In recent years, we’ve all become more aware of the importance of our kitchens. This once purely functional space has now become a hotbed of stylish transformation, as experts continually state that the kitchen is the heart of the home.
Unfortunately, this increased usage has come with one major downside – a surprising amount of homeowners are now compromising kitchen functionality to get the right look in this space. And that can make actual kitchen usage a whole lot more difficult than it needs to be.
Of course, we’re not saying that you can’t add a few attractive design features or enhance seating in this vital space. However, you might want to make some changes if you’re currently failing to cook in your kitchen because of the following ongoing functionality faux pas.
1 – The Curse of One-Function Additions
As kitchens become increasingly social places, additions like kitchen islands have grown in popularity tenfold. A well-designed island can enhance both usable counter space and discreet seating. Unfortunately, many homeowners also find that functionality suffers when adding elements like islands into the mix.
Why? Because if you solely utilise that island for seating and socialization, you’re adding a large obstacle in the middle of your kitchen, with no usable cooking purpose. That’s not to say an island is a bad idea, but it pays to ensure your island of choice provides mutli-purpose uses, such as additional storage, or even free-standing cooking space thanks to the addition of a coverable hob.
2 – Appearances Over Functionality
Hands up if you’ve chosen certain kitchen elements purely because they looked good. We’ve all been there, and additions such as unusable cabinets or layouts that just don’t work with cooking styles are common as a result. Unfortunately, this is one room where you really can’t let looks sway your design choices if you want to be happy with your finished space.
After all, this should always remain a functional area of your home above all. Elements can certainly be attractive, but you should choose them first and foremost for their uses. For instance, kitchen islands look good, yes, but ask yourself if you’d actually use that extra side space or storage. Fancy pull-out cabinets? Fine, but make sure you have a dedicated need for them, such as spice storage or similar, before you go ahead and land yourself with a design liability!
3 – Jumping on Design Bandwagons
It’s easy to get caught up in the latest kitchen trends, which right now include everything from large pantries to handleless designs, and beyond. All of these can look amazing, but not all of them are going to stand the test of time in your kitchen. Instead of getting caught on these design bandwagons, it’s therefore worth keeping an open mind, and simply thinking about what you need, want, and desire from your bespoke kitchen. This ensures a fully functional, long-lasting renovation that you can love for years to come, never mind what trending lists tell you to do in the moment.
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