The kitchen is a very important place in the home. It isn't just for the obvious reason of cooking; it’s a place to eat, entertain, meet other people, and cook. It’s important since the family, otherwise busy, may come together on weekends to catch up and spend quality time. Due to this, it holds pride of place in any home, and typically, it should fulfil all the requirements it has to.
With cleverly designed layouts, even very small areas can meet your needs.
Are you ready to get going? Take a look at these seven wonderful HDB kitchen arrangements to get your creative juices flowing!
Open-plan kitchens
This is a much-loved design option among Singaporeans. Open-Plan Kitchens have seen a steady increase in popularity among the HDB owners over the years, with more and more of them looking for HDB open concept kitchen design. Some have even opted for a semi open kitchen design with half of the kitchen open and the other half hidden by walls.
It’s no wonder that this design is famous - it allows more light to enter areas while letting you keep an eye on your children while you're cooking. Convenience is key here.
Image Credit: Zenith Arc
This is undoubtedly a good idea, though grease from cooking and kitchen odours may easily proliferate throughout the home. You can solve this problem by following these pointers:
• Fit an exhaust hood
A good cooking canopy can keep unpleasant cooking smells from wafting through your apartment - the hood obliterates sharp smells. Consequently, your home smells as fresh as ever.
• Find a good place for the hob
It’s a good idea to position your hob near a wall in a way that a splash guard can be installed to catch grease and other cooking substances that may splatter in the process of cooking. A tiled wall may be selected for this purpose in a four-room HDB kitchen home. This way, cleaning dirt off becomes very easy.
Single-wall kitchens
As kitchen space is limited in Singapore, structuring a single-wall kitchen may be your best bet to solve problems of space scarcity.
This kind of kitchen layout, as its name indicates, is constructed with all the kitchen features attached to a single wall. This eliminates the need for excess cabinet space while saving on floor area and the overall construction cost.
This option is not only convenient but efficient too, facilitating work zones that are close to each other - preparation, cooking and cleaning up occurs in a single spot. Productivity will automatically improve also.
Open-shelved kitchens
In most traditional kitchens, there are in-built cabinets lining the walls, so having open shelves may seem a bit odd. Nonetheless, when you think about it (and see it), it creates an illusion that your kitchen is more spacious than it actually is. Shelves are a great way to stock up your things, letting you boast about your assemblage of crockery.
Kitchen island ideas
A kitchen with a central kitchen island is one kitchen design layout that most homeowners dream of owning. Apart from looking splendid, it is versatile, serving as a storage area and a place to make meals ready. Though most western kitchens have a mandated kitchen island, there's a definite space constraint for Singaporeans. But fear not, it can be done! This is how:
• You can fit in an all-purpose island
This can be achieved by positioning your cooktop, sink, as well as storage into the island. You can even put in some bar stools on the side to turn it into a cutting-edge dining space.
• Construct a portable island
You don't necessarily have to have a fitted, voluminous island right in the centre of your kitchen. Instead, a modular island counter, that's a lot like a large portable trolley, works equally effectively. This way, you can pull it out when you need it, and hide it away when you don't.
Image Credit: InnerSpace Design
Galley-styled kitchens
These are the norm in HDB kitchen ideas, Singapore. They are constructed as a narrow layout with parallel kitchen tops. These are compact, yet practical spaces tightly fitted to offer a productive answer to homeowners with space limitations. If this is something you're thinking of, you should be aware of the following:
• Get rid of overhead cabinets
The idea behind a galley kitchen is to make it feel as roomy as you can. This is possible only if cabinets are at a minimum, or better still, aren't there at all. You can have shallow cabinets aligning one side, instead of both, or just have narrow shelves put in.
• Leave the countertop free of clutter
By having built-in amenities, you can save on space. For example, a built-in oven is better than having one on the counter.
• Choose the right colours
Colours can do a lot for enhancing the appeal of your kitchen and cleverly maximising the illusion of space. Cabinets in lower areas should ideally be in darker hues, while upper cabinets may be in lighter shades. This also gives less of an impression that you are compressed in a corridor.
Image Credit: Dots 'N' Tots Interior
L-shaped kitchens
This is another one of the most popular HDB kitchen design ideas. The functionality of any kitchen can be optimised at the planning stage if you pay heed to the "working triangle" model. This emphasises a logical sequence of work among three of the most relevant features of any kitchen - the sink, the stove, and the refrigerator. The L-shaped design layout is just that - a kitchen outlined like the letter "L," with one wall perpendicular and joined to another. This is a user-friendly plan with many benefits:
More storage access
A segregated cooking surface and sink area
An overall boost of efficiency in a limited workspace
Image Credit: InnerSpace Design
U-shaped kitchen layout
U-shaped kitchen design is a layout with three walls aligned with kitchen cabinets/appliances/counters, and an open area that gives access to the kitchen. How is this beneficial and efficient?
Its contemporary design, freeing up floor space, lets you move easily between your stove, sink and refrigerator.
It is user-friendly as it offers abundant cooking space and makes your appliances comfortably available.
Image Credit: Design Story
How to design your HDB Kitchen
To be fair, there are several ways and means by which you can alter your existing kitchen or construct a new one, depending on what is best suited to your needs. With a range of kitchen design ideas in Singapore, you can have any kitchen you want, even with space constraints. You don't have to be tied down in your outlook because you think you have to stick to a conventional plan. Explore how we can work with you to give your HDB apartment's kitchen a facelift.
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Request for a quote here, with no strings attached, and get the best interior designers who can bring to fruition your kitchen ideas.