More than ever, kitchens have become a design statement and the showpiece of the home but striking the right notes between trendy aesthetics and a space that functions can be a complex balancing act.
Interior designer Deirdre Hardiman, of Hepburn Designs, believes that great kitchens are a direct result of careful planning, “not the end product of big budgets or copying a dazzling model kitchen you spotted in a showroom”. Before visiting any kitchen companies, Hardiman advises spending ample time looking through interior magazines or blogs and create a mood board of things you like.
“It’s a prudent exercise to go and collect samples of all your finishes (most showrooms will loan out samples and swatches), include your flooring, cabinet doors, handles, worktops, paint colours, tiles, splash back, window and chair fabrics and any other elements such as existing doors and furniture, and put them together physically to see if all the elements work together.”
Storage is one of the most critical elements in any kitchen renovation
Hardiman also advises considering how your collection of samples sit within the architecture of your home. “Ask yourself and anyone else whose style you admire, do they complement or clash with the fixed structures and style in the rest of the home?”
“Storage is one of the most critical elements in any kitchen renovation and is often overlooked, as clients get carried away with the look of the room. My advice is to consider every drawer, press, nook and crevice: where are you going to put your cutlery, tea cups, dry goods, spices, fruit and vegetables, serving plates, party wear, glass ware, gadgets, pots and pans? The items you use the most should be easily accessible for the task at hand.”
Kitchen companies will often give you 3D sketches of how your new units are going to look, but rarely spend much time considering your kitchen table or seating areas. So be sure to factor in the dimensions of your stools, table and chairs and leave adequate circulation space for people to move around them
. “Long narrow rooms are the bane of many an Irish homeowner. I find a built-in bench seat with a refectory-style table is often the best solution. Bench seats are a great use of space, provide extra storage and can be extremely comfortable and beautiful when done properly,” says Hardiman
Lastly, Hardiman suggests documenting a detailed timeline of all items and works needed, and to talk through every variable on the list with your contractors. Order and get delivery dates for all the items required and ensure they fit in with the contractors’ schedule. “There’s nothing worse than the extractor arriving weeks after the electrician has been on site,” says Hardiman.