The kitchen is the heart of a home. It defines your class,
and gives you self - esteem. You can either make this heart ordinary or turn it
to gold. If you desire a golden heart, you can achieve it through proper
planning, knowledge and arrangement of the different components or parts that
make up a well planned and functional kitchen. In planning a kitchen, there are
factors to be considered, vis-à-vis the characteristics of a well planned and
functional kitchen.
The factors include: space available for the kitchen; 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; as well as orientation of sunlight.
The factors mentioned above gives a kitchen its
characteristics. Some of these characteristics are reflective in the lifestyle
of the user, (be it a working class mum, full – time housewife, work – from –
home mum, a bachelor or spinster). The kitchen should be able to accommodate
the cooking needs of the user; provide the type of space required for dining;
offer plenty of storage; have decorations that compliment the house
architecture; and have the ability to set the tone for the type of gatherings
that happen there.
The activities performed in the kitchen also form part of
the characteristics of a kitchen. These activities include cooking, food
preparation, food storage and cleaning. In recent times, dining, entertainment,
home office, children’s play now form part of the activities performed in the
kitchen.
Going further, I will take and explain each of the processes involved one at a time.
