What does the kitchen mean to you?
The kitchen is often viewed as the heart of any home, so it really does pay to ensure that your kitchen provides the space and amenities you need for comfortable day-to-day living; whether that be as a central hub to family life or a place to unwind and relax after a busy day.
Our Kitchen Showroom Manager, Claire Hunt, pictured above, tells us the key things to consider to get the perfect kitchen:
Make it multi-functional
There’s so much more to a kitchen than purely cooking. It can often be a hive of activity of cooking, dining and socialising. When it comes to functionality, things to consider include:
• Streamline your spaces: focus on storage solutions to create a calm and less chaotic atmosphere, allowing you to move smoothly around your kitchen space
• Multipurpose islands: bring family and friends together to relax and chat in style with an island that incorporates seating
• Hide the essentials: disguise the clutter of a pantry or utility room within your kitchen so that everything has it’s place, seamlessly blend in with the layout. The perfect solution for keeping those essential items hidden away but on hand!
• Incorporate a drinks station: socialise in style with a defined zone for relaxing with a beverage of choice. Perfect for entertaining or simply relaxing with a good book while you wait for the oven to do its thing!
• Focus on style and finish: The colour you choose really can make a difference to your kitchen space. Consider colours and textures that create a warm and inviting space. Greens, stone and earthy tones are all strong colours that match perfectly with natural timber finishes. Finish with the finer details of gold and brass fixtures for handles, taps and lighting to give an elegant finish
• Panelling: add style and visual interest to your kitchen. For modern/scandi designs, opt for narrow slats. Or for more traditional spaces, invest in painted tongue and groove panels
Consider your environmental impact
When it comes to kitchen appliances, being environmentally friendly can help you save money on your energy bills as well as help the planet. But where do you start when it comes to limiting your environmental impact?
Invest in your appliances
With the average lifespan of a home appliance being approximately 10-15 years, it’s key to ensure that you get it right first time when looking to invest in new appliances for your kitchen. So, what appliances will help save you money, as well as be environmentally friendly?
- Induction hobs: when it comes to performance, these are more efficient than traditional gas hobs. This is due to the clever way in which heat is created, the energy goes straight into the base of the pan– which in turn improves energy efficiency
- Smart appliances: with technology evolving at pace, this means that most kitchen appliances now come with smart technology. Whether that’s your eco mode on your dishwasher or the programmed timer on your oven, there is a great range of choice available
- Hot water taps: these not only help to cut down on energy usage but can also help you to save water too. There’ll be no need to boil a kettle for a cuppa or wait for a pan of water to heat up when you have your own hot water tap at hand!
- Recyclable materials: there’s a wide range of choice when it comes to using recyclable materials within your kitchen, such as your worktops and cabinets
- Waste disposals: these are a fantastic addition for any kitchen to help deal with leftover food, and avoid it going to landfill
Here at Bell of Northampton, we are passionate about creating your perfect space. For a kitchen that’s designed and made just for you, take a look at some of our customer testimonials for more inspiration.
