Dan Duchars
Need a kitchen that's going to be practical for cooking, make the best use of space, and tough enough to stand up to the rigours of family life? Spruce up your kitchen with these great ideas.
So what is a do-it-all kitchen? Essentially, it's a gorgeous space where you can do everything; from preparing and cooking food, through to eating and relaxing. Above all else, it has to be practical, especially if it's a family kitchen. But that doesn't mean you have to compromise on style.
A do-it-all kitchen must be well planned if it's to be as efficient as possible, and that means making the most of the space that you have. Fitting units along the walls will create a generous walk-through area, at the end of which you should be able to fit in a decent-sized table.
In a busy room, you need to have enough storage space to keep your surfaces clear and the kitchen looking tidy. Floor-to-ceiling cupboards and pull-out larders are the ultimate in storage and, if matched to your units, will blend into the overall room scheme - just make sure you put them where they won't block out light. Elsewhere, consider shelves to show off your best crockery and neat hooks and hanging devices for your utensils.
These are a must in a family kitchen where a lot of mess can be made in minutes. Hardwearing worktops include wenge, which is dark enough to hide stains, while similarly dark-coloured kickboards will hide scuffmarks. High-gloss units are easy to wipe clean, but they do tend to show up every sticky little handprint. The upside is they reflect lots of light - always a bonus in a dark room. Floors should also be low-maintenance and non-slip. Stone or ceramic tile floors (in light shades to help create the illusion of space) are the hardest wearing.
If your kitchen is on the small side, try to stick to light-coloured units and pale shades for your walls and floors. Basement kitchens must work extra hard to be light and bright: Sara and Dan's kitchen (above) opens out onto the garden via generously proportioned patio doors, which make the most of the light, but if you don't have that option, ensure your lighting is good. Choose daylight-mimicking halogen spots first.
A TV, especially a small LCD screens mounted on a wall or beneath a wall units, is a great buy for a kitchen. Try to find one with a screen frame that matches the wall behind it (ie, white wall, white frame); that way, they won't be too eye-catching when they're not on. And ensure if it is wall-mounted, that it can be swivelled or tilted so the screen can be seen from all parts of the room.
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