Welcome to the Brayer Design Press Office
Welcome to the Brayer Design Press Office
Products from this company are shipped to: United Kingdom and are located in: United Kingdom"
About
With a family history of cabinet-making which dates back to 1918, Brayer Design specialise in the creation of beautifully handmade furniture for a range of spaces including kitchens, bedrooms, bathrooms, wine cellars and media rooms. Brayer design, build and install their bespoke furniture throughout South West London and North Surrey.
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03/10/18
6 Practical Considerations for Your Kitchen Design
It might sound a little boring but a perfect kitchen is only really perfect when it not only looks good but is practical too. So here are 6 practicalities to consider when drawing up your kitchen designs.
1) Incorporate Island Seating
And by this, we don’t just mean plonk a few stools next to your island – if you’re having a breakfast bar, make sure you incorporate an overhang in the design of your island to provide legroom for you, the kids and any guests.
2) Spread Out
We recommend that you leave at least 1 metre of space between your kitchen worktops to allow for clearance of open drawers and cabinets doors. And if you have it to spare, an extra 20cm or so of space will give you even more room to manoevre around open appliances such as oven and dishwasher doors.
3) Keep Unsightly Sockets Secret
Plug sockets may be unsightly but they are pretty vital pieces of kit in the kitchen. Thankfully, nowadays there are lots of clever ways to hide your electricity sources, such as island pop up power outlets or you can opt to install sockets inside cupboards, pantries or kitchen cabinets. This method has the added bonus that it allows you to keep small kitchen appliances like toasters, kettles, coffee machines and food processors from cluttering up your countertops.
4) Don't Forget the Dishwasher
Find a space in your kitchen plan for your dishwasher that’s not too far from your sink. This will not only prove convenient when you’re transferring items from the sink/drainer to the dishwasher (and vice versa) but it will also make life a lot easier when it comes to plumbing in your appliance. It’s also important to make sure you position your dishwasher so you can access it from both sides – corner plots are ill-advised.
5) Let There be Light
We cannot stress how important lighting is in a kitchen. For food preparation, dining, reading the Sunday morning papers – anything and everything that you do in the kitchen, deserves good lighting. And don’t be afraid to use more than one type of lighting in your kitchen either – mix island pendant lighting, with spotlights, under cabinet strip lighting and interior cupboard lighting as well as natural lighting from windows, glass doors and roof lanterns to really shed some light on the situation.
6) Keep it Zoned
Perhaps the most important tip when it comes to designing your kitchen! If you're already planning and plotting your new kitchen layout, the chances are that you’ve already heard of the kitchen work triangle – a design theory which makes the practical and sensible suggestion of laying out your kitchen around the three major kitchen appliances: the cooker, the sink and the fridge/freezer. But with our kitchens getting bigger, filled with more appliances and used for more things than ever before, it’s perhaps better to consider your kitchen layout in terms of ‘zones’ rather than in the traditional triangle sense.
Instead of letting single appliances dictate the space, think about your cooking zone, a cleaning zone, an entertaining zone, a baking zone – even a kids zone. Considering the space in terms of zones will not only help you create a practical working kitchen but it’ll also highlight the aspects of your kitchen design that are important to you, your family and your lifestyle.
18/09/18
Coffee Station Inspiration for the Kitchen
Almost everyone needs a little pick me up first thing in the morning and so it's no surprise that coffee stations are quickly becoming an essential feature of the kitchen.
So, if you're looking to create your own little corner in your kitchen dedicated to creating the perfect cup, feel free to soak up some inspiration from these coffee station ideas by Brayer Design.
Clutter-Free Kitchens
One of the 'perks' of having a coffee station inside a breakfast/pantry cabinet is that it's a neat way of keeping your small appliances hidden away - leaving your kitchen countertops clear and clutter-free.
Practical Design
You can bring continuity and practicality to your coffee station design by adding a worktop in the same material as your main kitchen countertops. Options that are durable, heat-resistant and easy to clean are obviously a good choice here and throughout the rest of the kitchen.
Let There be Light
Automatic lighting at your coffee station can be a godsend on those dark winter mornings, when you're bleary-eyed and desperately fumbling around for the on-switch for the kettle. It's also really important to make sure your coffee station is well-equipped with easily accessible power points for all your small appliances too.
Space-Saving Ideas
If you're short on space, you might be surprised to learn how little room you actually need to make a coffee station work - as long as you're willing to make some compromises. While you may not be able to fit a barista style bean-to-cup coffee machine in your kitchen, you can still create a small yet satisfying space to retreat to when you're in need of a coffee-fix.
Keep it Organised
If you're a coffee pod addict, you could incorporate a beautifully organised capsule drawer into the design of your breakfast pantry, making those early-morning and late night trips to the Nespresso machine even more satisfying.
The idea of a coffee station as an 'essential' on your kitchen wish-list may seem slightly frivolous - but as most people's lives revolve around the kettle or the coffee maker, isn't it time we gave this little nook of the kitchen the attention it deserves?
