You know, for as long as the Australian Heritage Homes team remembers, there has been a specific use for each room that we design and help construct in your dream home. That said, we’re noticing more and more recently, the multiple uses for each room and the creative needs that they’re meeting. Have a garage that you normally have only parked a car in? Easily a home gym space. A living room? Well, that can be simply anything! It just depends on what your needs are by household. We thought as a team that this conversation could be a valuable one on the blog. After all, it’s your home. You should be able to use it exactly as you see fit. We’re going to go room by room and think through the different uses and priorities that you can brainstorm. Again, it’s your home. There are no right or wrong answers here. Read on for more information as we explore the first room in this series: the kitchen.
The kitchen has always been known as the main hub for socializing. In more and more recent construction, we’re noticing that they’re shrinking in size, they’re changing in shape, they’re changing in the location of where they exist throughout homes. Maybe they’re adjacent to a formal dining room, maybe dining spaces are incorporated within them, maybe homes have decided that they don’t need dining rooms altogether.
Well, we know that homes need a kitchen with a few basics. They need something to store refrigerated food, they need something to heat food. These are necessities for resale value. After that, it’s up to you how you design your kitchen to meet your needs.
Here are some questions to think through:
- Do you have a large family or household that needs a lot of space for meals? If so, you’ll want to think through the flow of the space, so that they’re not all running into each other. This can be accomplished if you consolidate the kitchen essentials in one space and open up the remaining space for a giant table and chairs or benches.
- Do you frequently eat out or order in? Then we’re guessing that you don’t need a tonne of space in the kitchen for things like islands or counters. Again, just remember that at a certain point, you may want to sell your home and future buyers will want to see the essentials. We’ve seen a lot of success with smaller kitchens that are in the style of galleys… they even open up space for other rooms that you may use more frequently!
- Do you cook or bake? This is probably the biggest question because even though we’re looking forward to resale value, we should also be focusing on your present-day experience. If you’re a big cook or baker, think about counter space and islands. If you have the real estate, an island can be a particular win because it can also be a space for storage and kitchen accessories.
Questions? Let us know. The Australian Heritage Homes team is excited to hear from you.