The Housing Industry Association (HIA) had forecast a 2.6% increase in kitchen installations in Australia during 2012/13. However, there was a significant increase in kitchen facilities during 2012/2013 which resulted in a much higher increase of 11.7%. In addition, the HIA forecast for kitchen installations in 2013/2014 is for an increase of 2.8% (a total of 166,500 kitchen installations). Following previous trends, this new forecast will likely be surpassed. One thing that probably won’t change, however, is the role kitchen showrooms play in helping homeowners make informed decisions during kitchen installations.
Kitchen showrooms offer a realistic taste of what your kitchen remodel will look like. You can literally see every accessory and gadget as it will be in the final product. You get to see numerous designs and also talk to kitchen design experts.
However, for your kitchen showroom tour to be truly fruitful, you should have a checklist of critical things to evaluate, which will help you make a decision about your kitchen installation. Such a checklist will help you find the perfect balance between your personal preferences, design functionality and new design innovations.
1. Must-Have Features: It will make absolutely no sense to have a glamorous and sophisticated kitchen design; however, maneuvering around it during food preparation is an enormous challenge. To avoid this, you must have a clear understanding of all critical features.
How far apart do you want the counter to be from the stove? How high do you want the cabinets to be? How many sinks do you need?… Whenever you evaluate kitchen showrooms, these are the first aspects to take into account. If they are not present, no matter how beautiful the design is, it simply will not suit you. However, some designs can be modified to include minor changes.
2. Spacing: The issue of spaciousness and proper organization within the kitchen has a great impact on safety. This would prevent potential disasters such as house fires, especially as a 2012 report from the South Australia Metropolitan Fire Service indicates that many house fires related to the use of cookers and heaters occur during the winter months. In fact, during 2012, fires related to kitchen mishaps accounted for approximately 80% of all winter fires.
When considering the aspect of the space, you should also think about the dining experience. Will the space be enough for the number of people expected to dine there? Will the facilities accommodate a comfortable dining experience? Remember that even in seemingly tight spaces, some space-saving options can be adopted. These include: stool designs that fit comfortably under the kitchen island or folding stool designs.
Storage is another aspect that will have an impact on the available space. The amount of storage you need will depend on the number of items you want to store. Would I need cabinets to the ceiling or just lower shelves? Also remember that too many unnecessary cabinets will reduce the available space needed for ample lighting and good ventilation.
3. What Can You Do Without: Initially, you made a checklist of accessories that you simply can’t do without. On the other hand, you also need a checklist of accessories that you are willing to replace with something better or just do without. This will allow you to embrace new innovations in kitchen appliances and accessories. For example, you can get rid of an old refrigerator and install a new, more efficient model.