to clear up the dishes.

An instant heater placed under the sink will provide hot water for washing greasy dishes or quick peeling of tomatoes.

“To wash huge and dirty sufurias as well as soiled vegetable tubers like sweet potatoes, a splash area outside the kitchen verandah is what works best,” says Nugi.

Storage space

Kitchen cabinets are the face of your kitchen and what everyone sees when they walk in. To maximise on storage, clever planning is worth your while so that you do not waste any space.

Utilise corners and under the sink with functional interior fittings that will keep clutter away and make retrieval easily accessible. 

From laminate to solid wood, a variety of options are now available locally from the local carpenters, contractors and readymade cabinets from dealers like Timsales, Tile & Carpet Limited,  Foresight Group, Nobilia German kitchens, Furniture Palace amongst others.

If using a fundi, it would be worth your while to see work they have previously done.

Cabinets come in various sizes to fit bulky pots and dainty crockery.  Stock cabinets are pre-manufactured in different sizes and can be bought off the shelf.

However, most people prefer custom-made cabinets, which are tailor-made to one’s specific needs with no limitations to size, shape, finish or grade. With cabinets, you usually get what you pay for.

A tall cabinet can be used as a pantry for dry goods or if space allows, a walk-in pantry is an added luxury.  The cabinet colours, knobs and pulls you select will provide the visual punch to dress up your kitchen to suit your style.  Modern cabinets that come with inbuilt appliances such as cookers and fridges specific to your needs and budget are locally available.

Safety

Kitchens are considered wet areas and care should be taken to ensure their safety.  The kitchen should be spacious with non-slip floor tiles and wall tiles from ceiling to the floor for easy cleaning.

In addition to non-slip floor tiles, avoid steps between the kitchen and dining to prevent cooks and family members slipping and falling.

Factor in fire safety equipment including portable carbon dioxide extinguishers, blankets and  first aid kit, to ensure that any blaze disaster is appropriately dealt with. A useful addition is to have smoke detectors in the kitchen to raise prompt alerts in case of a fire, says Arabbu.

Lighting

Windows should be large enough to permit use of natural lighting during the day and florescent tubes for nighttime, which give a ‘daylight’ effect.

If desired, wall cabinets can be equipped with illuminated shelves to light up your work area. LED or light emitting diodes are long lasting energy saving sources that can be used as task lights to accent architectural features such as ceilings.

There are various fancy kitchen accessories to spruce up your space.

Wary Corner

Also known as lazy Susan, this accessory utilises the corner space in cabinets by having two wire racked shelves that fold into the cabinet and have a rotating corner carousel. 

It is useful for placing infrequently used utensils and prevents you from crawling into your cupboard to retrieve your dishes.

Roller shutter cabinet

There is no need to store your precious appliances in their boxes. This kitchen cabinet offers you worktop space for your precious equipment complete with electric socket so equipment is up for use any time. 

Roller shutters are used to screen this areas off if need be, and works as a space saver suitable for narrow kitchens without capacity for opening doors.

Cutlery trays offer storage for cutlery and prevent the usual clutter inside drawers, while a warming drawer comes in handy to keep the cooked food warm.

A kitchen ceiling hood extractor will extract fumes to prevent smoke filling the kitchen and an in built trash bin — a cupboard under the sink — is designed as a trash bin, and is kept out of sight as it sits behind a door. For the environmentally conscious, an option of three bins is available for easy sorting of garbage into plastic degradable or non-degradable, which  come complete with lids.