How To Transform Your Kitchen for More Efficiency
Everyone loves a kitchen where they can achieve maximum productivity without having to waste a lot of time and energy. So, if the layout of your kitchen often leaves you bumping into things, and people and feeling frustrated, here are some tips to make your kitchen a lot more practical than it is presently.
Have a Place for Everything
Imagine a kitchen without any kitchen cabinets, that will be the picture of chaos. Cabinets are an essential part of every kitchen, and it is even better when all cabinets are marked out for specific uses as opposed to just tossing anything in any cabinet. Items used in everyday meals should be placed in cabinets close to the prep station, this includes such condiments as salt and pepper.
However, some kitchen items and condiments may be too small to fit nicely in cabinets, such items could be stored in nicely labeled boxes rather than tossed around the countertop or kitchen island. This gives the kitchen a neat and organized appearance.
Avoid Unnecessary Movement
Too much movement in the kitchen not only wastes time but could also cause people to bump into things or other people, causing accidents. So the arrangement of your kitchen utensils should be made while considering the tasks you perform frequently and the tools you need for those tasks.
Avoid Narrow Walkways
No matter how small the size of your kitchen, always try to create clear paths for walking around the room. There should be sufficient room between the kitchen island and the kitchen cabinets for anyone who’s doing the cooking to move around freely. Before getting a kitchen island, you should consider the functions you want the island to serve. This way you’ll avoid getting an Island that takes up unnecessary space in the kitchen. Islands installed to serve as a meal prep and dining area may have a wide surface, while islands installed solely as a room divider, do not have to be so big that they take up more space than necessary.
Create clear walkways Through the Kitchen
Rather than just leave it open to anyone to create their walking paths while going through the kitchen, you may want to create clear paths so that people are not constantly bumping into each other. You can create walkways by laying out rugs on the path you expect people to use while walking through. You could also just divide the kitchen into two by putting an island in the center of the room so that the two sides of the island become the walkways. The island also makes it easy for people doing the cooking to stay on one side of the kitchen, while those socializing or just hanging out in the kitchen stay on the other side of the island. When completing a kitchen redesign, it’s important to keep the stove and other cooking equipment as far away from the walkway as possible to avoid accidents. You may also want to place the refrigerator in the most accessible spot in the kitchen so that those who come into the kitchen just to get a snack and leave can do so without bumping into others.
Appliances Should not Be Hung Too High or Too Low
Many modern microwaves and other kitchen appliances are installed at some kind of height on the wall, however, you should note that the height at which you hang your microwave for instance, should be determined by the average height of people in the home. There’s no point installing appliances at heights where most members of the home will need a step ladder to use it. If there are only adults in your home, you may install your microwave a few inches above the countertop. However, if you have kids, you may want to set the microwave on the countertop except your microwave comes with a hood fan underneath in which case it will have to be installed above the stove. The same goes for other important features in the kitchen such as the sink and cabinets.
Set Up a Recycling Station
Recycling is much easier when you have the right bins in your face all the time. Not only does this make it easy for you to recycle, but it also inspires visiting friends and family to dispose of waste appropriately. An efficient way to do this is to furnish a cabinet or set of cabinets with different colors of bins for plastic, glass, metal, and cardboard.
