Practical kitchen considerations

The kitchen is the heart of the home and generally, the most used room. However, kitchens don’t need to be overcapitalised. They should instead be a reflection of your necessities and daily routines. Before considering a new kitchen, keep in mind the following, which is a snapshot from my new book ‘The Art of Luxury Downsizing’.

Following are some general rules to keep in mind when setting up a new kitchen.

1. Optimise the flow of your kitchen space

We’ve all heard about the ‘work triangle’. The concept came about in the 1940s from a study performed by the University of Illinois’s School of Architecture. It was relevant because the kitchen was the domain of the ‘woman of the house’, and kitchens tended to be small. The ‘three points’ included the area between the stove, the sink and the refrigerator.

These days, architects, builders and interior designers will argue whether the work triangle remains relevant. Because my kitchen is tiny and, effectively, only one person can work in it at any one time, the triangle is still very relevant for me, or whoever might be in it. However, given that most Australian kitchens are much larger and more complex, the traditional work triangle may not apply. New luxury apartments and townhouses are being built with large and comprehensive kitchens. It’s easy for two people to work in the same space, especially if there is a second sink. They can effectively be working in two triangles at the same time.

Similarly, with the addition of other appliances we’ve come to rely on, such as the microwave and/or the Thermomix, a rectangle or pentagon might create more effective working patterns in your kitchen.

So, rather than focusing on the idea of a triangle, focus on organising your kitchen around how you’ll use it.

For efficiency and ease-of-access, make sure your working area is compact enough to allow you to move around with ease, but generous enough so if someone is helping you, you won’t bump into each other. Ideally, the working space will be between 1.2 metres and 2.7 metres long and wide and add up to no more than somewhere between 4 metres and 7.9 metres. Otherwise, you’ll feel like you’re running a marathon every time you cook a meal.

2. Invest only in the appliances you will use

It was a funny thing. A friend who is a caterer happens to get a lot of work through the schools her children attend. As well as doing many of the schools’ functions, she gets a lot of catering work for the parents’ cocktail and dinner parties.

These parents are the cream of Melbourne’s wealthy executives and professionals, and many of them have amazing homes. One day, she and I were talking about kitchen appliances and how, as a designer, I like to give my clients a list of easy-to-understand operating instructions for these appliances. Her reaction? ‘That is brilliant! So many of the kitchens we visit when catering have appliances that never get used because the owners can’t understand the instructions!’

This was a revelation to me. Having chosen the appliances so carefully, I always assumed that people would have a vested interest in being able to use them. I didn’t think for a moment that ovens, microwaves or even stoves would sit dormant in kitchens simply because the owners didn’t know how to use them.

Yes, it’s important to have the best. But it’s more important to look for the appliances that best suit your purposes. They’ll work brilliantly and look beautiful because you will touch and use them just about every day.

One day, when we move to a new house or apartment, I will consider buying a Thermomix. I have yet to use one, but I love that they cut your cooking time, especially if you’re catering just for the two of you, or if you live on your own. Also, I doubt you will find many restaurants without one. They are brilliant for making sauces, soups and ice creams – they chop, puree and cook while you can be off doing something else!