Designs, layouts, and kitchen furniture pieces differ in every home. Although many modern HDB and BTO flats in Singapore welcome an open-concept kitchen, specific elements and appliance choices vary based on the homeowners' needs and preferences. But while these things vary, all wonderfully designed kitchens have some common features.
Whether you want to furnish your kitchen from scratch or remodel your outdated one, knowing these fundamental elements will help you determine what areas to prioritise, what kitchen furniture to buy, and what appliances to splurge on. Here are five cost-effective features of a well-designed kitchen in Singapore.
Workable Kitchen Layout and Configuration
One of the most crucial elements designers consider when conceptualising a kitchen is the layout. It is also one of the major considerations in terms of cost. Before delving into the smaller details of the kitchen, like the cupboards and appliances, the layout should be decided first.
But what is a good layout? There are various kitchen layouts to follow, but what works depends on how you will use your kitchen, how often you will use it, and how many people will use it. Classic kitchen designs follow the kitchen triangle, but with extra activities, modern layouts lean more on the work zones. Generally, a kitchen has these main components: the sink, cook zone/prep zone (countertop), and storage (refrigerator). For open-concept kitchens, the zones include dining tables and chairs.
Ultimately, these zones will determine how you maximise your space and how seamlessly you can carry out your kitchen tasks. When designing a kitchen, all appliances, utensils, and equipment must be placed by category based on what zone they belong to. Pantry supplies will go near the fridge but also in the prep zone. The cookware and appliances, like the kitchen hob and oven, are in the cooking zone.
Carefully planning how you utilise your kitchen will significantly affect its ease of use.
Spacious Storage
The kitchen is a big and open target for clutter in your home. Since this area is always busy and accessible to everyone, it's an easy catchall for empty food packaging, broken utensils, and the most random receipts, wrappers, and magazine pages.
When revamping your kitchen or adding new appliances or utensils to your collection, make sure to allow enough room to categorise items so you can quickly identify where to get and store them.
For effective kitchen storage, sort out your appliances and utensils and group them by use. Get rid of unnecessary knick-knacks and assess your existing storage. Toss expired and broken items and empty wrappers into your trash bin, and think about gifting or donating unutilised kitchen gadgets to people who will benefit from them more.
Depending on your space requirements, you may partner your overhead cabinets with a freestanding kitchen cabinet or create compartments with kitchen drawer organisers. Store your pantry supplies by date to make sure you consume them at the right time. Transfer your food into clear, labelled jars or refrigerator containers. Ensure a safe and accessible storage area for your utensils and small kitchen gadgets by using drawer organisers or racks.
Excellently Designed Kitchen Worktops
Your kitchen countertops determine the overall stylistic theme of your kitchen. The quality of your worktops also affects their efficiency and longevity. When choosing a worktop, aside from looking at the potential design and colour of the material, it's important to check its quality and susceptibility to scratches, stains, and breakage. It's also good to plan its look when paired with your major appliances like the hob, cooker hood, refrigerator, and oven.
Depending on your selected theme, you may choose from classic wooden cabinetry and marble worktops, more affordable laminate, glass, quartz, or sintered stone.
High-Quality Kitchen Appliances
We can't talk about the efficiency of a kitchen without mentioning the appliances. Aside from being a beautiful and accessible space, a kitchen becomes exceptionally functional when you have the right equipment on hand. The major kitchen appliances you can invest in include a kitchen hob, a refrigerator, a dishwasher, and an oven if you are also a home baker. To enhance your kitchen's ventilation, especially if yours is an open concept, we recommend installing a cooker hood. This will help you get rid of smoke and a greasy smell after cooking. Of course, you will need an extractor fan or a ceiling fan to keep the air as fresh as possible.
Other kitchen appliances to consider are:
- Rice Cooker
- Air Fryer
- Microwave Oven
- Blender
- Stand Mixer
- Coffee Machine
- Toaster
- Hotpot
- Electric Kettle
When buying kitchen appliances in Singapore for your new home, make sure to prioritise the units needed for your main kitchen, which are the hob and cooking essentials. You also need your basic cookware and kitchen utensils. When buying appliances, it's worth the effort to compare various types and brands that work well with your needs. When purchasing a refrigerator, for example, you need to consider the size of your household and your available space and traffic allowance.
Click here to shop kitchen appliances in Singapore online!
Spacious and Comfortable Dining Area
All the food you prepare will be shared in a cosy and welcoming dining area. Buying a dining set doesn't happen monthly, every six months, or even yearly. Whatever you decide to purchase today will stay with you for years or decades, so it's important to choose your dining table and chairs wisely. Aside from your worktop, the dining table is a significant part of your overall kitchen design.
The material, colour, design, and even shape of your table say a lot about the theme of your space. Ultimately, when talking about wooden dining tables, dark and reddish tones lean more on the traditional side. Lighter tones, on the other hand, are great for modern, coastal, and Scandinavian styles. Some modern and contemporary kitchens also welcome metal leg detailing paired with laminate, glass, or stone tabletops. Marble, quartz, and sintered stone are preferred by many in this category.
Dining chairs are made from different materials. From solid wood, metal, and upholstery to synthetic, you can find different designs and sizes that will complement your space. For variety, you can opt for a combination of dining chairs and benches. For a smaller kitchen with an island or recessed counter, you can add some bar stools to have a mini dining area.
The harmony of all the elements above is paramount in designing a beautiful and functional kitchen. While every kitchen is different, it's good to go back to the basics when designing or revamping your area to lay a strong design and furnishing foundation.
If you're ready to style your kitchen, check out Megafurniture's extensive collection of high-quality kitchen and dining room furniture and appliances on sale online in Singapore. From high-end items to affordable ones, we take part in delivering you the best quality you could ever have.
First time shopping for furniture and appliances online? Connect with us! We are glad to help you through our process.