5 design tips to save time and space in your kitchen

The kitchen is fast becoming the entertaining hub of our homes. According to IKEA research, 61% of Aussies cook two to three times a week for friends and family, meaning a functional kitchen with storage is becoming increasingly important. Lack of storage is the #1 frustration in the kitchen.

One way IKEA is helping solve kitchen frustrations is with their new METOD kitchen range – the biggest range change in IKEA Australia history. With thousands of combinations and endless possibilities, this clever new design promises to change the way Aussies use their kitchens forever.

Gerry, the Range Manager for Kitchens at IKEA, knows all about kitchen frustrations and how to avoid them. Here are Gerry’s top five tips to save you time and space in the kitchen:

1. A functional layout

When designing a kitchen always think of the ‘triangle’ principle, your sink, stove and fridge should be laid out in a triangle. This simple layout trick will make your kitchen life easier.

Depending on the design of your kitchen, a triangle isn’t always possible but with a versatile solution like METOD, with it’s revolutionary set of measurements, you can make the most out of the space you have and design a kitchen ‘triangle’ to suit your needs.

A kitchen island can also help you create this triangle. As well as offering a place to sit and socialise, an island will reduce kitchen ‘travel’ time, you can do all your prep in one spot and keep everything where you need it.

2. Space that you can see
Poor visibility is a common time waster in the kitchen, which is why the ‘open cupboard’ trend is gaining popularity in Aussie kitchens. With crockery and utensil designs becoming as pretty as they are practical, why not take down the doors and show them off and create a kitchen vignette?

Another way you can save time and increase visibility is to increase lighting and not just in your kitchen but in the cupboards too. A good integrated lighting system can make searching the back of the cupboard a lot quicker. Realising the importance of good lighting in kitchen cupboards and drawers, IKEA has integrated LED lights in its newest kitchen range, METOD.

3. Clever storage solutions
The average kitchen has to store a lot of stuff, which means things easily get buried and lost and you waste time digging them up. Investing in purpose built interior organisers will allow you to squeeze the most out of every square inch of drawer and cabinet space, saving you time.

Store bigger items in high drawers and invest in some separators; it’ll even help you store frying pans and tricky saucepan lids. Cabinet carousels are also great for storing bulky items and you won’t have to pull everything out just to get something from the back.

4. Food storage 
Lack of food storage is one of the biggest frustrations people have in the kitchen and unfortunately, most homes don’t allow for a separate pantry. You can get around this by making the most of your drawers by using them for dry food storage. Drawers are perfect for those little jars, and, let’s face it, if you keep all you herbs and spices in one spot, meal preparation will become much quicker.

5. Clever cooking
Induction hobs are among the most time, and energy, efficient cooking appliance, as they match the heat output to the size of your cookware. Induction hobs transfer heat directly to the pot or pan, adding both speed and precision to your cooking, so you spend less time cooking and more time eating.

To read more about how the METOD kitchen range can save you time and space in the kitchen click here.

♥︎KC.