Are you an aspiring professional, a family cook or the occasional chef? See which kitchen design works best for your home.
1 August 2017
Text by Redzman Rahmat
Over the years, the kitchen has evolved into a multifunctional space. It’s not simply a room where you whip up meals; the kitchen is where you spend quality time with friends and family. How your kitchen looks depends on how you intend to use it. If you cook every day, then you’ll need a heavy duty kitchen. But if you’re staying solo and can only make instant noodles, then there’s no point in having a high-tech kitchen.
So which kitchen is suitable for your lifestyle?
If the kitchen is the heart of your home, then it needs to be treated as such. This is the room where you entire family congregates, whether you’re enjoying a meal, or just spending quality time with one another. Mornings are spent here, crowding around the island counter while your family members wolf down their breakfast. In the late afternoon, your kids will probably sit here to do their homework, while you prepare dinner. This is where dad will enjoy a cup of coffee with the morning paper, and where mum will sit with her laptop.
An island counter in the middle of the kitchen is a great way to anchor the room. Make sure that there is still plenty of space to walk around the kitchen, as this will probably be a busy, high-traffic area. You’ll also need plenty of storage space and family-sized appliances.
If you’re serious about cooking, then you’ll want a professional level kitchen. Fit it out with all the appliances you need, while keeping the space organised and clutter-free. Your kitchen is, most likely, your sacred space where you have already have a personal system in place. In fact, you’d much prefer it if no one messes things up in this private zone. If you have space to spare, you might want to consider splitting the kitchen into a wet zone and a dry zone. The former is where you carry out your heavy cooking, while the latter is for serving lighter dishes.
Stainless steel appliances and fittings are ideal for heavy-duty cooking, since they’re naturally easier to maintain. Monochromatic colours allow you to focus on the task at hand, and durable materials like quartz should be your preferred option for countertops.
For you, the kitchen is there so you can heat up your food in the microwave. You don’t cook but you have all the food delivery services on speed dial. The kitchen is simply an extension of the living room, and any appliances you have are used mainly for lightweight ‘cooking’. Instead of functionality, you place more importance on the looks of your kitchen. Keep things sleek and make sure that there’s a cohesive design language from kitchen to the rest of the home.
Instead of a heavy-duty hob, maybe an induction hob might be better for your needs. Similarly, you probably don’t need an oven or a family-sized fridge.
Like many working adults, you barely have time to cook at home. It’s not that you don’t enjoy cooking, you just don’t have many opportunities to practice your culinary skills. But on special occasions, you’ve been known to host dinner parties where friends and family come over to enjoy a home cooked meal. Space is a factor in your kitchen, where cooking, dining and entertaining all take place at the same time. An open concept kitchen works best for you. Ideally, the kitchen and dining space merge seamlessly into each other. When your guests are gathered around the table, you’ll still be able to interact with them while you’re in the kitchen.
An L-shaped or U-shaped kitchen configuration might work best for you, with a serving counter that visually connects kitchen and dining room together. In some homes, the kitchen itself becomes the dining room, and the act of cooking becomes a social activity in itself.
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