DESIGN YOUR DREAM KITCHEN, WITHOUT THE NIGHTMARE!
Creating a kitchen for your Blue Mountains home that is both beautiful & highly functional requires a lot of thought & very careful planning.
Being a space of high productivity, your kitchen needs to be functional & of a quality to last, as well as aesthetically pleasing. Whether you’re cooking, eating, entertaining, or even cleaning, it’s important that your kitchen is a space you enjoy using; a thoughtful kitchen design will bring that reality to life.
With many costly mistakes that can be made with kitchen design, experience is key, which is exactly why it is important to invest in an experienced Kitchen Designer to create the kitchen of your dreams, with your budget in mind.
A great designer will support you through every decision, including a functional layout; cabinetry selection, benchtops, splashbacks, hardware, tapware, tiles & flooring as well as selecting appliances & even suitable window coverings, if required. Then there’s planning & timing the installation, plumbing & electrical; coordinating the trades to ensure that construction is executed seamlessly.
A well-designed kitchen takes into consideration not only how it will be used, but also its role & position within the context of the rooms & spaces that adjoin it. With the right planning & attention to detail a good kitchen is not only functional, but also attractive, safe, intuitive & a joy to be in.
Importantly, a quality kitchen design is a wise investment, inevitably adding to the value of your home.
When considering a professional kitchen designer, look for someone who will consider not only your preferred style & needs, but also your budget, the space you have available & how it compliments the rest of your house.
A well-rounded Kitchen Designer will support you with:
- kitchen design & style principles for optimum functionality
- ergonomics & safety considerations
- navigating the huge range of kitchen materials & product options available
- building regulations & standards
- how trades & building services work
Some of the areas to consider during the design process include:
- the distances between important work areas & their position relative to each other, i.e. the bench space relative to the stove, oven, sink & fridge.
- the amount & type of storage you require & accessibility of different storage areas
- the best materials & finishes for cabinetry, benchtops & splashbacks
- how to optimally integrate appliances
- who is using your kitchen, including how many people are likely to use the space concurrently – & for what purposes
- whether there are any special requirements, for example for people who are left-handed or have a physical impairment & the height of the people using your kitchen
- how easy it is to keep your kitchen clean
- the positioning of lights & windows – lighting affects aesthetics, functionality, & safety, along with ensuring the window coverings are suitable for cooking & splash prone areas.
- how plumbing & electrical fixtures need to be positioned
The team at Thornton & Blake not only offer a full kitchen design & installation service; but also a qualified interior design aesthetic to ensure your new kitchen harmonises with the rest of your home. With an experienced kitchen/cabinetry designer & access to cabinet makers, suppliers, trades & even appliances ensures that your project not only looks great but is installed correctly, with a minimum of fuss.
Top Image: Interior Designer Fiona Harding, Leura Weatherboard.
Centred & Bottom Images: Interior Designer, Director Design & Decoration, Anne Hogarth, Blackheath Cottage (centre) & Katoomba Cottage (bottom)
