You know how they say the kitchen is the heart of the home?<\/p>\n
A kitchen is rarely <\/i>just used for cooking, and cooking alone.<\/p>\n
People typically gravitate towards a kitchen – you might have a quick snack there, pull out your laptop and sit at your counter to get some work done, or use the space to host your friends for drinks.<\/p>\n
Bearing this in mind, your kitchen needs to be well-designed, and functional.<\/p>\n
In this article, we\u2019ll walk you through some of the common kitchen design problems, and discuss how to fix them.<\/p>\n
Ready? Let\u2019s jump right in!<\/p>\n
The number one thing that\u2019s a challenge in kitchens? Storage space.<\/p>\n[\/spb_text_block] [spb_image image=”18167″ image_size=”full” frame=”noframe” caption_pos=”below” remove_rounded=”yes” fullwidth=”no” overflow_mode=”none” link_target=”_self” lightbox=”no” intro_animation=”none” animation_delay=”200″ width=”1\/1″ el_position=”first last”]\n
If you\u2019re a first-time homeowner, you might find yourself underestimating the amount of storage space you need (this is especially the case if you don\u2019t have a storeroom, or a bomb shelter that can double up as a storeroom).<\/p>\n
You\u2019ll need space for your pots and pans, your pantry essentials, and miscellaneous items such as toilet paper, kitchen towels, cleaning supplies, etc.<\/p>\n
With this in mind, you\u2019ll want to make sure that you have enough storage so that you can keep everything well organized.<\/p>\n
To make the most out of a small space, use built-ins. Place your most accessed items in your lower cabinets, and reserve the higher cabinets for items that you don\u2019t use frequently.<\/p>\n
If your budget allows for it, we also recommend utilizing drawers instead of cabinets in your kitchen<\/a>. Drawers are easy to pull out, and allow you to easily reach the items all the way at the back.<\/p>\n If you want to stick to traditional cabinets for some reason, purchase kitchen cabinet organizers from Shopee or Lazada so that you can organize your items and maximize your space.<\/p>\n You can also add a standalone kitchen trolley in your kitchen, or take advantage of your vertical space to increase the amount of storage that you have.<\/p>\n Not having enough counter space is also a huge gripe for homeowners.<\/p>\n[\/spb_text_block] [spb_image image=”18168″ image_size=”full” frame=”noframe” caption_pos=”below” remove_rounded=”yes” fullwidth=”no” overflow_mode=”none” link_target=”_self” lightbox=”no” intro_animation=”none” animation_delay=”200″ width=”1\/1″ el_position=”first last”]\n Here\u2019s the thing – most folks typically have 3-5 appliances that they keep on their kitchen counters<\/a> at all times. This could be your toaster, kettle, water dispenser, rice cooker, pressure cooker, air fryer, microwave oven, or stand mixer.<\/p>\n Obviously, these appliances take up valuable real estate, and reduce the amount of counter space that you have to work with. This makes it difficult for you to prep and cook a meal.<\/p>\n To fix this, be more mindful about where you place your appliances, and commit to only leaving out the appliances which you use on a regular basis. All other appliances can go into your cabinets or storeroom.<\/p>\n If you would like to incorporate your appliances into your kitchen without having them take up counter space, another thing you can do is to build a \u201ctall boy\u201d storage unit – this is essentially a tall ceiling-to-floor storage unit that houses your choice of appliances (for example: oven and microwave oven) plus additional cabinets.<\/p>\n There are four different categories of lighting: Ambient lighting, task lighting, accent lighting, and decorative lighting.<\/p>\n In our experience, homeowners tend to focus on the other three categories, while neglecting task lighting. (This is basically direct lighting used specifically for certain tasks, such as cooking, writing, or sewing).<\/p>\n[\/spb_text_block] [spb_image image=”18170″ image_size=”full” frame=”noframe” caption_pos=”below” remove_rounded=”yes” fullwidth=”no” overflow_mode=”none” link_target=”_self” lightbox=”no” intro_animation=”none” animation_delay=”200″ width=”1\/1″ el_position=”first last”]\n To ensure that you have sufficient lighting to cook efficiently in your kitchen, install some sort of overhead lighting, and supplement this with additional LED lighting under your cabinets.<\/p>\n The good news? Under-cabinet lighting doesn\u2019t have to be expensive – you can easily buy affordable LED light strips<\/a> on Shopee or Lazada and install them under your cabinets yourself.<\/p>\n Running in the same vein, you want to make sure you have enough power points in your kitchen, so that you can use your appliances without plugging them in and out everyday.<\/p>\n Generally speaking, you should have at least three power points in your kitchen – but do a quick count of how many \u201cessential\u201d countertop appliances you have, and plan your power points (and their location) accordingly.<\/p>\n If you have a standalone kitchen island<\/a>, be sure to account for power points on your island as well. This will enable you to easily cook on your island (think: hotpot and BBQ parties), or you can plug in your laptop and work from your kitchen island as well.<\/p>\n If you\u2019ve got the budget for it, consider installing a power track so you can plug in as many appliances as you need.<\/p>\n Ventilation is a key factor in any kitchen, and is an important thing to think about.<\/p>\n Unfortunately, it isn\u2019t easy to simply hack through your wall and create a new window in order to ventilate your space better. But here is what\u2019s within your control:<\/p>\n Broadly speaking, there are two types of kitchen hoods – the recycling hood and the ventilating hood. The difference in these two hoods lies in how the air gets filtered out.<\/p>\n[\/spb_text_block] [spb_image image=”18173″ image_size=”full” frame=”noframe” caption_pos=”below” remove_rounded=”yes” fullwidth=”no” overflow_mode=”none” link_target=”_self” lightbox=”no” intro_animation=”none” animation_delay=”200″ width=”1\/1″ el_position=”first last”]\n Firstly, the recycling hood filters and recirculates clean air to your kitchen. This is the most common type of hood that homeowners in Singapore install – it\u2019s easy to set up, and doesn\u2019t require any ducting work.<\/p>\n The ventilating hood, on the other hand, directs smoke and moisture directly out of your house. Compared to recycling hoods, ventilating hood are definitely more effective in keeping your kitchen smelling clean and fresh; however, they\u2019re typically feasible to use in landed properties, and might not be a good fit for apartments.<\/p>\n Of course, you can also choose the design of your hood – there are chimney hoods, inclined cooker hoods, cooker hoods that are installed under an existing cabinet, and more. The latest models of kitchen hoods can even be integrated into your kitchen island – you press a button to have them slide out and turn on, and you can stow them away when you\u2019re done cooking.<\/p>\n If you realise that you\u2019re constantly bumping into your partner when you\u2019re in the kitchen, this could be due to a kitchen ergonomics issue; it\u2019s possible that your cabinets and appliances aren\u2019t spaced out properly.<\/p>\n[\/spb_text_block] [spb_image image=”18175″ image_size=”full” frame=”noframe” caption_pos=”below” remove_rounded=”yes” fullwidth=”no” overflow_mode=”none” link_target=”_self” lightbox=”no” intro_animation=”none” animation_delay=”200″ width=”1\/1″ el_position=”first last”]\n In order to avoid this, make sure you plan properly from the get-go, and accommodate for enough space.<\/p>\n As a rule of thumb, you\u2019ll want to cater for at least 42 inches between your kitchen island and counter, and 36 inches of walkway space between a counter and the nearest wall.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re intending to have bar seats<\/a> at your kitchen island, also allow for at least 44 inches of space between those seats and the nearest wall or any other furniture.<\/p>\n Remember: Just like how you design your study or home office<\/a> so that you can work effectively, you\u2019ll need to design your kitchen so that you can cook productively as well.<\/p>\n We\u2019ve left the most crucial design problem for the last\u2026 your workflow!<\/p>\n In essence, your workflow basically refers to the flow you take when moving from task to task.<\/p>\n[\/spb_text_block] [spb_image image=”18174″ image_size=”full” frame=”noframe” caption_pos=”below” remove_rounded=”yes” fullwidth=”no” overflow_mode=”none” link_target=”_self” lightbox=”no” intro_animation=”none” animation_delay=”200″ width=”1\/1″ el_position=”first last”]\n Think about how you start, continue, and finish continuing a meal. You\u2019ll probably\u2026<\/p>\n Of course, there might be some back-and-forth in between, such as when you prep food at your counter, then go back to your fridge to remove another ingredient that\u2019s temperature-sensitive, and can\u2019t be left out for too long.<\/p>\n Now, the goal is to streamline and optimize your workflow, which in turn allows you to move quickly and easily throughout these steps.<\/p>\n And a crucial concept in allowing you to streamline your workflow is the kitchen work triangle.<\/p>\n What is a work triangle? It\u2019s the (invisible) lines that connect the three most commonly accessed spots in your kitchen: the stove, the sink, and the refrigerator.<\/p>\n The idea is that you\u2019re constantly moving back and forth between these three spots when you\u2019re cooking, and you\u2019ll want to position the areas so that they form a triangle, with each spot being within easy reach of the other.<\/p>\n The more well-balanced your triangle is, the better. In an ideal situation, your stove, sink, and refrigerator would be equidistant from each other.<\/p>\n[\/spb_text_block] [spb_image image=”17506″ image_size=”full” frame=”noframe” caption_pos=”below” remove_rounded=”yes” fullwidth=”no” overflow_mode=”none” link_target=”_self” lightbox=”no” intro_animation=”none” animation_delay=”200″ width=”1\/1″ el_position=”first last”]\n Of course, this might not be possible in real life, but do try and locate your work zones proportionally. For example, if your fridge and sink are near each other, but your stove is far away and out of reach, this throws your workflow off and makes it less ergonomic when you\u2019re cooking.<\/p>\n When you\u2019re browsing kitchen pictures on Pinterest (or Hometrust<\/a>!), you\u2019ll probably find yourself getting excited about the aesthetics of it all. Who doesn\u2019t love a beautifully glossy marble island, or gorgeous Shaker-style cabinets?<\/p>\n That said, it\u2019s important to take a step back and think about functionality as well.<\/p>\n At the end of the day, you want your kitchen to look good, but be practical as well!<\/p>\n[\/spb_text_block] [spb_divider type=”thin” text=”Go to top” top_margin=”0px” bottom_margin=”30px” fullwidth=”no” width=”1\/1″ el_position=”first last”] [spb_text_block animation=”none” animation_delay=”0″ simplified_controls=”yes” custom_css_percentage=”no” padding_vertical=”0″ padding_horizontal=”0″ margin_vertical=”0″ custom_css=”margin-top: 0px;margin-bottom: 0px;” border_size=”0″ border_styling_global=”default” width=”1\/1″ el_position=”first last”]\n Want to check out home renovation projects for more inspiration? Browse kitchen design ideas<\/a> on Hometrust, or click the button below to get connected with expert designers.<\/p>\n[\/spb_text_block] [\/spb_row] [spb_boxed_content type=”whitestroke” custom_bg_colour=”#f2f2f2″ box_link_target=”_self” padding_vertical=”4″ padding_horizontal=”5″ width=”1\/1″ el_position=”first last”]\n Discuss your home renovation ideas and plans with top rated firms, recommended by past homeowners. Let us help you shortlist the most suitable interior designers for your project.<\/p>\n2. There Isn\u2019t Enough Counter Space<\/h2>\n
674B Yishun Ave 4 ($55,000) by 9 Creation Pte Ltd
\n<\/a><\/h6>\n[\/spb_image] [spb_text_block animation=”none” animation_delay=”0″ simplified_controls=”yes” custom_css_percentage=”no” padding_vertical=”0″ padding_horizontal=”0″ margin_vertical=”0″ custom_css=”margin-top: 0px;margin-bottom: 0px;” border_size=”0″ border_styling_global=”default” width=”1\/1″ el_position=”first last”]\n3. There\u2019s Not Enough Task Lighting<\/h2>\n
17 Telok Blangah ($67,000) by The Interior Lab Pte Ltd<\/a><\/h6>\n[\/spb_image] [spb_text_block animation=”none” animation_delay=”0″ simplified_controls=”yes” custom_css_percentage=”no” padding_vertical=”0″ padding_horizontal=”0″ margin_vertical=”0″ custom_css=”margin-top: 0px;margin-bottom: 0px;” border_size=”0″ border_styling_global=”default” width=”1\/1″ el_position=”first last”]\n
4. There\u2019s Not Enough Power Points<\/h2>\n
5. There Isn\u2019t Enough Ventilation<\/h2>\n
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Woodleigh | Alkaff Oasis ($43,000) by Design 4 Space Pte Ltd<\/a><\/h6>\n[\/spb_image] [spb_text_block animation=”none” animation_delay=”0″ simplified_controls=”yes” custom_css_percentage=”no” padding_vertical=”0″ padding_horizontal=”0″ margin_vertical=”0″ custom_css=”margin-top: 0px;margin-bottom: 0px;” border_size=”0″ border_styling_global=”default” width=”1\/1″ el_position=”first last”]\n
6. Your Cabinets And Appliances Aren\u2019t Spaced Out Properly<\/h2>\n
135 Lorong Ah Soo, Hougang ($18,000) by WHST Design<\/a><\/h6>\n[\/spb_image] [spb_text_block animation=”none” animation_delay=”0″ simplified_controls=”yes” custom_css_percentage=”no” padding_vertical=”0″ padding_horizontal=”0″ margin_vertical=”0″ custom_css=”margin-top: 0px;margin-bottom: 0px;” border_size=”0″ border_styling_global=”default” width=”1\/1″ el_position=”first last”]\n
7. Your Workflow Doesn\u2019t Make Sense<\/h2>\n
Sembawang | East Delta ($38,000) by Design 4 Space Pte Ltd<\/a><\/h6>\n[\/spb_image] [spb_text_block animation=”none” animation_delay=”0″ simplified_controls=”yes” custom_css_percentage=”no” padding_vertical=”0″ padding_horizontal=”0″ margin_vertical=”0″ custom_css=”margin-top: 0px;margin-bottom: 0px;” border_size=”0″ border_styling_global=”default” width=”1\/1″ el_position=”first last”]\n
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105 Depot Road ($40,000) by Goodman Interior<\/a><\/h6>\n[\/spb_image] [spb_text_block animation=”none” animation_delay=”0″ simplified_controls=”yes” custom_css_percentage=”no” padding_vertical=”0″ padding_horizontal=”0″ margin_vertical=”0″ custom_css=”margin-top: 0px;margin-bottom: 0px;” border_size=”0″ border_styling_global=”default” width=”1\/1″ el_position=”first last”]\n
A Final Word On Designing Your Dream Kitchen<\/h2>\n
Renovating soon? Speak to top rated interior designers.<\/strong><\/h2>\n