FUNCTIONAL: With finesse
Of all the spaces you renovate, the kitchen can be the most challenging. It’s usually the heart of the home and whether you’re a master chef or reluctant cook, it’s a major feature of your space. While there are ways to renovate a kitchen on a budget, it’s still usually one of the most expensive rooms in a home, so you need to be happy with the end result. And if all that wasn’t pressure enough, it’s long been said that kitchens sell houses, so this is an opportunity to add some serious value. According to best friends Erin Cayless, Bonnie Hindmarsh and Lana Taylor, aka Three Birds Renovations, here’s where to splurge and save if you’re renovating your kitchen this year.
Timeless design. There are two places you can start – how it works or how it looks. It doesn’t really matter which of the two options you start with, because both intersect pretty quickly as you move through the design process. You’ll need to toggle between these two things constantly. We like to bring to life the overall vision for the home in the kitchen, referring back to our vision board for finishes, cabinetry style, the colour, thickness and profiles of the bench top and splash back.
Be selfish. Design your kitchen for you, not others. How will you, as the owner, live in the space? How do you like to cook every day and/or entertain? Everyone is different so meet your needs.
Quality appliances. A builder is only as good as their tools and the same can be said for the appliances in your kitchen. Choose appliances that look good, fit into your layout and offer the functions you need.
TIMELESS, YET COOL: When renovating your kitchen, first ask yourself how it’ll work or how it’ll look – either way they’ll eventually merge in the design process.
Access to alfresco area. All kitchens should be connected to, or very close to the outdoors. Hopefully you have an outdoor area for entertaining – even if it’s only small, which answers yes to this question: ‘Can you can pass something (like a sandwich) to someone outside?’ It doesn’t matter if it’s through a window or a door; you just need to have that access. An indoor/outdoor servery is a great solution for this and suits our Australian lifestyle perfectly.
Natural light. Skylights are great practical additions that bring in another layer of light, and no room in the house benefits from this more than the kitchen, which requires both ambient and task lighting. We can’t tell you how much a skylight changes the absolute look and feel of any room.
Beautiful styling. A place for everything and everything in its place is our rule. In other words, don’t let your lovely new kitchen become a dumping ground for paperwork and overflowing fruit bowls. A great kitchen has a place for everything – even your mail pile.
For more kitchen inspiration, visit electrolux.com.au.