With the recent COVID-19 pandemic, we have seen several lockdowns and quarantines affecting our lives, and we have shifted our focus taking more interest in our homes. Many people have turned into home chefs, and as a result, we are using our kitchens more now. So if your kitchen lacks functionality and convenience, probably you will need to redesign or renovate your kitchen, and this handy guide will be of great assistance. If you are going for a kitchen renovation in Melbourne, avoid the below mistakes.
1. Not Considering Actual Requirements
It is imperative to consider your requirements before selecting the kitchen layout, flooring tiles, benchtops etc. Answering the following vital questions will help you to get the best outcome from your kitchen remodelling project:
- How much storage would you require?
- How much time do you spend in your kitchen every day?
- Do you also dine in the kitchen?
- What are the electrical appliances you need?
- How do you want to manage waste?
- Do you have little ones in the house that need to be safeguarded?
Getting appropriate answers for the above questions will give you a clear idea about your needs, must-haves and your lifestyle, which will help you select what is best for your needs.
2. Giving Importance to Visuals & Not Considering Functionality
If you give prominence to kitchen design and ignore practicality, it would be a mistake you cannot afford. Ensure your flooring withstands moisture and stains and is easy to clean. Select a benchtop that can resist the heat, stains, scratches, spills in the kitchen. And choose a kitchen splashback that can tolerate heat, humidity and moisture.
3. Not Considering Kitchen’s Current Architecture
When you want to redesign your kitchen, you have to consider your existing kitchen architecture, including window height, ceiling height, beam and partitions and the passage ducts. Never make hurried decisions and select products or colours and finishes that may look strange in the current scheme of things.
4. Not Giving Equal Importance To The Kitchen
You may ensure sufficient light flows through your living room, bedroom etc., but leave the kitchen dim, as enough light does not get in. The kitchen should get the maximum light and the best view, as it is a place where you’ll spend significant hours of the day preparing food, cooking, dining, washing dishes etc.
Furthermore, it is vital to maintain the same design concept in the kitchen as in the rest of your rooms. For instance, if your home design is contemporary, carry the same design concept into your kitchen, and if your home design is rustic, take it to your kitchen as well and so on.
5. Ignoring Importance to Technical Sheets
We arrange furniture and appliances such as fridge, microwave oven or OTG based on their measurements but without considering the importance of the technical sheets. Not taking into account the characteristics of the electrical appliances is a serious problem since many of them require ventilation grilles, minimum heights of baseboards, recessed holes, electrical installations and diameters of the smoke way out.
6. Choosing Plain Materials Only
Don’t restrict yourself to using traditional materials that imitate stone and other elements so that they will last long. Today, we can safely use an extensive range of materials, including wood, marble, granite and engineered stone, and they are durable and long-lasting.
7. Merging The Kitchen Into The Living Room
The idea of merging the kitchen with the living room is possible, which we can see in an open plan design in small apartments these days. Nonetheless, it also brings several drawbacks; for instance, the humming sound of the refrigerator, the noise of the dishes and the smell. An open kitchen connected to the living spaces in the house should be neat and clean at all times.
There you are! Make sure you consider the above vital points when you’re undertaking a kitchen renovation so that you get a functional, convenient, easy-to-use and aesthetically pleasing kitchen.
