10 Furnishing Tips for The Kitchen
It is the centre of the house: in the kitchen people cook, eat and live. It should be practical, stylish and cosy. We give you 10 tips on how to make the best use of your kitchen.
1. This is how small kitchens become really big!
The smaller the kitchen, the more important order and clever use of space are. An opening to the adjoining living area creates visual grandeur. A small kitchen also looks airy and spacious with light fronts and narrow, simple handles. A base cabinet on castors, which can be pulled out at will, for example, creates a lot of work surface and storage space. If the kitchen is used as a dining room, a table that folds out is recommended.
2. Cooking on a high level!
Whether large or small – a kitchen should be thoroughly planned from the outset, so that distances are short and handles are comfortable when cooking and preparing food. The work surface, sink, stove and refrigerator should be no more than two arm lengths apart and utensils used daily should be easy to grasp.
Tip: To prevent back pain, for example, the oven can simply be installed at chest level instead of under the stove.
3. Make the most of gaps!
Niches can be used as storage space for pots, pans and dishes, for example with a carousel or corner cupboard. The wall units should then be mounted correspondingly higher: with 65 cm distance to the worktop instead of the usual 55 cm.
4. Draw boundaries with light!
Different light sources divide the kitchen into working and dining areas: Bright LED strips on base units are practical for handling pots and pans. Floor-standing or pendant lights for dimming create a pleasant atmosphere when eating.
5. Detox your kitchen!
Salad bowls, potholders, bottle openers: over time, too much of everything accumulates – the consequences are confusing. So the motto is: Clean out! What remains is cleverly stowed away. The basic rule is: everything that is stored high up or far back in cupboards and shelves is hardly ever used anymore.
Certainly things are not forgotten in drawers with inserts. Small things are kept in storage boxes at eye level, durable food in jars. Towels or kitchen rolls have their place on hooks or shelves.
6. Color fronts: Small paint – big effect!
Why always white? Even kitchen fronts get colour! If the old lacquer is worn off: sand, prime and repaint. But in what tone? Restrained colours are adaptable and also a stage for playing with changing accessories. Wallpaper is also suitable for changing fronts – paint with clear lacquer to prevent grease and dirt corners.
And even small handles can change the look: simply change knobs and handles on cupboards and drawers, set colourful accents with dish towels, lights and posters. Pastel matt ‘Dusty Colours’ and shades of blue are currently in vogue. The classic variant: black and white.
7. Use chairs as eye-catchers!
There are far too many great models to choose just one – we are talking about chairs. Different chair models at one table are particularly popular. For example, old-new contrasts are an eye-catcher. Or a motley array of seating that combines, for example, the country and Skandi look. The important thing is that all seats should be at the same height.
8. Do not choose just any table!
It promises sociable evenings and tells stories with every notch: a solid wood table has its price, but it lasts a lifetime – or longer. Before buying, you should think about the following: How many people take a seat every day, does he need a pull-out function? Do you prefer round, oval or square shapes?
Make sure that the height of the table and the chair match: a table on which you can sit relaxed is 73 to 79 cm high, the seat of the chair is usually 46.5 cm. A suitable seat is also practical – also as a shelf.
9. This is how you renovate without effort!
Tiles or washable latex paints can be cleaned effortlessly and are therefore an ideal splash guard for the kitchenette. It’s also easy to make it look pretty: paint over the old tiles with tile varnish or cover the surface with wallpaper and place a custom-made glass pane on top. Panel colour is also an idea – turning every wall into an XXL notepad.
10. Let me help you!
There is a trend in kitchen appliances: Smart-living applications that combine convenience and smart technology. In fact, there is already a refrigerator that talks and an extractor hood that plays music. The general rule when buying a new appliance of this kind is: look for quality, durability, ease of use and energy efficiency.