Lighting is very important in a kitchen but often it’s just an afterthought. Look at your kitchen plan and pick out the key task areas where directional light will be needed. Over a bench or island is usually the main area where strong directional light is needed so think of downlights, track spots which point light where needed. To create ambience, why not add pendants, under cabinet strip lighting or lighting on the kickboards. A combination of different lighting types will ensure you have the perfect balance of functional and mood lighting.
Powerpoints are not just plain and white anymore, there’s an endless range of designer power outlets in glass or matte colour finishes that can complement the design of the kitchen as well as ensure functionality. Try adding them to the end of kitchen island benches so you can plug your laptop or tablet charger in, in cupboards if you want to hide away small appliances and of course along splashback. With a smart design, you can hide them behind a drawer front or just put in a new Hafele Docking Drawer.
There are many appliances that need power and not just common toasters and kettles. Things like smart speaker devices, home fragrance diffusers or even insect repellent devices will also require a power source. Hence, it’s better to have plenty than not enough power outlets in any kitchen space, so don’t hold back.
Equip a kitchen cabinet with separate compartments for glass, plastic, cardboard and food scraps. These days recycling should be second nature and the best way to ensure we are doing what we can to help the environment is to make it as easy as possible, especially for kids as we all know if it’s not in front of them, sometimes they just won’t do it. If you can’t spare a whole cabinet, consider a built in waste bin with separate compartments.
There are a few careful design decisions you can make to ensure you spend more time enjoying your new kitchen than cleaning it. Flush or undermount sinks don’t have crumb-catching rim to worry about. Matte finishes don’t show dirt as much as glossy ones do. Glass splashbacks don’t have dirt catching grout like tiles. White or black appliances don’t show streaks and fingerprints like stainless steel. By making a few small changes, you can reduce hours spend on cleaning without sacrificing the design or style of the kitchen space.
Complete Kitchens is not just one of Melbourne’s premier cabinet makers, but also an award-winning kitchen designer and renovator. With strong attention to details and having the technical support from our in-house manufacturing team, our very own expert designers are able to help you take all the design & manufacturing factors into consideration during planning stage, ensuring that your new kitchen is everything you envisioned, as well as achieving the quality result.
Visit our Oakleigh South Showroom or contact our friendly staff to arrange a design consultation today.
