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Child Friendly Kitchens

Smart-kitchen-island-in-wood-with-a-white-countertopThe Kitchen is always known as the room where the Family spends most of their time together. Saying that, it’s important to make it friendly to all ages.

1. Choice of Surfaces:

See our previous post on Kitchen Worktops to see how Quartz, Granite, Laminate and Solid Wood compares in terms of scratch & stain resistance, heat & burn resistance and durability. Quartz is the best choice as it’s less porous but Laminate has been the go to for Parent’s on a budget.

2. Child friendly Appliances:

Many appliances, such as hobs, now include a safety lock function. This allows the user to stop changes to the power levels whilst cooking. The system lock protects from accidental or unauthorised use by children. This function can be activated on a hob that is switched off.

3. The Pantry:

Including a pantry style unit in your Kitchen allows you to create a child friendly area where they can easily access all their snacks.

4. Be Creative:

There are so many possibilities for making your Kitchen more child friendly. If you’re including an Island, a good option is to have split level surfaces, where kids can sit and do homework whilst you can keep an eye on them. If they want to be involved, include whiteboards/blackboards where they can help write the shopping list.  Another option could be to include child size furniture to match in your overall design.

 

 

 

Choosing the right Kitchen Worktops

Whichever worktop you pick will have a huge impact on the style and function of your kitchen. Picking the right worktop for your kitchen can be difficult, especially because there are plenty of choices in terms of material, style and colours.

This list compiles and compares all the attributes of Quartz, Granite, Laminate or a Solid Surface. 

Attributes
Quartz
Granite
Laminate
Solid Surface
Scratch resistance Excellent Excellent Good Fair
Stain resistance Excellent Good Good Excellent
Chip and crack resistance Excellent Good Good Excellent
Heat and burn resistance Good Good Good Good
Resistance to household
chemicals, acids and solvents		 Excellent Good Good Excellent
Low maintenance Excellent Good Good Fair
Non-absorbency and non-porosity Excellent Good Good Excellent
Mold and mildew resistance Excellent Good Good Good
Flexural strength Excellent Fair Good Good
Colour consistency Excellent Fair Excellent Excellent
Immunity to freeze and thaw Excellent Excellent Fair Fair

 

The Beloved Kitchen Island

No matter the house style, be it traditional or modern, nearly every house nowadays has a kitchen island. If it’s for extra worktop space & storage or if you use it as a spot for social interactions, the island has evolved down through the years and is dynamic in its functions.

The movable island as seen on Dermot Bannon’s Room to Improve. Custom made to order, this island is for the kitchens which unfortunately are tight on space for a traditional island. Made on four castors, this island is easily movable and perfect if you’re stuck for worktop space for serving or preparing food. The best thing about this island type is the fact it can be moved into a cupboard once finished using and it will free up your kitchen again.

Image result for movable island

The appliance storage island, perfect solution for all those appliances you want but might not have enough space for along with the storage needs you have for your kitchen design. From sinks and hobs to ovens and freezer drawers, the possibilities for your island is endless. They also are extremely practical with the close proximity of all the appliances you will use when prepping a meal.

Image result for kitchen islands with appliances

Dining Islands; whether you have a separate dining room or not, a dining island is perfect for those quick morning breakfasts or even a cosy family dinner. Less formal than using your dining table but also very practical for the close proximity to the kitchen. We adore the booth islands as they allow for a dining area and the extra storage and work space.

Image result for booth kitchen islandsImage result for sitting kitchen islands

 

Choosing Your Kitchen

Choosing a brand new kitchen can be an exciting yet daunting experience once you realise there are an infinite number of possible colour schemes for you to pick from. 

To help with the process we’ve compiled a short list of 4 steps, which we think are important for completing the colour scheme of a kitchen. 

Cabinet Colour

This is the most important decision you will make regarding colours as it is usually the most expensive aspect of your new kitchen. It will occupy roughly 40% of the total space. Hence, why it is extremely important not to only pick a colour to represent your own personality but one to represent the personality of the house as a whole.

Countertop

From Laminates and Solid Woods to Quartz and Granites. Counter top colours & textures are endless. So, finding a colour to suit your door will not be an issue. Tip: always have your door sample with you to match up.

We are a huge fan of Quartz here as shown on one of our Showroom Displays. We feel like a piece of quartz can match up with anything from your traditional colours to more modern navys, greens and greys.

Appliances

If you decide against integrated appliances, you now have options of traditional stainless steels and blacks or the more modern colours. It’s important to remember that appliances such as range cookers and extractors are a focal point to your kitchen, so colour is very important.

Source: SMEG.UK

Hardware

Handles, Sinks and Taps are usually the last features to be installed in your kitchen. While matching handles to your sink/tap isn’t necessary, it is now much more possible with the large ranges that are currently on the market.

Source: Pinterest

If you would like to chat to any of our team here at Cooney Kitchens and Bedrooms we would be more than happy to give you advice or help design your dream kitchen.

You can call us on (044 93 74568), fill out our contact form or visit our showrooms.