You have two options if you want a new kitchen. You could choose a standard off-the-shelf design and adjust it to fit the dimensions of your kitchen. But if you spend a lot of time there, whether for cooking or entertaining, or simply like the idea of having a kitchen nobody else has, then it’s certainly worth investing in a bespoke design.
“A bespoke kitchen is a made-to-measure kitchen. In other words, a functional space that is tailored to your home’s needs,” explain bespoke kitchen designers Harvey Jones. “Bespoke, hand-built kitchens offer unrivalled potential for personalisation and practical use of space, so are a worthwhile investment for your home.”
In short, a bespoke kitchen allows your imagination to run wild and incorporates stunning features that ensure you can get the most out of the space. Here are seven ideas that will take your kitchen to the next level.
Indoor herb garden
It’s always helpful to have fresh herbs on hand when you’re preparing a meal, so an indoor herb garden is very functional and will look gorgeous in your kitchen too. Hydroponic systems like these allow you to grow your favourite herbs all year round with minimal mess. Plus, as they will grow in water rather than soil, you don’t need to worry about over- or underwatering them.
Place them on shelves or grow herbs in individual pots and display on the countertop if you want to draw more attention to them for decorative purposes.
Smart sink
‘Smart’ can mean many things when it applies to a sink. For example, some are programmed to release the specific amount of water you want (like a cup for cooking or just enough to wash your hands long enough to kill germs), while others will have temperature regulation or touchless control so you only need to wave your hand to release water. There are even self-cleaning sinks. All in all, these techy sinks could save you time, and money on your water bill.
Pot filler tap
In addition to a smart sink, why not add a pot filler tap to your kitchen? This is installed over your hob so you can fill your pots and pans with water there rather than having to carry them over from the sink. That way, you won’t need to struggle with the weight or risk spillages on the way over. A pot filler tap also allows you to multitask. Being able to fill up pots at the stove means you can leave your kitchen sink free for food prep and cleaning.
Floating cabinets
Floating cabinets are a fantastic way to make a statement in your kitchen. Rather than attaching them to the floor and ceiling, leave some space. This will make the kitchen feel more open and airy while providing a sleek, modern look. You could also incorporate lighting above and below the cabinets to add brightness and create atmosphere, which is essential if you also plan to use your kitchen as a dining area.
Appliance garage
To free up countertop space, consider moving things like your toaster and coffee maker into a dedicated appliance garage. This is an area inside one of your kitchen cupboards with built-in power outlets. That means as well as storing your appliances here, you don’t need to move them to use them and can always keep them out of sight. A garage helps reduce clutter in your kitchen to give you more room for food prep and cooking, plus keep the room neat and tidy.
Smart lighting
Smart lighting lets you immediately control the brightness and colour of the light in your kitchen so you can adapt it for different purposes. These systems are usually controlled through your smartphone or via voice activation. It’s a highly convenient approach if you have lots of lighting sources in your kitchen as you could automatically switch all of them on rather than having to turn each one on individually.
It also makes it easy to change your lighting depending on what you’re doing, so you quickly can go from strong task lighting while you’re cooking to softer mood lighting while you’re eating.
Double island
What’s better than one kitchen island? Two of course! If you’re lucky enough to have the space, doubling up means more space for storage and fun appliances like wine fridges and warming drawers, more seating areas, and potentially more cooking options if you incorporate hobs, ovens and sinks.
This also gives you the option to dedicate each island to a different purpose. For example, one could purely serve as a food prep station while the other could be designed for eating and relaxing. Having two islands also allows you to break up the space and add extra interest, especially if you’re creative with colours and patterns.
