Kitchen
Pack in a pull-out chopping station Some days you need a bit more bench space than others, and when there are extra vegetables to chop, a dedicated chopping station can be super helpful. A clever pull-out chopping station, complete with a chopping-block top, can be integrated into a set of drawers so you have it handy when needed and tucked away when not in use.
Choose under-cabinet shelves This kitchen uses a small niche created by a change in wall depth (to the right of the stove) to create a little storage zone for spices. A shallow shelf under a stretch of upper cabinets can be a great spot to stash small items including spice jars, salt and pepper, or tea. This works especially well if you use the shortened bench space below to store other items rather than using that place for meal preparation (so none of these items are really in your way).
Create a new focal point Instead of giving your TV the prime position, make an architectural feature such as a fireplace the focus. In this living room, designed by Jennifer Weiss Architecture, the eye is drawn to the detailing and height of the chimney breast instead of the adjacent TV. By keeping them in similar colours and shape, continuity of design is achieved but the TV is an auxiliary addition rather than the main drawcard.
Wondering what to do with a corner of an L-shaped or U-shaped kitchen? Corner cabinets can sometimes be hard to access, but an L-shaped shelf lets you see and grab anything stashed away, even the items tucked right into the corner itself. No more searching in a deep corner cabinet, and no need for fancy pull-out systems. Just a little cutting and seaming to get a shelf that fits just right.
Just make sure your window will still be operable with the shelving in place. This can be a smart solution to dress a window that might otherwise always be hidden behind a curtain. To keep as much light as possible, use these shelves to stack items such as clear glassware or serving dishes, which will refract the view but let the light pour in.
Across a window This idea will be controversial for some people, but if you ask me, it’s a beautiful one. If you have windows that let in great natural light but may not have the most exciting view (such as of a building next door), stretching shelving across the windows changes the whole look without losing the light.
With natural light so highly sought after, it’s important to maximise whatever window real estate your kitchen has. Bulky upper cabinets can box in your windows, blocking light from entering the space as fully as it could. Floating shelves, however, allow light to pour in through your windows into the space at all angles.
Define the zones Think in terms of preparation and clean-up zones when planning your kitchen. If you have the luxury of two sinks – one for preparing food and one for cleaning dishes – position the prep sink where you perform other food prep tasks, and locate your clean-up sink in a separate zone near your dishwasher and crockery.
colour scheme plus a splash of pink & deep red. clean line of shelving doors
organised cutlery-drawer storage. Specifying drawer dividers in natural timber gives them a quality look and feel.
Double layer of the shelves - shallow shelves right above the bench Deeper second shelves near the ceiling (with the strip of LED light underneath).
: A pair of slender utensil and ingredient drawers on either side of the stovetop keeps cooking essentials handy while taking up minimal room.
The sleek, sliding doors allow easy access to storage shelves, without encroaching on floor space.
Instead of a deep shelves, have shallower, double depth by adding a slidable shelf in front. Clever space planning means this small cupboard manages to squeeze in everything from spices, bottles and racks for plates to a chalkboard shopping list.
narrow pull-out pantry makes a great spot for cooking essentials.
deep drawer with dedicated storage for bottles and sharp knives located right next to the stovetop – right where you need them when you’re cooking.
Colour schemes. if highlight windows are not possible, then use the top space with extra shelves
The most organised under-sink set-up imaginable.
Fine-lined, ceiling-hung shelving is a smart choice for a compact kitchen as it provides extra storage without visually swallowing up space. For our kitchen tho, glass cabinet is better.
The combination of warm timber joinery and generous drawers creates a sense of organised luxury here.
A nifty pull-out shelf means the coffee machine slides out towards you, then tucks smoothly away behind a roller door when you’ve knocked back your morning brew
Rethink glass cabinetry next to a range hood Glass-fronted cupboards create a lovely focal point when placed next to a range hood, but are they practical? Unless you’re prepared to constantly clean the glass of the grease and grime that emanates from cooking, it’s best to install them elsewhere.
Hide the dishwasher Whether or not you hide your fridge by choosing an integrated model, consider using the same technique with your dishwasher for a clean, harmonious look. In this kitchen, the dishwasher is positioned to the left of the sink, but because it’s fully integrated, you’d never know.
One size doesn’t fit all with power points I always ask clients if a toaster or a coffee maker will permanently live on their countertop. If so, I add a power point in the wall behind that appliance as it will always be plugged in. In these cases, wall-mounted power points are better suited than strips beneath wall-hung cupboards, because electrical cords will be visible as they dangle from the power points above.
Colour-coordinate your power points White power points are often the colour of choice for electricians – and therein lies the bane of my design existence. With their glaring contrast, white power points against a non-white backsplash or joinery of a different colour detract from its beauty. Fortunately, you can avoid this dilemma by coordinating your power points with the colour of your backsplash or cabinets, as shown in this kitchen. Most good electricians can source power points in complementary shades to avoid a colour clash.
Introduce task lighting The primary purpose of under-cabinet lighting is to illuminate the countertop. Task lighting – as opposed to ambient lighting – makes food preparation easier because it spotlights your primary work surface instead of shadowing it. Always install the task light toward the front of the cabinet, not toward the back. If the light is stationed closer to the back wall, it primarily highlights the backsplash and not the countertop, defeating the purpose of the lighting.
Make cabinets glow In the past, lighting the interior of a wall-mounted cupboard meant that each shelf had to be glass. The light source came from the top of the cabinet and needed to penetrate the shelves to illuminate those below. The farther away from the light source, the dimmer the shelf. But times and lighting have changed, and these days I prefer to install an LED lighting strip on both sides of the cabinet. That way, each shelf can glow. Hide the LED strip behind the cabinet’s face frame. If it’s a frameless cabinet, embed the strip in a prepared groove in the cabinet’s side wall.
Mirror splash back, colour scheme
Look
Look
Sky light. Big windows
Lighting inside pantry
In-drawer lighting This is the luxe end of lighting. While not essential, in-drawer lighting makes items inside the drawer more visible while adding a wow factor. This is particularly useful in deep or utensil drawers where there are a mix of contents. It is also a great addition in cabinets that have black, or very dark-coloured internal carcasses. These lights are generally activated by opening the drawer, and deactivated by closing it.
Lighting under overhead cabinets Under-cabinet lighting serves two purposes, creating both ambient lighting and task lighting. Under-cabinet lighting that also illuminates the benchtop space creates a much more user-friendly area in which to prepare food. I always suggest putting under-cabinet lighting on a hand sensor switch, located in an area where you are most likely to stand when working at the bench. This ensures that you can quickly and easily turn the lights on as you need them. A hand sensor also eliminates the need to touch a button or switch, perfect for when your hands are covered in flour or a sticky mess.
Above-cabinet lighting The lighting located above the cabinets in this kitchen shines upward towards the ceiling, creating a feeling of grandeur. The ceiling immediately feels higher than if there were no lights and just dark shadows above the cabinets. Strip lighting is a really good option here, as it creates a continuous flood of light with no breaks. Tip: The lights can either be hardwired to a switch next to the switch for the ceiling lights, or they can be plugged into a power point and operated by a hand sensor located under the overhead cabinets.
Kickboard lighting Kickboard lighting creates the illusion of more floor space, particularly when used in conjunction with a reflective floor surface. A low-profile LED strip is the perfect fitting to use here. Put the strip inside a diffuser so that the individual LED diodes are not as visible in the reflection on the floor. These lights can also be placed on a dimmer switch so that their brightness can be easily controlled.
Light when cabinet door is opened
Sliding windows in the kitchen
Shallow bottom, use them to make drawers for large platters: Platters We’re used to our kitchen design incorporating kickboards, but we don’t always think about clever ways to utilise this ‘lost’ space. Why not consider including a kicker drawer in your next kitchen? Although shallow, a kicker drawer is fantastic for storing large flat items such as platters or trays that are not in regular use. They can be installed with push-to-open mechanisms or discreet handles, which are not seen when the kickboard is recessed under the cabinets.
Drawers for cups & mugs
Drawers for plates & bowls
LED lights on the shelves
LED strips under the cabinets so I can see ants/bugs on the floor better. Plus under the shelves & inside the drawers
Corner cabinet pull-out
Roller door for appliances : taller space than we currently have so we can store bigger appliances. Lazy Susan spinning drawers on the bottom corner drawer. For upper shelves, can we have pull-down shelves? (similar idea as the wardrobe but with a gentle spring mechanism so it can spring back up gently to prevent breakage & noise)
Wide open sliding window leading to the porch
One minute it’s a family organisation station with a place to write shopping lists, hang the car keys and pop the kids’ school notes – but close the doors and it blends into the kitchen cabinetry.
Solid timber & grid door
Q