The kitchen is essentially a functional space that needs to promote efficiency and minimise accidents. It also reflects the beauty of a home. But most people tend not to understand how important it is to not cut corners here
When you cannot allocate too much space for your kitchen, you can increase its efficiency through clever layout designs, renovations, or even implementing a few organisation tricks. Photo: Noor-A-Alam
Experience Centre: My Kitchen Studio
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When you cannot allocate too much space for your kitchen, you can increase its efficiency through clever layout designs, renovations, or even implementing a few organisation tricks. Photo: Noor-A-Alam
Experience Centre: My Kitchen Studio
During a renovation project, my family’s flat was essentially split in two halves. On the half we lived in during this time, we had access to a few rooms and the living room. However, one glaring issue came to the surface soon after: we were left without a kitchen.
During the construction, my family did their best to place appliances in different corners of rooms to create a makeshift kitchen, but the experience of cooking became a nightmare.
“The kitchen is the heart of the house,” said Md. Asif Rahman, Lead Architect of Ghasforing, and I could not help but agree.
The kitchen is an essential part of your home, even though it receives so little space when planning the layout.
“Not only is it a place where food is prepared, it is a hub of storage and sitting. It is the centre of communication in the house and it gives the household focus and direction,” Rahman elaborated.
The kitchen is essentially a functional space that needs to promote efficiency and minimise accidents. It also reflects the beauty of a home. But most people tend not to understand how important it is to not cut corners here.
“Locally, there is a common belief that kitchens should be small spaces located in a house. But it is a space for everyone to cook, eat, and more. My Kitchen is working on spreading awareness about prioritising kitchens during planning, and also creating spacious and welcoming kitchens,” said Albart Mandal, Manager and Showroom In-charge at My Kitchen.
A staple part of homes, throughout the ages professionals have perfected how a kitchen should function.
Photo: Noor-A-Alam.
Experience Centre: My Kitchen Studio
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Photo: Noor-A-Alam.
Experience Centre: My Kitchen Studio
The zones of a kitchen
The kitchen is divided into five zones under two areas. Among the zones, every kitchen should have a pantry, storage, washing and sink, preparation, and cooking zones. These zones fall under two areas, the wet area and the dry area.
When planning the layout of a kitchen, it is essential to have a defined wet and dry area. The wet area consists of spots like the sink and water outlets, while the dry area will consist of spaces such as the preparation or storage area.
The wet and dry areas are separated through brick walls or even cabinets to minimise the risk of accidents in the kitchen.
“If there isn’t a division, the risk of accidents increases. One could slip as they’re carrying food,” said Asif. “It can also get quite unhygienic if water on the floor from the wash area is allowed to spread.”
These zones are set up conceptually in a triangle. Being able to connect three points of a kitchen allows a smoother experience for the user.
Aftab mentions, “the dry area is usually put in the front.” Albart further elaborates, “Wet kitchen is kept at the back because it will usually have a smell.”
“When one is cooking while having access to a refrigerator at their back, they are connected to their cooking area and storage area. There is a flow in the triangle that prevents clashes in movement,” added Asif.
Photo: Noor-A-Alam. Experience Centre: My Kitchen Studio
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Photo: Noor-A-Alam. Experience Centre: My Kitchen Studio
Proper lighting will help reflect the true colours of food, which will enable one to determine its quality. On the contrary, warm lights will confuse your perception of colour, and you might end up making a cup of tea that is too weak, or a curry that looks less vibrant on the plate.
“We use ambient lights – which serve as the main lights, accent lights, and under-cabinet lights. The accent lights are installed at points such as around the sink, burner, etc,” said Asif.
Albart Mandal also elaborates, “The colour of lights should be warm white. There are some colours that can change how the colour of food appears.”
While working, a natural shadow is cast beneath cabinets. To combat that, having under-cabinet lights will help you see the true colours of the ingredients you are working with.
However, the most prominent source of light comes from the windows. The windows are normally designed to be near sinks, and during optimal situations, they should be able to brighten up the whole kitchen.
Additionally, you should avoid adding cabinets alongside windows, they will obstruct daylight from entering.
“If you put a cabinet in front of the source of daylight, it will block around 30-50% of the light from entering,” commented Asif.
Photo: Noor-A-Alam.
Experience Centre: My Kitchen Studio
https://www.tbsnews.net/features/habitat/all-you-need-know-about-designing-your-kitchen-562046