6 Common Kitchen Woes and How to Solve Them

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Below, you'll find answers to common kitchen problems!

Your kitchen is regarded as one of the busiest rooms in the house. Aside from cooking, your kitchen can be utilised for food storage, dining, working, socialising with family, or entertaining guests.

Unfortunately, homeowners would often encounter problems, which would hamper its function. Here, we look at some of the most typical kitchen challenges that homeowners face, as well as solutions to help you cook, eat, and entertain in a more pleasant environment!

1. Not enough storage space

Lack of storage space is a prevalent issue in kitchens, affecting not only small but also medium- to large-sized kitchen spaces. Kitchens require ample storage, not just for cutlery, crockery, cookware, and appliances but also to store food and cooking ingredients. When your kitchen lacks sufficient storage, it can lead to clutter, mess, and frustration.

There are several ways to add more storage to your kitchen. Among them is to install cabinets overhead to store extra and infrequently used cookware or appliances. It does not take up floor space, and it is a great way to maximise every square inch of your kitchen.

You can also consider transforming an empty wall into useful storage space by hanging shelves and wall-mounted showcases such as rods, pegs, or hooks to hang objects such as pots, culinary utensils, mugs, or glassware, as shown below.

Another option is to introduce a kitchen trolley or a movable cart as seen below. They can provide valuable extra space without taking up too much room, and they are easy to move around the kitchen. This mobility allows you to reconfigure your kitchen layout as needed or bring the trolley closer to your work area while cooking.

2. Poor lighting

Light is a vital component of every kitchen. It allows you to cook more comfortably and prevents mishaps from occurring while preparing food or cooking where you are exposed to potentially hazardous materials such as sharp kitchen knives or hot stoves.

Ideally, your kitchen should have various types of lighting. Ambient lighting helps to provide overall illumination in the kitchen. Ceiling-mounted fixtures like chandeliers, flush-mount lights, or track lighting can serve as ambient lighting sources.

However, ambient lighting may not be sufficient because it can produce shadows in some areas of your kitchen. This is where task lighting can help. This type of lighting is essential for performing specific tasks in the kitchen, such as chopping vegetables, cooking, or reading recipes. Under-cabinet lighting, pendant lights over the kitchen island or countertop, and recessed lights focused on work areas are excellent choices for task lighting.

Don't forget about natural light! If you own a landed property, maximise natural light through windows or skylights. Installing glass doors or walls can also help brighten your kitchen and reduce the need for artificial lighting during the day.

3. Tight walking space

A lack of walking space around your kitchen can be a challenge, especially if there’s more than one person present in the kitchen at the same time. This can be an issue if there are multiple chores (like setting up the table with plates, cutting the fruits, and cooking) that need to be done.

One solution is to divide your kitchen into functional zones based on common tasks, such as food prep, cooking, baking, and cleaning. Each zone should have the necessary tools and supplies within easy reach. For example, store tableware and dinnerware in cabinets away from your prime cooking area. This ensures you won't need to go in and out of the kitchen when setting up the table, especially if someone is cooking or preparing food in the kitchen.

You should also consider creating a kitchen work triangle where you arrange the stove, sink, and refrigerator in a triangular formation (or within close proximity). This layout minimises unnecessary movement when cooking.

4. Poor ventilation and extraction

Your kitchen produces a lot of smoke, odours, and steam when heavy cooking is in progress. Without an appropriate extraction system installed, unwanted odours and smoke might linger in other parts of the house.

As a solution, ensure that the space is well-ventilated by installing an exhaust hood with high suction power above your cooking area. This can ensure that you get to remove steam and cooking smells faster during cooking. You also need to ensure that it has sufficient power and is correctly sized for your stove. To ensure optimal performance, regularly clean and maintain the exhaust fan and filters.

Alternatively, you can consider constructing a closed and separate wet kitchen to keep odours from spreading to other parts of the house, as illustrated below.

Explore: 8 Different Ways to Incorporate a Wet and Dry Kitchen in Your Home

5. Stained countertops

What's the fastest way to make your kitchen look outdated? Let your countertops show just how much you’ve put them through the ringer.

Now, if you’ve spent quite a bit of money on your kitchen renovation, you might want to try to preserve them as long as possible. Get in the habit of cleaning up stains as soon as spills occur to prevent the stain from becoming permanent. Alternatively, you can consider installing low-maintenance materials like quartz and sintered stone that are not easily stained when exposed to heat or liquid spills.

6. Not enough counter space

Another typical issue that homeowners often face is a shortage of counter space. It can also be one of the most frustrating, as your counter is required for almost every task you will carry out in your kitchen.

If possible, avoid storing your kitchen appliances or tools on the countertop. Keep all kitchen appliances like the mixer, grinder, toaster, and blender in cabinets. These simple kitchen organisation and storage hacks can do wonders for improving your kitchen’s usability.

If space allows, installing a kitchen island can also solve your worktop woes, but speak with your interior designer first to avoid making kitchen design island mistakes that can ruin the flow of your space!

Get professional help to renovate your kitchen

If your kitchen needs more improvement or a complete overhaul, let us help you with your renovation research. Request free quotes here and we will recommend you to up to four interior designers near you.

All recommendations made by Qanvast will be protected under the Qanvast Guarantee scheme which covers 50% of your contract value, up to RM50,000, in the event that the recommended Contracting Service Provider becomes insolvent.

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