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range where oven, microwave, coffee
machine and steam oven are all available
in the same aesthetic and built to be
installed one above the other. Allow
your kitchen designer to guide you with
regards to the possibilities as well as the
recommended heights of your appliances
to ensure their functionality is not
compromised. If you are considering
a gas hob, thought needs to be given
to whether the gas bottle is able to be
housed externally to the kitchen, or
whether it needs to be accommodated
within the kitchen units, as it will take
up some of your valuable storage. Always
ensure that the current bylaws and health
and safety regulations are followed in
this regard.
For your refrigeration and laundry,
integrated is definitely the way to go.
Given that integrated appliances are
hidden from view by a cupboard door; The addition of a large-scaled mirror The more streamlined your kitchen
they look incredibly sleek and allow the to the space will help reflect light and add and design, the larger it will appear.
kitchen design to flow ‘unbroken’ and do an illusion of depth and space. Caution Keep cupboard décor to a minimum.
not intrude on the space. against using the mirror as a splashback Where possible, keep cupboards and
The pocket door is a great addition behind the hob, it will get splattered with drawers handle-less with push to open
to a small kitchen, particularly one grease when you cook and can be a chore mechanisms or the addition of a channel
that is open plan. These can be used in to keep clean and streak free. or handle groove to facilitate opening and
any number of ways to conceal parts Good lighting is key and should be closing. Handles and knobs should only
of the kitchen, whether it be the sink layered. If you have a lot of natural light it be used sparsely as a decorative accent.
area, stacked laundry appliances or a will allow you to play with deeper, darker It is amazing how big a small, well-
coffee station. When closed, the kitchen colours and allow you to add a bit more designed, kitchen can be. Good planning
presents as a piece of elegant furniture texture without overwhelming the small is essential to optimising a small space,
with no disruption from the usual kitchen space. Layered lighting will allow your particularly one as well used as a kitchen.
dw
trappings. When open, the kitchen is kitchen to take on a new sense of space
returned to a functional part of daily life. seeming small and unobtrusive when not www.ksa.co.za
Investing in a good quality mechanism in use and large and welcoming when in
and a company that is experiences in the use. There should be functional lighting
installation there of is vital to the correct for the overall casting of general light,
and on-going operation of the doors. accent lighting to highlight specific areas
Making your small space seem large like display cupboards, task lighting to
is not just about the physical kitchen illuminate work space areas, mood lighting
itself. Colour, texture and light play an to add subtle accents and feature lighting
important role. When choosing your if you wish to add a central lighting piece
kitchen finishes, opt for those that reflect as a functional design feature. We would
light rather than absorb it. While darker advise consulting a lighting specialist to
hued colours are very much on trend at gain maximum insight.
the moment, they will only work in a
small kitchen if there is plenty of natural
light or very good layered artificial light;
and if the open plan space itself is big
even if the kitchen is not. Using neutral,
natural finishes will help the space seem
larger. Avoid adding anything with a
heavy pattern; whether it be tiles, wood
grain or stone speckle, unless, as with the
dark colours, you have an abundance of
light and an extended area of space.

dw • Issue 289 21