How to create a low-maintenance kitchen

The kitchen is the heart of the home they say, and it’s true. I remember when I was a little girl, and my mum cooked in the kitchen, I always sat next to the window back to a radiator and read a book, while enjoying the smell of food and warmth from the oven. Such a lovely time. Now, when I live on my own I often go back to these memories. When I design clients kitchens, before I even start thinking about style, I always first look into the functionality and low maintenance kitchen. I ask my clients loads of questions on how they use it, how often they cook, clean etc. as this can be crucial when designing. You can design the most beautiful kitchen, but if is not functional then is simply a bad design! Today, I wanted to share with you few tips and hints how to create a low-maintenance kitchen in your home. Whether you’re a busy bee like me or you simply don’t like to clean often, there are a number of ways you can design your cooking space to ensure it’s as easy to look after as possible. Making the right choices when purchasing products can play a huge role when creating a low-maintenance kitchen. Simple things like, whether to choose laminate worktops over quartz or designing the right layout, can really make a huge difference!

Personalisation of your kitchen

When you creating a low-maintenance kitchen, you really need to determine how long you will spend in your kitchen and what are the main tasks you will do. Personalisation of your kitchen can be a fun and great way of making this space truly yours, but not all changes can be practical. If you use your kitchen for only quick meals, then perhaps you can do whatever you want as it won’t make a huge difference but if you do cook and bake often then, I would really carefully chose what you are changing. I noticed this beautiful trend of using leather straps as handles. As much as I personally love it, I often question if this is actually practical. Leather can get wet very easily, as well as drops of oil or accidentally spilt sauces can leave marks. I would definitely check first, before attempting a DIY as I assume the one you buy from kitchen suppliers must be treated somehow making them waterproof. I do agree it does look beautiful! My absolute favourite DIY project is done by Anastasia from Stilzitat blog. Her DIY kitchen is just simply #kitchengoals for me! (picture below)

Pick your worktops carefully

These days, there is so many fantastic materials like Corian, granite or laminate worktops just to name a few. Worktop should be chosen based on what you doing in your kitchen, not how it look like. Think beyond aesthetics and think about practicality in here, especially if you’re keen to create a cooking space that’s easy to look after. For example quartz worktops might look fantastic, but require a lot of effort to ensure they look gleaming and smudge-free while corian is very easy to scratch and getting it fix, may cost you a fortune. I have specified for my clients many good quality laminate worktops from Worktop-Express and these surfaces are extremely easy to keep clean; you can simply wipe them down with a damp cloth without having to worry about streaks or smears. It is also cheaper than stone. Many of my clients are also asking about wooden worktops or recently popular cement ones. These are great choices but you have to think of good suppliers and these have to be treated well, cement should have a good wax layers and primers to be scratched free. Don’t forget that worktop may look great in kitchen showroom but in reality, you will be chopping, spilling hot & cold water, placing hot pans etc. I don’t think I know a single person who never done that at least ones but I know people who done that on expensive worktops, and in results, they spend a lot of money to get it fixed!

Dorothee Lafontaine beautiful kitchen design!Check out her amazing project at her blog L’apartemnt Living

Think about your flooring

You will also need to think about what type of flooring you want for your kitchen. Ideally, you should go for a material that is durable and resistant to potential spills and splashes, as well as making sure it’s easy to keep it clean. Vinyl flooring is a popular, cost-effective choice, however, you may find that it begins to look tatty and tired quickly. I personally would avoid. Instead, it pays to go for materials like tiles or wood laminate. While it may cost you a little extra, these surfaces often look better for longer. My personal choice would be engineering flooring as is easy to install and you have the great look of a real wooden floor with a functionality and easy to assemble same as laminate flooring as these comes in panels. You can find great choices and better prices at my favourite FloorMaker plus they share best inspirations on their Twitter. Go have a look 😉 There is also a great trend to mix tiles with wood, and as long as you have a kitchen big enough and good handy-man who will install that properly without gaps, then definitely a great choice! If you thinking of choosing a real wood to avoid a white wood, while it may look amazing this Scandinavian Pinterest boards, cleaning this a real nightmare! Avoid if you can! More about flooring you can read in my post Girls guide to flooring.

The good layout.

great kitchen layout example

Whether you are renovating your rented space, or just bought a new house, think of a layout in your kitchen. The good layout of this space can be crucial to keep you kitchen low-maintenance. Think of this as a journey of what you doing step by step. For example, the way you cook and what you need next to each other. You don’t want walk around with a boiling water pan to find the sink or walk all the way to the back of the kitchen to find the bin. It should be an easy coordination and all units like a sink, hob and bin located close enough to each other. With an open plan kitchen with a living room next to it, think of having your dining table closer than your sofa. I’ve seen many layouts of an open plan where dining table was far away by the window and you have to walk all the way your living room area to get there. You could easily tell by all the splashes on the floor. You don’t want to walk far with your piping hot meal or spill coffee on your carpet! It may look cute there, but try to keep food areas next to each other. Great idea is to have fireplace or statement area like seating etc. to create sort of broken plan living (more about broken plan living in this post). You can always go for a cute antique fireplace or if you have a cat, perhaps a large cat scratch post or simply nice divider. It will keep you kitchen and dining area nicely separated but also it helps keep it cleaner as you no longer have large open space to clean but you can focus on smaller areas. Especially with a fireplace, I have recently seen so many amazing ideas and even myself designed an apartment with a nice fireplace. It was a huge open space and fireplace wall added a real statement to the room but also it helps to keep the kitchen separated. Thornhill Galleries has a range of amazing products, especially the marble ones! Whether you are a designer or just renovating your own home, is great to think outside the box and think of incorporating statements within your open plan space.

Photo by Perello Building Corporation – Browse mediterranean kitchen ideas

Select a suitable backsplash

My backsplash is a piece of metal that catch every single splash and cleaning this always lead to streaks, no matter what product I would use. While there is a number of different backsplash designs for you to choose from, it pays to go for a material that’s easy to maintain. For example, a detailed mosaic backsplash might look great, but it can be a nightmare to clean. Instead, you may find a tiled backsplash or glass design much easier to wipe down after a cooking. Just be careful, oil and grease can get between the tiles on grout and it may be too difficult to clean between the gaps. I would strongly reconsider a glass backsplash above your hob and if you can behind your sink as well. If you choose well-coordinated tiles and backsplash, it can only be a winning choice.

Include plenty of storage

Plenty of storage options it’s a must in any kitchen, especially if you’re keen to keep your space organised without much effort but I know that in reality is not often possible. If you rent like me and you only have lower units, think of extra shelves. You can use command strips and hang plants like me (Watch my video creating a green wall in the kitchen) Also, you can just hang shelves there. I’m personally totally in love with this Ferm Living leather straps shelves. If you are designing your kitchen from scratch, make sure you include a considerable number of cabinets and drawers in your plans, and also, you could incorporate extra storage solutions too. If you have space, you could position an island unit which is always a great option. Also, think of upcycling and what you can re-use. I took part in IKEA Live Lagom program, where it completely changed my lifestyle. I am now thinking of a way to save money and space in my kitchen. Think of items you either upcycle before you throw it away, as you may be surprised how much money it could save you but also you don’t buy any extra items you don’t need. Less clutter, it’s always a winner!