Getting Started 3

Remodeling or building a kitchen is a process that requires thorough planning. Having a functional space you can call a kitchen depends on the importance attached to the process of planning the space. From the size of the space you agree on, to choosing the most suitable materials, accessories, utensils and appliances for your kitchen, a process must have been followed; but you need to ask yourself if that process achieved the desired result. Having the knowledge of the planning process that will achieve the desired effect given different scenarios over and over again is very vital, considering the fact that your first kitchen may never be the last.

The factors mentioned above will now be discussed in details, and rank them based on which comes when, and after what.

1. Space available for the kitchen – This comes first and one that is very important of all factors, as every other factor is determined by it. There is no way you can have a kitchen in a void, it has to be within a space; even if it is an open-plan kitchen. Either you are buying your house or having to build, you must give consideration for the kitchen space from the point of inspecting the house, or when you briefing your architect on what space is required, considering every other factor from size of the family that will be using the kitchen, budget or available funds to either make a new kitchen or remodel existing one, lifestyle of the owner, connection of the kitchen to other rooms, to orientation of sunlight.
2. Family size – How many people will be using the kitchen at different times? What are the activities that will be performed by these people at different times? These are succinct questions that will require answers when you are thinking of the size of the family. The size of the family does not mean parents and their kids alone; every other person that may be using the kitchen along with them will be considered as part of the family within this context. The number of people that make up the size of any family, as well as the different activities they perform within the space, either jointly or at different times, should be considered; creating the necessary space for such. This will take care of the issue of cramping up the space in the event of having of small kitchen with somewhat large family, or having too large a space (making moving between activity centers a great distance to cover) with just one or two people making up the family. The family’s daily routine, number, age and activities the children are involved in, as well as their parents job schedule should be considered here. This takes us to next factor, which is lifestyle of those using the kitchen.
3. Lifestyle of the owner – Your lifestyle as the person that will be using a kitchen should reflect in the type of kitchen in your home. This is so because the kitchen as the heart of any home, is a meeting point for every member of the family, and as such reflects our lifestyle and defines our class. The kitchen may be the place where the family have their meals, where the children do their homework or play after school, where the family entertain some of their guests, where a work-from-home mum, or a busy executive work with his/her laptop, or a relaxation point. Whichever of these activities you may be performing in your kitchen, you will notice that you cannot divorce your daily life from that space in your home where you call the kitchen.
4. Connection of the kitchen to adjoining rooms – When thinking of an adjacent room to a kitchen, most people probably think of the dining room. This is obviously so because one has to take the meal prepared to the dining room for consumption, and as such, the dining is always adjacent to the kitchen. In this context of this writing, we will be looking at the adjoining rooms from prospect of planning the kitchen interior. Either buying a house or you are building, the rooms adjacent to the kitchen determines where what goes inside the kitchen, as well as how much natural light you get through the windows. Cabinetry arrangement – kitchen layouts, plumbing and electrical works and fittings in the kitchen are determined by rooms adjoining the rooms. This is so because; sharing a wall that has much of your plumbing works with a bedroom for instance, could mean some very tedious job for the plumber, or a complete change in your cabinetry orientation. Having at least one of the kitchen walls as an external wall is of great importance; the window, escape door, plumbing works, ducts, and gas line fittings can all be on this wall, for ease of mechanical and engineering works maintenance.
5. Orientation of sunlight – As maintained above, having an external wall with the window, escape door, mechanical and engineering works allow for ease of maintenance; it also allows for natural light into the kitchen. Natural light is source of vitamin D and very important source of light in the kitchen, as it creates ambiance and warmth. Therefore, when planning your space, make sure you take this into consideration. In taking this into consideration, you have to know where your kitchen window is facing; the east or west. If facing the east, it means as the sun rises, while doing dishes or prepping food in the mornings, you get direct sunlight into your face, and when your window is facing the west, the same thing happens in the evenings as the sun sets. You might say a window blind should do the trick, yes, but it means you are denying yourself a source of natural light that is very good for your well being. To solve this problem, you may have your window facing the north or south, simply plan for two external walls with windows, or take your prep and sink to another part of the kitchen.
6. Budget – Taking all the factors above into consideration is not enough, as having a dream and well planned kitchen is still steps away. The amount of disposable income available for making your dream kitchen a reality is very vital. It determines what you get at the end of the planning process. What you desire and what you get is a factor of your available resources. The different elements/materials that make up the kitchen will be considered based on their level of importance and how they affect every other thing that make up the kitchen eventually. Each and every one of these elements/materials is as importance as the next like the different parts that make up the gear system, no matter how big or small.

I just thought of those who might be reading this and telling themselves; I know all these details, why should I bother myself reading this article, when I have gotten enough ideas from different magazines and catalogues, or saying I can go the DIY lane…please think again. Even if you have know what you want and have seen quite a number of magazines and catalogues, that is good, but never enough to meet your requirements of a dream kitchen. The first thing you should know is that, whatever it is you have seen, it is never possible to replicate it in your own space.

Pick up ideas, yes! But trying to replicate kitchens you have seen somewhere; at a friend’s or relatives’ home or in a magazine, can be banal and very boring if you ask me. Your kitchen should reflect your lifestyle, suitable for your family size, accommodate your cooking needs, have decorations that compliment your house architecture, and above all fall within your means (budget). Your kitchen is yours, whatever you have seen belongs to others.

To make your dream kitchen come to reality therefore, take whatever you know, and ideas you have gotten from different media to a professional who will factor every other thing mentioned above into your space, as he/she plans your dream kitchen. In doing this, be sure you are talking to the right person, or you have seen what he/she has done before, or you get him/her through referrals.

Furtherance to this, I shall be discussing kitchen layouts. Thank you and stay tuned.