With so many colours available in our modern kitchens, it can be a tricky question to answer as to which colour is best for kitchen. Colour is such an integral part of our daily lives and yet so little thought goes into it. We all have the same basic equipment in the kitchen such as a microwave, a few shelves and a few drawers. But we often change our style of the kitchen and even personalise it with our own unique touches.
Kitchens today are no longer just a place to cook food, eat and clean up after ourselves. The advent of the microwave and the kitchen computer has made this room into a virtual office, with literally every task needing to be done there. Kitchens are now considered to be the heart of the home and are a central location to the rest of the house. As well as this, kitchens are also now regarded as the perfect ‘means of entertainment’, with a good television in the corner, DVD players, game consoles, family games systems and indeed very exciting high-definition televisions being installed in some kitchens today. This has obviously created a lot more demand for good quality kitchen design services.
So what sort of things should a kitchen project require when it comes to choosing the right kitchen designer and kitchen design ideas? Well, the first thing to think about is what sort of work is going to be done in the kitchen. Are you looking to simply spruce up the room, or are you planning on doing major renovations? Will your kitchen be used for both cooking and for preparing meals, or will it be used exclusively for one or the other?
If the majority of your work will be done in the kitchen and if you like to cook a variety of different foods then a multi-use area may be the ideal solution for you. You could for example have a breakfast nook, where you can prepare food for when you get up, before going out to entertain guests, whilst doing some of your kitchen work in the late evening. Or you could have a ‘granite island’ in which you do most of your cooking, and which has its own electrical socket, for when you need to use a plug, and where your microwave or food processor can be plugged in. This way you can get the maximum usage out of your kitchen area, without necessarily having to create a second room.
Similarly, if your kitchen design is mainly to make working in the kitchen easier, by maximising the space available, then perhaps a small kitchen design is suitable for you. With this type of kitchen you may be able to get away with using a lighter shade of paint, or perhaps choose an easy to clean white unit that can stand in one corner of the room, while having plenty of surface area. You can then have a sink and work counter in this area, with plenty of cupboard space for storage. The fact that the work triangle concept is applied here means that you are able to create maximum efficiency in use of the space, without it becoming cluttered or difficult to navigate.
Alternatively, if your kitchen design is to add some natural feel to the room, rather than focusing on functionality, then you may want to choose some dark shades of paint, such as a dark cream, and add a white splash of bright floral wallpaper to the walls. A black and white tiled floor may be used, to contrast against the bright splash of floral wallpaper. This type of kitchen will certainly feel bold and strong, rather than drab. However, since white is usually associated with cleanliness and hygiene, this may not be an ideal choice, as germs very easily thrive on dark floors, and so this style of kitchen may not be appropriate for many families.
If practicality is more important than appearance in your kitchen, then a kitchen with a lot of storage space may work well for you. A kitchen which is designed with the idea of maximum storage space in mind will naturally look better, as items of daily use, or foodstuffs will be kept in the most accessible locations. To make maximum use of space, cabinets can be built into the wall, to provide extra storage. Alternatively, you could use separate cupboards, which can be fitted into the walls, or are counter-top units. There are also special cabinets, which can be used to store only certain types of food, or cookery utensils, and which have their own specific functions. These types of kitchen are particularly efficient, as they are clutter free and tidy, and allow you to keep food and cooking utensils in the same area, rather than arranging them on a shelf, or in the kitchen sink.
In deciding which colour is best for the kitchen, the other factors to consider are maintenance, and safety. A white kitchen can look great, but it is imperative that it is kept sparkling and free from grease, and other stains. White kitchen appliances must also be kept sparkling clean, so as to prevent any food poisoning, or the growth of mould and mildew. It is advisable to ensure that you purchase a range hood that is white in colour, as this will allow the kitchen to appear much tidier and cleaner. Finally, white kitchen appliances are an excellent choice, as they are easy to maintain, and last longer than other colours, which can become discoloured after being exposed to various amounts of water, and soap and bleach solutions, etc.