Whatever the size or shape of your kitchen, you need to think carefully about the amount of storage space you and your family needs, not just now, but also in the future. It’s essential that you consider this early on in the design stage to make sure the kitchen you choose works for you. The all-important aesthetics of the kitchen can be decided on later, however adding vital storage space isn’t something you can easily do retrospectively.
One of the golden rules of good kitchen design is to start in the corner. This is an area of the room that is notoriously difficult to ensure that the available storage space is maximised and easily accessible. However, with the Mackintosh kitchen range, they have cleverly designed units that will help to overcome this common problem.
If you want a normal corner unit, then you can choose from the range of standard corner base units, however, this has an area of the unit at the back that, due to tricky access, is invariably used for storing items that you rarely use. To resolve this, Mackintosh corner units can include clever wirework, such as the magic corner or le-mans pull-out storage solutions that, with ingenious design, provides full access to the unit. Alternatively, you can opt for an L-shaped corner unit, which, once opened, provides significant and easily accessible storage.
An upcoming trend, especially in modern and contemporary kitchen design, is to use a full height corner larder or pantry unit. This fully maximises the storage space available by making use of the dead space that would normally be between the wall and base units. With a corner larder unit, the space at the back of the unit is much easier to access, without having to bend down, and the clever chaps at Mackintosh have also included four le-mans wirework solutions that allows gaining access to the back of the unit that much easier.
Thinking about the number of drawers you need, and what you will put in them, is also important. Kitchen design has evolved from a cluttered, drawer line look, where every base unit has a drawer at the top, to a more minimal design and practical solution. Drawer units, with deeper drawers and accessories are now commonplace, and by using a drawer unit that has internal drawers, you can make sure you have exactly the right amount of drawer storage, but without the messy lines that can interrupt the flow of a modern, contemporary kitchen.
Another interesting trend is the increasing use of bi-fold units. These units take a standard wall unit, but instead of opening from the side, they open from the bottom. This type of unit is perfect for use in the kitchen, where keeping a unit open whilst cooking makes the job so much simpler, without the risk of hitting your head on the door or constantly opening and closing the unit to get ingredients.
As with most home improvement projects, fully understanding your requirements and planning for these in the design stage will make the whole process a lot simpler, giving you everything you need and the kitchen you’ve been dreaming of
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