FOR THE LOVE OF KITCHENS

A lot of us are spending more time in our kitchens during the lock-down, perfecting our banana bread recipes😊

My kitchen has been worked hard over the last 4 weeks. If like me, you enjoy cooking and baking then a custom designed kitchen would be hugely beneficial to make the space comfortable and allow you to be most productive.

In my kitchen while I cook, often there is an 8 year old with an iPad watching videos or tiktok(ing). When she is not with me then I will watch You Tube Videos of my favourite cooking shows to keep me inspired in that moment of preparing food for my family. 

Kitchen overhaul 

My kitchen is long overdue for an overhaul, as it is as it were, when we purchased the house 10 years ago. I have been dreaming up my new kitchen for a while now and in my case, all this time in the kitchen during lock-down has made me realise a few critical design considerations for this space that I would like to share with you.

I will document my Kitchen Overhaul  for a blog post in the future but for now here is a list of those considerations, tips on how to achieve certain aesthetics and my mood board to inspire you to make your own that can become your vision board.

Studio McGee & Pinterest

Countertops

There are many options and many considerations like fit for purpose, price and aesthetics.

Here I want to encourage you to use more than one material type. If you would be more comfortable traditional surface that is hard wearing for the majority of your kitchen, but you love the look of luxurious marble then it is perfectly acceptable to use multiple material types in you space, find suitable spot for your marble.

The good news is that at Wolkberg our signature Limesite Dimensions texture is highly sought after due to the organic movement of the Limesite and at the same time being hard wearing and maintainable in the long run making it ideal for your kitchen, making it an ideal alternative to Marble.  The sealer on Limesite is designed to be stain and scratch resistant. You can use Limesite surfaces in those areas that require more hard wearing material comfortably.

Consider incorporating a wooden surface for chopping or kneading you bread dough.

We sourced images to demonstrate the use of multiple materials in your kitchen.

Splinter Society & Tikhaya House

Kick plates

Being at home made me realise perhaps metallic kick-plates in our kitchens are just as useful at a bar.  It might be overkill however I have always loved the aesthetic appeal of it and after much evaluation I am convinced it does have a place in the domestic kitchen.  If you have pets and little ones at home the base of cupboards can get scuffed and dirty.  Metallic surfaces are easier to clean and less likely to get dirty as it is a harder surface.  

I am considering copper or brass kick-plates for my new kitchen.  No doubt it will be a little bit of a splurge, but design is in the detail and this simple detail will add a whole lot more to the space.

Counter heights

Standard counter heights are about 900mm and if like me you are on the petite side then consider adding an area of a lower counter for those tasks that require some elbow grease like kneading dough! (Coz we’re all no doubt gonna continue baking our own bread after lock-down:))

Extractor fans or Cooker hoods

These are essential in kitchens - it is a very functional piece of kitchen equipment and can be camouflaged or elevated aesthetically if the store-bought aesthetics don’t suit you.  

Unoform & Wolkberg

Our plight is to always use eco-friendly materials and go green wherever possible, so stay tuned for a future post on green products for your home!

Love Rams😊