As the saying goes, the kitchen truly is the heart of the home. It’s the place where we cook for family, entertain friends, gather over coffee and chat about our day and we spend more time in our kitchens than almost any other room in the house. A well-designed kitchen should be beautiful, but it also has to be functional. At Budget Plumbing Centre, we have a huge range of tapware, accessories and kitchen sinks for sale for Perth builders and renovators. Designing a stylish yet practical kitchen extends far beyond the decisions associated with stone or laminate bench tops, energy efficient appliances, colour choices and cupboard profiles. Here are 5 points to think about when designing, or renovating your kitchen.
The Layout
When designing a kitchen keep ‘The Kitchen Triangle’ in mind. This is the shape made by imaginary lines that connect your kitchen sink, stove and fridge. The segments of the triangle represent traffic flow within a kitchen, ideally creating a rotational movement between the tasks of cooking (stove), chopping/peeling (sink), and storage (refrigerator). A kitchen with a smaller triangle will be more efficient but may be at risk of feeling cramped, whereas a larger triangle will mean a little more walking but will feel more spacious and give you more space to prep. No matter how big or small your kitchen, the important thing is to design your space ensuring your main prep area is within the triangle.
Integrated Appliances
If you’re designing a kitchen from scratch, it’s definitely worth considering integrated appliances. This means setting them into your cupboards or surfaces, and in the case of fridges and dishwashers, giving them the same finish as your cupboards. Integrated appliances also give you more design freedom given you are able to decide what you want to put where and the exact measurements of the appliances, rather than relying on standard sizes. It can also give a more unified look, and give the illusion of more space in even the smallest of kitchens.
Dishwasher and Sink Placement
If you want to keep your floors free from dripping water, food scraps and dirt, make sure you place the dishwasher within arms’ reach of the kitchen sink. This will make it quick and easy to go from rinsing straight to the dishwasher without having to travel across the kitchen dripping dirty water as you go. It is also important to place the dishwasher in close proximity to the sink to allow for easy connection of the dishwasher plumbing to the drain and taps.
Efficient Cleaning
A few carefully considered design choices can make future kitchen cleaning a breeze. Flush-set or undermount sinks don’t have a crumb-catching rim to worry about. Matte finishes don’t show dirt and fingerprints as much as glossy surfaces. integrated appliances are much easier to clean, mainly because you can’t see them so you can wave goodbye to fingerprints on the fridge. There are many decisions you can make now to save you future cleaning time.
Kitchen Sink Styles
When it comes to choosing your kitchen sink, there is more to think about than just size. It’s important to select a durable material such as stainless steel, which can stand the test of time against everyday use. Ceramic sinks are also tough and resilient and are almost impossible to scratch or chip. There’s also the colour to consider – crisp white, modern silver or contemporary black or even copper are all popular options. Square or round, single or double bowl, drop-in, undermount or an apron-front sink for a cottage style kitchen – the options are endless. Kitchen sinks are more than just a place to rinse dirty dishes, they bring the whole look of the kitchen together so take the time to choose the right one.
For the largest range of high quality and affordable kitchen sinks for sale in Perth visit Budget Plumbing Centre today. With a great range of tapware, filters, accessories and more we have everything you need to complete your kitchen renovation or makeover at Perth’s best prices. Browse online now or pop into one of our conveniently located showrooms today.
