Kitchen of the Week

Sinks & Faucets

The type of sink and faucet you plan to use in your kitchen, should be something that suits your purpose best. Remember, your kitchen is meant to reflect your lifestyle, planned around your day-to-day activities; your sink and faucet should also be a reflection of these. The size, material and number of sink and faucet you have in your kitchen should be determined by how you prep your food, and how often you do your dishes. 

The factors discussed in the planning process and the kitchen cabinets help in determining the size and number of your sink and faucet. 

It is important to note that for hygiene sake, people with space and the means, have two sinks and faucets in their kitchen. This is so because; they do dishes in one, and use the other for food prepping. 

The material you settle for is about personal preferences; your style as well as budget, because some sinks based on the materials used can be very pricey. The different types of materials used for sinks include but not limited to the followings:

1. Stainless steel – as the name suggests, its made of stainless steel;
2. Solid surfaces - artificial material and available in different colours;
3. Fiberglass – artificial material and available in different colours;
4. Granite – has natural feel and texture;
5. Quartz – has natural feel and texture;
6. Cast-iron – made of cast iron, but not very common;
7. Apron front – made of ceramic, deep bowl with exposed frontal part.

For your faucet, you will have to look out for what suit you the most. You should consider your budget, the sink type, as well as the appliances in the kitchen. They come in various types, from the goose neck mixer taps, short projecting mixer tap to the straight high mixer taps with hand spray. Aside their major role, they mostly add to the aesthetic beauty of the kitchen…be sure you love what you choose.

Kitchen Worktops & Backsplashes

Worktops in the kitchen get the most bashing, and as such must be made of very durable materials, easily cleaned, and give the kitchen an aesthetic value. Depending on your budget, quality of materials and the aesthetic value the worktop gives to your kitchen, you can select a worktop that suits your purpose the most. The followings are some types of kitchen worktops available:

1. Natural stone – These are worktops as the name suggests cut out of natural stones. They come in different colours, patterns, textures and are heat resistant. The mostly used are granite, quartz, marble, limestone and come in thicknesses from 20mm to 30mm.
2. Solid surfaces – These are also called artificial stone, as they are made of plastic-like material. They come in various colours and can be formed into different shapes with a only a shadow line left of joints.
3. Laminates – These materials are made of compressed chipped wood and sawdust, and wrapped with melamine sheets. They come in variety of designs and colours, but they are neither heat resistant nor durable. They are about the cheapest of all kitchen worktops.
4. Stainless steel – Heat resistant, non-porous, easily cleaned and used mainly in industrial kitchens.                                                                                                                               The kitchen backsplash has two major roles it plays; first is acting as a decorative detail, creating a focal point in the kitchen, while the other is making the job of cleaning stains or splashes from cooking a whole lot easier.                               When picking a material for your backsplash, three things must be considered; these are durability of the material, its attractiveness, and how compatible it is with the overall kitchen design, including the appliances.After picking a suitable material, the total area that will be covered by the backsplash will have to be considered, bring us back to the factor of budget.                                                                    As earlier stated, the material you pick and the scope of work to be done, as well the style to adopt will depend largely on your budget.Your adopted style may include the material texture, colour and the pattern of installation, thereby giving the backsplash a very colourful or expressive design. Whichever it is, remember that the backsplash must be compatible with the overall kitchen design and appliances, therefore, a very colourful or expressive backsplash in a kitchen with intricately designed cabinets and an elaborate worktop will feel too busy. If you indeed want a colourful or expressive backsplash, then your cabinet and worktop designs must be very basic or minimal.Just as for worktops, there are a variety of materials that can be used for backsplashes; natural stones, metals, stainless steel, mosaic tiles, glass and ceramics.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 Whatever it is you decide, remember it is your kitchen and you can be as creative as you want with your worktop and backsplash, once you follow the guiding rules.