Designing My Dream Kitchen
One room in the house that I believe is the most important is the kitchen. Over the years, I’ve rented many homes, and one thing I’ve consistently found is that the kitchens have been incredibly lacking.
More often than not, they’re built too small, making you wonder if they were an afterthought. It’s clear that many of these kitchens were designed by someone who hasn’t spent much time cooking. Perhaps a man, without the daily experience of navigating a kitchen’s functionality.
When it came to designing my house, I poured my heart into every detail, especially the kitchen and the walk-in pantry. As a mother and wife who spends a lot of time preparing meals, it was crucial that the space be functional.
I focused on cupboard space and the design of the shelves. How many of you have that pesky corner cabinet where everything gets lost in the abyss? I wanted a space where I could easily see and access everything I had.
Bench space is another crucial element. I can’t fathom why designers think it’s acceptable to build a kitchen with only enough bench space for one cutting board. It’s incredibly impractical. As cooks, we need ample space to prepare multiple things at once. Limited bench space is a cook’s nightmare.
So, I took everything I hated about previous kitchens and made sure to design a space that addressed those issues.
My kitchen isn’t finished yet, as we still need to redo the benchtops and lower our island. I’m not sure how tall the builder thought I was, but at 5’6″, I struggle with an island designed for someone 6’4″. It’s a little too tall for me.
Now, you might not have the opportunity to design a large kitchen like mine, and that’s perfectly fine. The key is finding smart storage solutions. Look up “organised kitchen” on Pinterest to discover ways to make the most of small spaces. I spent months researching great solutions for the kitchen.
I favour a minimalist look and feel—I don’t like to see too much clutter. This is a bit tricky because I love the shabby chic, country homestead aesthetic. Achieving a minimalist lifestyle with a touch of homestead charm is challenging, but I’m opting for a blend of both.
I made the walk-in pantry huge; it’s the size of a small bedroom, perfect for homesteading. I can see all my appliances and have ample space to store plenty of food
As our plantation produces fruit and vegetables year-round, I want to store as much as I can to benefit my family. I look forward to canning tomatoes and making my grandad’s favourite tomato sauce. We eat a lot of tomatoes, so this is one of my most exciting projects. We also have a large avocado trees on the plantation. I’m still figuring out how to preserve them for off-season use. And let’s not forget our beautiful passionfruit vine—I can’t wait to have a supply of pulp for baking muffins and cakes.
Now that i have nearly finished the kitchen and pantry – now is the struggle to getting back to the tonga house so i can enjoy cooking all my favourite dishes in the kitchen i built.
