Despite the economic straits one can still budget and indeed have a small, upgradable and highly functional to die for writes Elizabeth M. OMONDI.
KITCHENS STAND-OUT as one of the most utilized rooms in a home. With changing lifestyle trends, we take our meals there, we cook and clean in this same room and it is also used as a family gathering point. In the traditional African setting, the evenings spent around the smouldering kitchen fire were a major social focal point.
Unfortunately, in todayâs economic reality we may sometimes lack the space to do all desired things in a comfortable manner. Most families of modest income need to adopt kitchen designs that are cost effective and yet suitable in order to try and get a kitchen that is not only beautiful but functional.
Functionality within budgets
A major factor in cost is the size of cabinetry. It is more prudent to invest in less cabinetry that are of good quality rather than installing large amounts of poorly executed cabinets. There are quite a number of ideas for designing kitchens which will allow you to increase your kitchenâs functionality within your budgets of as low as two hundred thousand shillings.
The second factor in costs for a budget kitchen is the choice of material. Whereas solid hardwoods are the preferred choice for many homeowners, they tend to be more expensive than engineered timber products like laminated and MDF boards, which can be finished in a variety of colours .These products are well accepted in developed economies where solid timber is rarely used due to extremely high costs and environmental concerns.
In undertaking a kitchen fit-out project, one of the first decisions has to be the selection of suitable cost effective materials. Once this is done, a more detailed design can be developed.
Designing small kitchens
To start with, pick your preferred designs for the kitchen which can be researched from various sources including magazines and on the internet. You may ask an interior designer to help you design the preferred small kitchen. If one has identified a manufacturer, they may be able to prepare a design for the kitchen, though some may charge for this service.
What you will notice about designs targeting small kitchens is that the designers or the architects usually try to optimize small kitchens, making them more useful and accommodating to the whole family. One of the methods adopted in these designs is to creatively provide more storage room. You will get several pantry cupboards, and more wall cabinets. Barstools are also good with saving space if you want to have a seating area within the kitchen.
Appropriate designs for small kitchens help you to increase the size of your kitchen by first altering the mood and the feel of the kitchen by either painting the kitchen walls using a color that reflects light or a color that gives off an airy feeling.
A small kitchen will greatly benefit from white cabinets and counters since dark colors give it a closed in feeling which will make it look smaller. The ceiling should have a much lighter but softer shade than the wall paint. White is also a preferred color for ceilings in small kitchens as this makes the eye to travel up and thereby giving a feeling of a higher height.
You also need to get your kitchen organized. This can be accomplished through the use of upgrade accessories and organizers such as wire baskets and corner carousels. A cheaper way to get organized is to get rid of all the clutter that just clamps down your kitchen and makes it look like there is no space while really, all the space is under those unnecessary items you have all over your kitchen. A well designed modest kitchen is best utilized if you just throw out all what you do not use.
Elizabeth is the managing director of Kitchen & Office Interiors located at Apex Plaza along Mombasa Road, Nairobi.