The Urban Kitchen

I like a good cook up as much as the next person… in the next persons house.

And I love dinner parties… at restaurants.  During the week I’m way busy… it’s not really kitchen visiting hours at my house.  And it’s the same for most of my inner city friends and clients without children.   The kitchen is hardly used… and that’s the reality for many urban dwellers today.  The kitchen is not the hub of their home.  You need one… but it’s not always used extensively.  If that describes you… then it’s crazy to give it too much of your precious square footage… and budget!  Your house needs to be based on your needs… not on traditions that are not relevant to your life.

The main trick is not to try and store the trappings of a full kitchen in a tiny one.  Grit your teeth and put your pasta maker in the shed.  If you haven’t made bread for over twelve months and you’re a frequent and happy visitor to the local bakery.. .then the bread maker goes too.  Most kitchen cupboards are full of equipment that is never used.  Be smart about your space, and the breadth of cooking you want to undertake.  And then be smarter again about your layout and space saving options.

There are loads of aesthetically pleasing storage tricks for small spaces.  Ladders are a wonderful use of vertical space, and your kitchen is full of towels, pots, pans and utensils that are up for a good hanging.

The other space that is underused is your splash-back.  Pots and pans can look gorgeous against the right backdrop… and they’re so accessible!

Wee magnetic strips are available from Ikea for an easy and attractive knife storage option.

And then you have overhead storage.  Looks cool, lots of options out there (even ladders strung from above and running horizonally…) and would be very easy to live with.  But I ‘m not keen on things hanging over my head (refer this quarters BAS, telephone bills and dentist appointments ).

Open shelving is another great way to use your space without closing yourself in completely.

Your next main issue in a tiny kitchen is bench space.  The roving butchers block is great for this.  I’m a big fan of the butchers block… you get a great cutting board, open and closed storage and movability.

I’m also a big fan of top of bench ideas.  Love these built in bread boxes.

And every bench/ chopping board should come with a built in bin… to go directly to the garden!

And if you’re like me and you’ve never sat at your dining table for breakfast… and never will… breakfast bars can be really cute and welcoming.

So.. culling, design and storage are key.  Make sure you squeeze every idea possible from your designer.  Keep in mind that for the owner/operator a small job like this has low profit, so I recommend using a large company with a good reputation.  Their staff are on salary and will be able to give you the time you need.  The Good Guys Kitchens have designers who come out for each job and you can even check them out online before hand. They also have a $500 gift card special this month.

www.thegoodguyskitchens.com.au