9 Simple Changes to Make Any Kitchen Work Better
Whip your kitchen into shape with these practical, functionality-enhancing design ideas
Kitchens know a thing or two about multitasking. While their main purpose is to serve as a food prep, cooking, dining and clean-up zone, they also double as an entertaining space; act as a central hub where family members catch up at the start and end of the day; moonlight as a makeshift home office and study area; and also function as a family message centre. Given the many different hats this busy, hardworking room wears, functionality is key in the kitchen, as having a practical, carefully considered layout and smart, space-maximising design features will ensure the multipurpose space is user friendly, well organised, can handle heavy traffic and performs its many (and varied) roles like a pro.
If your kitchen falls short in the functionality stakes and doesn’t work as well as you’d like, don’t give up on it just yet. With some clever design tricks and room-enhancing additions – like the ones listed below – you can transform your slacker kitchen into a space that satisfies your needs, offers maximum efficiency, and is a joy to work and spend time in.
If your kitchen falls short in the functionality stakes and doesn’t work as well as you’d like, don’t give up on it just yet. With some clever design tricks and room-enhancing additions – like the ones listed below – you can transform your slacker kitchen into a space that satisfies your needs, offers maximum efficiency, and is a joy to work and spend time in.
Don’t forget about those pesky corners when updating your kitchen storage. Consider replacing your cupboards with corner drawers or kitting them out with clever, space-maximising hardware, such as pull-out baskets or LeMans corner units, which will transform these tricky zones into efficient and easily accessible storage spaces.
More: Clever Corner-Cupboard Storage Solutions for Your Kitchen Renovation
More: Clever Corner-Cupboard Storage Solutions for Your Kitchen Renovation
2. Add a functional feature wall
While accent walls are often called upon to inject interior schemes with drama and visual interest, they can be used to enhance the functionality of a space, too. This cool, contemporary culinary zone shows how it’s done. Here, a wall-mounted bookcase made up of multicoloured cubby holes transforms a plain white wall into a striking focal point and also ramps up the storage capacity of the kitchen. The cubby holes are filled with a strategic selection of cookbooks, glassware, crockery and a sample of the owner’s wine collection – items that are not only too pretty to be stashed away, but would also add unnecessary clutter to the drawers and cupboards, which are reserved for kitchen essentials – along with a few decorative accents for added appeal.
If you like this idea but would prefer a more streamlined and orderly look, try a wall of floating shelves instead.
While accent walls are often called upon to inject interior schemes with drama and visual interest, they can be used to enhance the functionality of a space, too. This cool, contemporary culinary zone shows how it’s done. Here, a wall-mounted bookcase made up of multicoloured cubby holes transforms a plain white wall into a striking focal point and also ramps up the storage capacity of the kitchen. The cubby holes are filled with a strategic selection of cookbooks, glassware, crockery and a sample of the owner’s wine collection – items that are not only too pretty to be stashed away, but would also add unnecessary clutter to the drawers and cupboards, which are reserved for kitchen essentials – along with a few decorative accents for added appeal.
If you like this idea but would prefer a more streamlined and orderly look, try a wall of floating shelves instead.
I also love the conversation-starting cooking measurements wall decal that takes a starring role in this quirky kitchen. It not only packs a visual punch, but provides a handy, large format guide to common kitchen conversions that’s easily visible from all areas of the space, regardless of where the cook is working. I don’t know about you, but a decal like this one would definitely help me save time while cooking, as I wouldn’t have to constantly stop and refer to my cookbooks or conversion app on my smartphone to check the difference between cups, pints, litres and quarts, and all the other common kitchen measurements.
3. Go for pop-up power
Power points aren’t always positioned in the most convenient of places. For example, I do a lot of my food prep on my kitchen peninsula, but since all of the power outlets are positioned on the opposite wall – rather than being located in the main food prep zone – I have to constantly bounce between both sides of the space so I can mix, beat and knead ingredients away. I know, it sounds like a small problem, but trust me, it does get frustrating – especially when I’m on a roll or trying to whip something up in a hurry!
Enter this nifty gadget – a handy pop-up socket – which is one of the many items that I’ve recently added to my kitchen wish list. These clever contraptions can be installed into any work surface where power points are needed, which makes them ideal for island benches or peninsulas that aren’t located near existing power outlets. Another perk of having a pop-up socket is that it won’t disrupt the seamless look of your benchtop or take up precious workspace, as it slots straight back into the bench when not in use.
If you’re thinking about installing a retractable socket in your kitchen, look for a design that boasts a cover with a watertight seal and is splash proof when closed for added safety and peace of mind. Some pop-up sockets also feature night-lights and USB ports, which you might find useful depending on your family’s needs.
Pop-up socket: EVOline
Power points aren’t always positioned in the most convenient of places. For example, I do a lot of my food prep on my kitchen peninsula, but since all of the power outlets are positioned on the opposite wall – rather than being located in the main food prep zone – I have to constantly bounce between both sides of the space so I can mix, beat and knead ingredients away. I know, it sounds like a small problem, but trust me, it does get frustrating – especially when I’m on a roll or trying to whip something up in a hurry!
Enter this nifty gadget – a handy pop-up socket – which is one of the many items that I’ve recently added to my kitchen wish list. These clever contraptions can be installed into any work surface where power points are needed, which makes them ideal for island benches or peninsulas that aren’t located near existing power outlets. Another perk of having a pop-up socket is that it won’t disrupt the seamless look of your benchtop or take up precious workspace, as it slots straight back into the bench when not in use.
If you’re thinking about installing a retractable socket in your kitchen, look for a design that boasts a cover with a watertight seal and is splash proof when closed for added safety and peace of mind. Some pop-up sockets also feature night-lights and USB ports, which you might find useful depending on your family’s needs.
Pop-up socket: EVOline
4. Stock up on glass jars
Rather than storing your pantry staples like flour, cereal, sugar and rice in coloured food tins or plastic containers, consider transferring these dry food goods into glass jars instead. Glass jars offer a number of practical benefits; they allow you to clearly see what’s stored in the containers, making your pantry easier to navigate and keep track of when ingredients need replenishing, which allows you to manage your shopping list a whole lot better, too. Glass jars are also free of BPAs and other toxins found in some plastics, which may be concern for some households.
If you are thinking about ditching your tin or plastic containers in favour of glass ones, choose jars that are uniform in shape (like the jars with square- and rectangular-shaped bases pictured here). This will maximise space and help make your pantry look neat and tidy, as the jars will sit flush against each other when arranged on your shelves.
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Rather than storing your pantry staples like flour, cereal, sugar and rice in coloured food tins or plastic containers, consider transferring these dry food goods into glass jars instead. Glass jars offer a number of practical benefits; they allow you to clearly see what’s stored in the containers, making your pantry easier to navigate and keep track of when ingredients need replenishing, which allows you to manage your shopping list a whole lot better, too. Glass jars are also free of BPAs and other toxins found in some plastics, which may be concern for some households.
If you are thinking about ditching your tin or plastic containers in favour of glass ones, choose jars that are uniform in shape (like the jars with square- and rectangular-shaped bases pictured here). This will maximise space and help make your pantry look neat and tidy, as the jars will sit flush against each other when arranged on your shelves.
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Labels will also ensure that your pantry works better, as they’ll help you differentiate between similar pantry items (for example, plain and self-raising flour, and white and gluten-free pasta) and keep track of the best before dates of each of the dry foods. You can buy pre-made labels, or if you want to take a DIY approach, make your own using a label maker, or paint labels on your jars using chalkboard paint, like the ones pictured here.
5. Tweak your lighting plan
While lighting is used to enhance the look and atmosphere of a kitchen, its main purpose is to ensure that the main work zones – the food prep, cooking and clean-up areas – are bright and well lit so people can easily spot potential hazards and prevent accidents from occurring.
If your kitchen is poorly lit and you think its lighting plan could do with a revamp, look to this culinary space for helpful, functionality-enhancing design cues. This space uses downlights to deliver general lighting to the room, while two pendants cast a warm, focused glow over the dining area. LED strip lights line the bottom of the wall cabinets and provide bright task lighting for the work zone below; they also run along the base of the island to transform the bench into a focal point and enhance the mood of the space.
For greater control over the lighting in your room, opt for lights with a dimmer switch so you can customise the intensity of the lights to suit your mood, occasion and the task you’re performing in the space.
More: Expert Advice: How to Get Kitchen Lighting Right
While lighting is used to enhance the look and atmosphere of a kitchen, its main purpose is to ensure that the main work zones – the food prep, cooking and clean-up areas – are bright and well lit so people can easily spot potential hazards and prevent accidents from occurring.
If your kitchen is poorly lit and you think its lighting plan could do with a revamp, look to this culinary space for helpful, functionality-enhancing design cues. This space uses downlights to deliver general lighting to the room, while two pendants cast a warm, focused glow over the dining area. LED strip lights line the bottom of the wall cabinets and provide bright task lighting for the work zone below; they also run along the base of the island to transform the bench into a focal point and enhance the mood of the space.
For greater control over the lighting in your room, opt for lights with a dimmer switch so you can customise the intensity of the lights to suit your mood, occasion and the task you’re performing in the space.
More: Expert Advice: How to Get Kitchen Lighting Right
You might also like to consider fitting your cupboards and drawers with sensor lights. As you can see here, in-built cabinet lights will ensure that you can find and retrieve cooking gadgets, kitchenware and pantry goods with ease, without having to waste time digging around for them in dark, hard-to-see storage spaces.
6. Choose easy-to-clean appliances
Cleaning appliances is not the easiest, or the most fun, of tasks – after all, it’s time consuming, messy and stressful (personally, I always worry that I’ll scratch my cooktop or accidentally inhale oven cleaner fumes), so I can’t imagine anyone would willingly put their hand up to do the job. One sneaky solution to this problem is to replace your appliances with gadgets that deliver excellent culinary results and are a breeze to clean, too, once your existing ones have gone kaput or you’ve decided to overhaul your entire cooking zone.
If you’re in the market for new appliances, a self-cleaning pyrolytic oven may be something you’d like to add to your wish list. When this handy function is activated, the inside of the oven heats up to 500 degrees Celsius, which burns grease, spills and other food debris, and turns them into ash that can be wiped away using a damp cloth once the oven has cooled down.
Induction cooktops are also a cinch to clean compared to other types of cooktops. This is due to the fact that induction cookers use magnetic fields to heat cookware, rather than the cooktop itself, which means that spills won’t burn into and mark the glass surface below.
iQ 700 built-in single multi-function activeClean oven: Siemens
Cleaning appliances is not the easiest, or the most fun, of tasks – after all, it’s time consuming, messy and stressful (personally, I always worry that I’ll scratch my cooktop or accidentally inhale oven cleaner fumes), so I can’t imagine anyone would willingly put their hand up to do the job. One sneaky solution to this problem is to replace your appliances with gadgets that deliver excellent culinary results and are a breeze to clean, too, once your existing ones have gone kaput or you’ve decided to overhaul your entire cooking zone.
If you’re in the market for new appliances, a self-cleaning pyrolytic oven may be something you’d like to add to your wish list. When this handy function is activated, the inside of the oven heats up to 500 degrees Celsius, which burns grease, spills and other food debris, and turns them into ash that can be wiped away using a damp cloth once the oven has cooled down.
Induction cooktops are also a cinch to clean compared to other types of cooktops. This is due to the fact that induction cookers use magnetic fields to heat cookware, rather than the cooktop itself, which means that spills won’t burn into and mark the glass surface below.
iQ 700 built-in single multi-function activeClean oven: Siemens
7. Keep things in order with drawer organisers
Cluttered drawers can seriously mess with the functionality and efficiency of a kitchen. If your drawers are overflowing with utensils, gadgets and other cooking tools, empty everything onto your kitchen bench and bin equipment that’s old (yes, rusty vegetable peeler, we’re looking at you), broken or just plain unnecessary (come on now, do you really need that cherry and olive pitter?). Once your cull is complete, kit your drawers out with customisable inserts – like the handy drawer organiser pictured here – place your utensils into their designated spots, and take a moment to stand back and admire your neat and tidy display. Don’t forget to brief your brood so they know what goes where, to ensure your drawers don’t fall into disarray again.
Stainless steel drawer organiser: Wood-Mode
Cluttered drawers can seriously mess with the functionality and efficiency of a kitchen. If your drawers are overflowing with utensils, gadgets and other cooking tools, empty everything onto your kitchen bench and bin equipment that’s old (yes, rusty vegetable peeler, we’re looking at you), broken or just plain unnecessary (come on now, do you really need that cherry and olive pitter?). Once your cull is complete, kit your drawers out with customisable inserts – like the handy drawer organiser pictured here – place your utensils into their designated spots, and take a moment to stand back and admire your neat and tidy display. Don’t forget to brief your brood so they know what goes where, to ensure your drawers don’t fall into disarray again.
Stainless steel drawer organiser: Wood-Mode
8. Rethink your layout
While the working triangle, which follows the idea that the three main work areas of a kitchen – the sink, fridge and cooktop – should be arranged in a triangular layout and positioned an equal distance away from each other, can be a useful concept when it comes to kitchen design, it’s not a one-size-fits-all solution for every space and household. Rather than being guided by the idea of the working triangle when renovating your kitchen, think about how you will use the room and then create different work stations based on these activities and functions. Also, think carefully about the position of each zone and ways to improve traffic flow so multiple people can work freely in the kitchen at the same time without getting in each other’s way.
This chic entertainer’s kitchen provides a great example of this design approach in action. Here, the space is divided into a cooking and prep zone, which runs along the back wall of the room, and enjoys a clear path to the clean-up zone, which takes up one side of the island bench; a separate food storage/utility room that’s accessible via the sliding door; as well as the fridge that’s positioned against the right-hand wall. The fridge is connected to a beverage centre, which boasts a wine fridge and coffee- and tea-making hub. The room’s dining/entertaining zone is conveniently located across from the beverage zone (which means the host doesn’t have to go too far to top up their guests’ wine glasses or make a cuppa for everyone at the end of the night) and flows into the clean-up area, which proves helpful when it’s time to do the dishes.
See more of this kitchen
While the working triangle, which follows the idea that the three main work areas of a kitchen – the sink, fridge and cooktop – should be arranged in a triangular layout and positioned an equal distance away from each other, can be a useful concept when it comes to kitchen design, it’s not a one-size-fits-all solution for every space and household. Rather than being guided by the idea of the working triangle when renovating your kitchen, think about how you will use the room and then create different work stations based on these activities and functions. Also, think carefully about the position of each zone and ways to improve traffic flow so multiple people can work freely in the kitchen at the same time without getting in each other’s way.
This chic entertainer’s kitchen provides a great example of this design approach in action. Here, the space is divided into a cooking and prep zone, which runs along the back wall of the room, and enjoys a clear path to the clean-up zone, which takes up one side of the island bench; a separate food storage/utility room that’s accessible via the sliding door; as well as the fridge that’s positioned against the right-hand wall. The fridge is connected to a beverage centre, which boasts a wine fridge and coffee- and tea-making hub. The room’s dining/entertaining zone is conveniently located across from the beverage zone (which means the host doesn’t have to go too far to top up their guests’ wine glasses or make a cuppa for everyone at the end of the night) and flows into the clean-up area, which proves helpful when it’s time to do the dishes.
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9. Move your bin
While a well-placed rubbish bin can significantly enhance the functionality of your space, a bin that’s positioned in an awkward, hard-to-access area can create traffic snags and lead to liquid and food debris being spilled and splattered all over your floor. Personally, I’m a big fan of bins that are tucked away in a cupboard below or next to the sink, as you can scrape food scraps straight off your plates and then pop the dishes by the sink ready for washing. As you can see above (don’t you think this nifty chopping board and bin setup is genius?), placing your bin near your sink also proves convenient when you’re prepping food, as it streamlines the clean-up process as you can dispose of waste as you go.
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While a well-placed rubbish bin can significantly enhance the functionality of your space, a bin that’s positioned in an awkward, hard-to-access area can create traffic snags and lead to liquid and food debris being spilled and splattered all over your floor. Personally, I’m a big fan of bins that are tucked away in a cupboard below or next to the sink, as you can scrape food scraps straight off your plates and then pop the dishes by the sink ready for washing. As you can see above (don’t you think this nifty chopping board and bin setup is genius?), placing your bin near your sink also proves convenient when you’re prepping food, as it streamlines the clean-up process as you can dispose of waste as you go.
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If, however, your kitchen sink is not positioned in a central, easy-to-access location, place your bin in a spot that is within easy reach of the sink but won’t impede the traffic flow of your space, as was done in the cooking zone above.
TELL US
Do you have any functionality-enhancing kitchen design tricks you’d like to share? Post your tips in the Comments.
MORE
7 Super-Practical Things to Remember When Planning Your Kitchen
A Thorough Checklist for a Well-Stocked and Functioning Kitchen
8 Tricks to Make Your Small Kitchen Work Harder
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TELL US
Do you have any functionality-enhancing kitchen design tricks you’d like to share? Post your tips in the Comments.
MORE
7 Super-Practical Things to Remember When Planning Your Kitchen
A Thorough Checklist for a Well-Stocked and Functioning Kitchen
8 Tricks to Make Your Small Kitchen Work Harder
16 Common Kitchen Dilemmas Solved
Pick up the storage game of your kitchen by replacing poorly-performing cabinetry with clever solutions that provide easy access to kitchen tools and pantry items, and keep them in order, too. Pull-out shelves and roomy drawers are two options that easily trump cupboards when it comes to practical, ergonomic storage, as they provide a clear view of the contents inside and have user-friendly access, unlike traditional cabinets that you often have to dig around to find specific items, chewing up time and putting stress on your neck, back and other parts of the body. Drawers and pull-out units are also extremely space savvy and utilise every last centimetre available, whereas cupboards aren’t always as efficient and often contain dead space that goes unused.
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