Expert Tips on Designing Your Dream Kitchen from Al Meera

As a forerunner in the area of kitchen design, it is our firm ethos that drives us to create beautiful and functional kitchens for people to build their lives around. Having a well-designed kitchen sets the tone for the entire residential experience, as so much activity will ultimately be centered on this one focal space.

Aside from the activities taking place there, a kitchen is first and foremost a place to gather, to share meals and experiences and bond together. Over the span of its life, the kitchen will feature as a backdrop to many of its inhabitant’s important memories and life events. Our design experts have compiled a list of tips to help guide your search for your dream kitchen interior.

1. Assess Your Storage Requirements

The first stage of every design process is the initial planning and research phase. This involves the assessment of your particular storage requirements and design preferences, which will ultimately dictate the design of the finished space. Preemptive planning for adequate storage space will result in a design outcome that leaves little to no room for wastage. From out of reach cabinets to awkward corner spaces, try to incorporate modern storage solutions into your kitchen design, to cater to every individual requirement.

2. Plan for Efficiency 

By considering all the possible activities one would envision taking place in the kitchen, the design of the kitchen should respond accordingly to create the most efficient layout possible. Various activities that need to be planned for in a kitchen include food preparation, cooking, dining, gathering and washing up. A well-planned kitchen space will take into account every inch of usable space and layer functions to attain maximum benefit. By ensuring that all your specific requirements are catered for, the design outcome will result in a functionally sound space that seems to preemptively respond to your every need.

3. Choose High Quality Materials 

When allocating the budget for your kitchen, you may decide to cut corners in some areas in order to adhere to the existing constraints. Our experts would advise going for premium materials and finishes instead of compromising on quality. Materials and finishes prepared using modern technologies have greater durability and a longer life than their more outdated alternatives. 

Consider your choice of materials as an investment in the longevity of the kitchen. High quality finishes will bear the ravages of time and use very well and require little to no maintenance. Poorer quality ones, on the other hand, will grow visibly distressed and require replacement much sooner than the better alternative.

4. Personalize Your Space 

For any residential space, the occupant brings their own personal characteristics to the spaces they inhabit. Over time, these characteristics will reflect in the design language of the space. These personalized touches add their own distinct charm to a space and imbue it with an unmatched sense of vitality. 

Invest in décor, furniture and art that aligns with your specific tastes and incorporate them into the design of your kitchen interior. As a leading kitchen company in the UAE, we understand the importance of the role of personalized touches in making a house into a home. 

5. Ensure Proper Ventilation 

The various culinary processes taking place in a kitchen space can give rise to a number of odors, some of which can be unpleasant over prolonged periods of time. A space can be beautifully designed, but without proper ventilation, the experience will be one that feels suffocating. Without adequate air circulation, the atmosphere starts to feel stale and inhospitable. 

Incorporate ventilation channels into your kitchen’s design to ensure the inflow of fresh air. The quality of the atmosphere is integral to the spatial experience and as such, it must not be overlooked in the design process. Features like openable windows, exhaust fans, and kitchen vents can help manage the air quality to a pleasant level. 

6. Allow for Future Changes 

As people grow and evolve, the spaces they inhabit experience gradual changes in order to keep up with their changing lifestyles and requirements. Any good design will look towards the future and create space for future modifications to ensure that the spatial design allows for growth, instead of being restrictive. 

One way to go about this is by opting for modular elements that can be re-arranged or upgraded with convenience. Leaving room for modifications gives the inhabitants the agency to dictate the functioning of the space. As a result, they are better able to emotionally connect to a space and bond with it as one that encourages a symbiotic relationship between space and inhabitant, each benefiting from the other.