Don’t Underestimate The Importance of Kitchens and Bathrooms

Choosing to build a brand new home is an exciting time with so many fun decisions to make like the floorplan, elevation and finishes. If you tend to get a little overwhelmed by big projects, you can choose to build a standard plan and just focus on what matters to you.

There are two rooms in your home that you can generally count on to have the biggest impact on the family. The kitchen, and the bathroom. But why? Read on.

There’s a good reason why the kitchen is known as the ‘heartbeat’ of any home. Centrally located and designed with open flowing spaces to living, dining and alfresco. A kitchen is a place the entire family can gather to create, share a meal, talk about the day’s happenings and reconnect. With this in mind, the design of your kitchen is especially important.

• Bench Space
  A good rule of thumb when designing your kitchen is to first think about how many people will be using the space at any one time. If you have two adults preparing a meal or stacking the dishwasher, a tablet using teenager and the younger ones rolling cars back and forth then what you thought would be ample bench space can quickly feel much too small to be truly functional. Also, think about multiple entry points so if the fridge door is open, the kitchen can still be accessed by that secondary entrance, The Whitehouse display is a fabulous example of prime benchspace.

• Storage
  It’s a fact, clutter makes you anxious so enough storage is crucial to ensure your kitchen remains an organised, chaos-free zone. If you like a minimalist style, talk to your home builder about cupboards which include powerpoints so you can conceal electrical appliances such as the microwave, kettle, toaster – and don’t forget the phone charger. Also, choose to include a mix of large drawers which offer maximum accessibility and can store general items like dishes, pots and pans – as well as cupboards.
• Natural Light
  You’ll naturally feel much more relaxed with daylight streaming into your home. Ensure you get enough of this vital resource into your family zone with large windows, sliding glass doors and maybe a void to the second storey which can be an impressive design detail as well as an ideal feature to welcome in the light. The Beach House display home sets the standard for natural light with the open plan concept and the extra window adding tons of light to the scullery.

Then you have the bathrooms to consider. While generally smaller spaces they really can impact negatively on harmonious living when not designed for your family dynamic. Maximising useable space is imperative.

• Master Ensuite
  Think about your morning and evening routines, do you and your partner get ready at the same time. Do you need double showerheads, or double basins so you aren’t elbowing each other out of the way, like in The Treehouse display? There is no such thing as too much storage in your ensuite! A mirror with a concealed storage compartment at face level will allow you easy access to your most used items and additional space to your vanity. Some things are best kept private so a WC with a door is always a solid choice to keep a little mystery in your relationship!

• Family Bathroom
  The age and number of your children and the frequency of expected guests are considerations here. An oversized vanity with double basins and multiple drawers for storage is a must-have as a measure to scale back sibling squabbles by offering each child their personal space to get ready and to store belongings. A bath is a requirement if you have younger children or enjoy a soak yourself and would be an expected inclusion down the track if you decide to sell.

Besides functionality, the kitchen and bathrooms can both deliver significant impact with stylish tile choices, selection of stone benchtops and feature lighting.

If you’re ready to be really savvy, think about future-proofing now by implementing energy-efficient items such as showerheads, taps and LED lighting, by choosing the right materials, you can cut down the long-term costs associated with running your home.

The next step starts with you. We’re available to answer your questions, just reach out.