Being one of the most important rooms in the house, the kitchen requires particular attention to its finish and style, in order to be pleasant and functional. How to achieve the best result? Below are five golden rules to turn your kitchen into a real living space. These tips are provided by experts from Nolte Küchen, Germany’s most popular kitchen brand, represented by Unique Concept in Mauritius.
Kitchen geometry
The kitchen work triangle is a concept used to determine efficient kitchen layouts. The primary tasks in a home kitchen revolve around the refrigerator, the sink and the cook top. These three points and the imaginary lines between them, make up what kitchen experts call the work triangle. When kitchen work triangle is well designed, it allows people to move easily and find easily what they are searching for. To maximize the efficiency: decrease the distances between the three points, leaving enough space at each workplace.
When the three elements are in close proximity to one other, the kitchen – whether it is small or big - will be easy and efficient to use. This is also confirmed by Rudolph Grimal, the representative of the German company Nolte kitchen in Mauritius. He considers that the key to success when designing a kitchen passes through a good arrangement of elements, mainly by certain rules. This configuration is very important according to Rodolphe Grimal, representative of Nolte Küchen in Mauritius. The key to a functional kitchen can be achieved through a good layout, and particularly by following certain rules.
The pathway of clean and dirty elements
Have you noticed the logical pathway of clean and dirty elements in your kitchen? The dirty elements are placed on the work plan, then to the trash, till the sink of dishwasher. Consequently, these three elements must be close, following this order.
For clean elements: storage areas, like closets and drawers, etc. must be placed near your sink or dishwasher so as you can easily empty one and the fill the other. Simplicity is an invaluable asset in the kitchen! Apart from the decoration of the kitchen, it is important to give special importance to the implementation of the furniture to keep a logical set in the smooth running of activities in the kitchen, explains the expert from Nolte Küchen.
Heights requirements
For a kitchen to be comfortable, standards must be adhered to so that all your cabinets and countertops are functional and accessible to everyone. The height of the work surface is between 85 and 95 cm, allowing people to reach the bottom of the sink without having to bend down and avoid back pain. What about the bar? Its height should match that of the elbow, usually between 110 and 115 cm. For pantry cabinets, the very top shelf furniture must be accessible from 2 meters above the ground. The recommended height for an oven: 40 and 90 cms from the floor. You should be able to watch carefully what you are cooking!
Don’t worry, kitchen specialists adapt the height of countertops to the people’s height, explains Rodolphe Grimal. According to him, the customer’s height is taken into consideration when designing the layout of a kitchen, to ensure maximum comfort to its owner.
For a trendy and dynamic style, you can try do mix dare different heights of countertops!
Size requirements
The depth of the work surface recommended by experts Nolte kitchen is 60 cms. They also recommend letting a minimum circulation of 1m in front of your furniture. So, open the doors of your closets, drawers and appliances to check the space needed for an optimum air flow. Your kitchen should be a real living space where the whole family can gather!
Lighting
Lighting is a key element in your kitchen. The various sources must be placed strategically. The sink is generally placed before the window to obtain natural light. However, we must rely on other sources ... especially at night! Your kitchen will be illuminated with central lighting, like one place on the ceiling. Do not forget the strategic zones, like the washing area or the work surface; for example, opt for adjustable spotlights placed under the upper cabinets for maximum comfort.
Certainly, the lighting of the kitchen should be functional... but it can also be decorative! The back of the cabinets can be replaced by a luminous shelf, thus illuminates the work surface and the interior of the cabinet. Nowadays, indicates Rodolphe Grimal, illumination is direct –lighting the work surface and the room generally – as well as being indirect, with the possibility to integrate lights at the handles, base frames and inside of the furniture.
In the end, each object has a specific place in a kitchen. Hence, the need to talk to a professional before designing to your own kitchen. Experts from Nolte Küchen, German top brand range, will give you advices you and answer all your needs. Thanks to them, your kitchen will be a real living space.
