Kitchen is the place where we spend most of our time. Before thinking about the designing process, you should be clear in your mind how you are going to use your kitchen. A kitchen should not be treated as a leftover place which is taken at the end of the project. The different work areas of the kitchen should be integrated in a proper way with each other.
On top of that, it is also important to optimize the performance of different kitchen pieces while reducing the extra manufacturing cost of the same. Before defining the area of the kitchen space, measurements of all the required components should be set.
Understanding the kitchen area:
The kitchen area is categorized into five areas:
- Pantry area Its the storage space to keep canned goods and refrigerator.
- Sink area To clean the dirty dishes.
- Storage area To store utensils, appliances and cookware.
- Preparation area A large counter space to do all the preparation work prior to cooking.
- Cooking area Area where stove and oven are kept.
The kitchen can be designed in three shapes Linear, L-shaped and U-Shaped. According to the preference and the configuration chosen, the kitchen is designed to avoid the movement interruption when two persons are working in the kitchen. As an owner you should keep asking yourself How I like my kitchen to be? or What I dislike the most in my current kitchen?
Modulating the kitchen
Before starting the designing and development work of your kitchen, you should know that the kitchen is not just a random arrangement of a series of furniture and appliances, but it has modules which should be assembled logically. If certain logic is not followed, there can be a conflict between the architect and the furniture designer. Modulation should be designed in a way that appliances are placed correctly. The exact measurement of the module will make the construction and installing of the cabinets easy.
Dimensions
Measurements should always be taken keeping the size of appliances in mind or the hardwares available in the market, which are already designed to fit snugly with the kitchen furniture.
Width
The width of the module varies and depends on its use. Usually, the width of the module ranges from 30 cm 100 cm. For the appliances like microwave ovens, exhausts and cooktops, the modules needed should be of 60 cm and 90 cm. The hardware that you use also impacts the width of a module. Modules with doors will need hinges while drawer will require drawer slides.
Depth
The base module has a standard depth of around 60 cm. The countertop should exceed the measurement of the depth of the module to avoid the spilling directly on the wood. Spaces that dont have appliances can have the module with less depth. For the upper module, there are two different sizes to work with 30 cm and 35 cm. Towers should have the same depth as the base, which is ideally 60 cm.
Height
The base module should have a height of 90 cm from floor to countertop. Direct contact with the floor should be avoided as it can damage the wood due to the moisture. Upper module, on the other hand, should be placed at the height of 1.40-1.50 meters from the floor.
Materials
Shelves and doors
Prism TFL is usually used to construct the kitchen cabinets, doors and shelves. It has a good life ranging from 10-15 years. The doors of the cabinets should be 18 mm thick because it makes the process of making holes for the hinges easy.
Countertops
Countertops can be made up of laminate, stone or compound like acrylic. Thin countertops are the recent trends these days, so stones and acrylic are very popular as they have a thickness ranging from 0.8 cm to 1.5 cm.
Baseboards
Baseboards should be of such material which has increased resistance to moisture like laminate covered plywood. One can also select metal or plastic accessories for the kitchen baseboard.
Kitchen finishes come in a variety of options. The combinations of colours are available in various materials like melamine, wood, ceramic, metal etc. Nowadays, some companies offer cabinets pre assembled. The pre-assembled cabinets come in ready to install condition and are made up of high-quality materials. Only the right measurements are needed to make the kitchen appealing and comfortable to work in.