There’s no doubt that the way we use our kitchens has changed over the past decade, and rapidly over the past two years. This means rethinking the way kitchens are designed and laid out, and how their most important ingredient, kitchen storage, is arguably approached.
Richard Moore, design director at Martin Moore (opens in a new tab)grew up in the kitchen design business, with the family business approaching 50 years, so he can speak with some authority on the subject.
“At Martin Moore, all of our kitchens are bespoke, allowing us to create, build and design spaces that fully adapt to the needs and lifestyles of our customers. However, there are key considerations people should think about when approaching kitchen design,” he says. We asked him to take a closer look at these key considerations. That’s what he told us.
1. Make your kitchen island a social gathering spot
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“The growing popularity of the open kitchen has led to a significant change in the role of the kitchen island. More than a matter of function, an island plays a pivotal role in creating a warm and welcoming space, perfect for socializing and entertaining en massesaid Richard.
“Kitchen islands, in addition to being very large, are now increasingly sophisticated; these “kitchens within a kitchen” have cooking appliances at their center, including griddles, tepan plates, griddles and ovens. They also house wine fridges, dishwashers and provide additional storage space. This keeps everything close at hand, allowing the host to stay in control of the kitchen while mingling and tending to guests, family and friends.
2. Include a cook’s table in your design
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“We have also seen the island transformed to incorporate dining spaces. This creates a sociable atmosphere, mixing the cooking and living areas of the kitchen. The merging of dining and kitchen space has led to an increased demand for smaller, free-standing “cooks tables”, a mini-island providing additional counter and storage space that can be rearranged in the event of a need.
3. Make room for a double island
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“If you have the space, a double-island kitchen is a great design solution; one island can be used as a preparation area while the other can be used as a service or assembly area during receptions. A double-island design provides an incredible work surface without the wasted space you would have with a single large island.
4. Use your kitchen island for zoning
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“Finally, kitchen islands have become crucial when it comes to zoning. A great focal point for the room, they greatly facilitate circulation and act as excellent space dividers between the kitchen and adjacent living areas,” says Richard.
5. Plan your layout around storage
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“Kitchen storage is an essential part of a practical and functional space, helping to turn good design into great one. With people leading increasingly busy lives and with the prevalence of open spaces, proper storage solutions are key to maintaining a sense of order and avoiding kitchen clutter.
“When planning storage, think about the size of the space you are working with, whether it is open to the living room, how you intend to use the space, who will use the space and how much storage will you actually need?
‘Consider if there are any existing features in the room that can be used to create storage – fireplace mantels, niches or areas under the stairs, for example. Although you may seem to have a lot more room in a large open space, it becomes extremely important to plan storage carefully to avoid unnecessary back and forth. This is where zoning becomes essential; helping to design a layout that has a logical and easy flow from one area to another.
6. Make room for a breakfast station
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Beyond the breakfast bar ideas, there is the breakfast station.
“Breakfast stations, with easy access to plugged-in, ready-to-use toasters, juicers and coffee machines, are essential for busy family kitchens. Placed next to dining areas/breakfast bars, they keep breakfast preparation equipment close at hand, such as small appliances, mini-fridges, hot water taps and sinks preparation, while storing them when not in use,” explains Richard.
7. Maximize storage with a pantry cabinet
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Whether you call them pantry ideas or pantries, they are well worth including.
“Housing up to 10 wall cabinets,” the large pantry cabinets offer plenty of space for packet boxes, jars, and kitchen ingredients of all kinds.
“A good designer will spend time getting to know you and how you like to cook and eat, which will allow them to design a pantry that suits your lifestyle. Dedicated pantry storage can also be designed into dressers or cabinets, incorporating spice drawers, bottle holders, knife drawers and wine coolers.
“Large pieces of furniture, like a butler’s pantry, are a great option for delineating an open kitchen. Usually located next to dining rooms, they store items used to serve food, including china, silverware, linens, decanters, and more.
8. Prioritize the pantry
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‘Designed to bring order and organization to busy multi-purpose kitchens, pantries are a real luxury. Today, people are more adventurous when cooking at home and now need storage space for a larger collection of spices, herbs and other dry ingredients, as well as cooking appliances. high technology.
Organizing a pantry at the design stage is essential.
“We design large pantries with open shelving to keep groceries easily accessible and to bring order to the space,” says Richard. “A cool marble shelf is a great place to store eggs and cheese and wicker baskets keep vegetables fresh.
“They are conveniently located next to the kitchen itself and close to the fridge, prep and cooking areas so all your ingredients are in one convenient area, minimizing the time you spend walking around the kitchen.
“If you have a small kitchen, the concept can be scaled down quite successfully – it’s amazing how much a well-designed pantry can hold, often limiting the need for food storage in the main kitchen.”
9. Enhance the space with a cohesive scheme
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“Choosing cabinets from the same collection for the pantry and main kitchen can help create a sleek, unified scheme, while painted kitchen cabinets can help add vitality, definition and character to the interior. ‘space.
‘More than a secondary addition to the kitchen, pantries are increasingly becoming a design element in themselves. Many of our clients opt for luxurious materials such as marble and natural wood, as well as decorative finishes such as patterned tiles, brass fittings and hand-painted cabinetry. Increasingly, pantries are designed to be seen, and as such, people are looking for open, full-view pantries with no doors or visual obstructions.
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