March 30, 2023
Would you make the same choices?
Kitchens are undoubtedly the most hardworking room in any home. It sees its fair share of spillages, moisture, and stains, among other things, so it definitely needs the most amount of work to keep it in top condition.
View this project by ChengYi Interior Design
However, the idea of what’s best for your kitchen may differ from homeowner to homeowner. So, we let you tell us what you think via a series of polls in our Telegram channel instead! Here are the results:
With 40% of respondents prioritising countertop space and 24% on efficient storage, it’s clear that homeowners are keen on maximising their kitchen spaces to make room for their appliances and food preparation, among other things.
View this project by 9 Creation
A noteworthy mention also goes to the kitchen’s ease of maintenance, which 17% of respondents voted for. We can relate – after all, who would want to spend ages cleaning up a kitchen when you’d much rather relax and do other things, right? Given the choice, everyone would love to have a low maintenance kitchen!
While an open-concept kitchen makes a house feel extra spacious, it also exposes the rest of the house to cooking fumes – which isn’t ideal, especially for those who cook regularly. It’s thus no surprise that most respondents chose something that’s the best of both worlds: the semi-open concept kitchen.
View this project by Interior Times
Featuring clear, foldable partitions over a counter or half wall, a semi-open concept kitchen gives homeowners the flexibility to open or close up the area as needed, while also maintaining the spaciousness that makes an open-concept kitchen oh-so-appealing.
Choosing the right kitchen layout is crucial for an efficient cooking space – but unlike countries with lower population densities, those of us living in Singapore are often limited in our options. As such, most Singaporeans often go with layouts that maximise their kitchen space.
So, when asked what their preferred kitchen layout is, most respondents predictably voted for space-saving layouts, with majority of the votes going to an L-shaped kitchen layout, followed closely by a galley layout.
A kitchen with an L-shaped layout | View this project by Weiken.com
Suitability for small places aside, they also fit seamlessly into open-concept spaces and encourage free movement around the area. A great choice for a (tiny) home in Singapore, we think!
Despite the number of viable countertop materials out there, quartz has long been a favourite among homeowners. And it seems like this hasn’t changed, as more than half of our respondents voted for quartz as their kitchen countertop material of choice!
A kitchen with a quartz backsplash and matching countertop | View this project by Fifth Avenue Interior
Given the affordable price point, durability, and ease of maintenance, this isn’t news. Plus, it comes in a ton of design options, making it suitable for just about any home regardless of aesthetic choice.
Out of all the kitchen-related polls we ran on Telegram, the one asking homeowners to choose their preferred kitchen cabinet material had the biggest win, with laminates taking a whopping 76% of the votes!
View this project by U-Home Interior Design
Honestly, it’s not hard to see why. Being both heat- and water-resistant, they’re way more durable and affordable than their solid wood counterparts. They also come in a variety – and we really mean, variety – of colours and finishes, making them a solid choice for kitchen cabinets regardless of cooking habits or home aesthetic.
While the previous poll was a landslide win, the results of this one were more evenly split. When asked for their preferred kitchen backsplash material, 34% of respondents’ votes went to tiles, followed closely by tempered glass at 30% of the total votes.
Both materials are good choices for the kitchen, as they’re cost-efficient, durable and heat-resistant. Ultimately, the choice comes down to aesthetic preferences as well as ease of cleaning.
A kitchen with a tempered glass backsplash | View this project by Concrid Interior
Prefer to have more designs to choose from? Go with tiles. Want something that’s a little easier to clean? Then tempered glass’s your way to go.
In what is yet another landslide win, tiles are by far the most popular choice for kitchen flooring, garnering more than 4x the votes that the runner-up (vinyl) secured!
As it’s both durable and easy to maintain, it’s the perfect choice for a hot and moisture-rich environment like your kitchen. Similar to using tiles for your backsplash, the only thing you’ll need to pay attention to are the grout lines, as they’ll need regular cleaning to prevent mould growth.
Ah, the modern-day dilemma: choosing between a gas stove and induction hob. But even with induction hobs being safer and easier to clean, many of our respondents still prefer a gas stove.
One interesting observation from the results, however, is that most of the respondents who advocate for induction hobs choose that due to its ease of cleanliness, and not so much the safety issue.
View this project by Grain Interior
On the other hand, the reasons for choosing the gas stove are fairly equal, with just a small margin prioritising food taste (more specifically, the ability to achieve wok hei) over compatibility with cookware such as ceramic pots and rounded pans.
Looking at the responses to all the polls, it seems that homeowners in Singapore tend to put practicality above all else when they’re renovating their kitchens.
Perhaps it’s the generally-small kitchen sizes in Singapore, or the fact that we tend to be busy bees with little time to themselves – but overall, you can expect the average homeowner in Singapore to choose options that either maximise space, minimise maintenance efforts, or both.
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