The kitchen: the heart and hub of your home

Get inspired

When it comes to planning your own kitchen start by imagining yourself there. Picture yourself in that space, surrounded by the colours and textures you enjoy. Like the rest of your home, your kitchen is a reflection of you and your family.

Are you really a country kitchen type or are you more suited to modern urban chic? Don’t feel limited to the designs you see in magazines. Combine them with a signature feature such as a marine in-spired splash-back for your beach loving, surf-obsessed family. There’s no reason why you can’t combine the practical with the unique.

Let’s get practical

While it’s great fun to dream about your ideal kitchen, it’s even more important to consider functionality. Here’s a few ideas to help you plan the perfect kitchen for your dream home.

Firstly, consider the golden triangle – that sacred balance of space between the sink, the stove and the fridge. So many miles are walked between these three points and the ideal is to keep them within close proximity to maintain efficient use of the kitchen. You’ll also want to create enough freedom of movement around high traffic areas such as the fridge and the pantry. A good design will avoid your kitchen becoming a congested thoroughfare.

An open plan living area has the kitchen as one of the focal points and it’s common to include a breakfast bar. For smaller homes, some contemporary custom designs actually remove the need for a dining table by extending the bench top into the open space where stools can be placed on both sides of the bench. It’s a little bit different!

Drawers are a must! They have revolutionised the convenience of kitchen storage, think big with soft closing sliders – gone are the days of only using cupboards to stack your crockery and heavy pots. While on the topic of convenience, ensure you plan storage close to your dishwasher so that when unloading, it’s just one easy movement to transfer contents from machine to adjacent drawers.

KISS – Keep it Streamlined and Simple!

If you want to reduce the time spent cleaning your kitchen – and who doesn’t?! – then streamline everything! Select an easy-to-clean induction stove top, integrated appliances and cabinetry without details. Cabinetry with matt finishes also helps reduce obvious fingerprints. Choosing a stainless steel or glass splash back instead of tiles removes the issue of grubby grout. Otherwise, opt for a dark-coloured grout.

Timber bench tops can bring a warmth to your kitchen but keep in mind the ongoing maintenance to prevent water damage. The high functionality of stone and laminate bench tops in a wide variety of colours make them a popular choice.

Lastly, plan for those annoying but everyday realities – where to put the school notices, the box of tissues, the sunscreen, the insect repellent, the medical kit, the water bottles and lunchboxes, the compost bin and the recycling.

Can you allocate specific bench space or a cupboard with extra power points for charging devices? If you consider a place for everything, then everything will have a place – make Marie Kondo proud and prevent your kitchen table or bench from becoming a dumping ground!

You’ll always find me in the kitchen at parties…

There are those for whom the kitchen is their performance space, where they enjoy cooking culinary master-pieces and entertaining friends and family. Their needs can take custom design to another level and might include a butler’s pantry, a designated barista bench, a servery, additional appliances such as a wine storage cabinet or a bar fridge. They’ll want storage for large appliances such as a food processor, a multi-cooker or a bread-maker. There might also be a need for extra cupboard or drawer space for dinnerware including large bowls and platters.

Ready to begin? Call on the experts in kitchens

Yes, there’s a lot to consider! Whether you want to build your own home or renovate, the kitchen is usually the most expensive part of the build so it’s essential to work with a builder that can ensure your design not only meets your needs practically and aesthetically but also budget-wise.

Valley Homes has over 50 years of experience in creating custom designed homes. With our long-term partners and local specialists, Valley Kitchens, we offer our customers the very best the industry has to offer. Valley Kitchens provide exceptional design, manufacture and installation. Their decades of experience shine through in their customer service and attention to detail from the tiling to the fixtures. If you’re in Newcastle or the Hunter Valley, make the most of this great partnership to have your dream kitchen in your dream home built by the experts: call us today.