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When space is an issue, consider a pull-out ledge to offer plenty of workspace for a little bit of space. Teen girls can enjoy a dedicated area to do their homework and simply slide it away when it’s time to play.WE’D LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU…What does your home workspace look like? Do you have the luxury of a dedicated home office or have you found a stylish small-space solution? Send in your photos in the comments section below.MORE IDEABOOKSHow to Declutter Your Office SpaceHome Offices That Fast-track Your Success8 Big Space-Saving Ideas for Small Home OfficesHow to Stake Out Your Home Office Territory
A more custom solution, this sleek study nook has bags of style. Sing loud and proud about the extra room you’ve created at home. A dark band around the entrance defines the office zone, providing a visual cue for the work to begin. With your home office on display, choose to tuck your storage into the riser to keep any clutter out of sight.
Charging stationPerhaps the most vital area to install powerpoints is in the home office. Lamps, computers, printers, iPads and phones all need juice to keep your business running smoothly, so over-order on the sockets for this room. TIP: Most sockets are hidden down low so no-one can see them. However, in the study, this is not necessarily the most useful place for them. If you install them just above desk height, it is much easier to plug and unplug portable devices, like laptops and tablets.More: 10 Ideas for Keeping Your Tech Organised
9. What and where will larger items be stored? It’s a misconception that the walk-in pantry will only hold grocery items. Many appliances and cookware dishes and pans are kept in the pantry instead of a kitchen drawer or cabinet, mostly because it’s easier to access them. To accommodate these bulky items, create some large but uniformed pigeonholes.TELL USAre you planning a pantry? Or hope to update one? Please share your ideas in the Comments section.MOREStylish Storage: 10 Steps to Planning the Perfect Kitchen Pantry10 Ways to Take Control of Your Kitchen PantryThe Step-by-Step Plan to an Organised Kitchen Pantry
The height of your island can also be designed in two levels, with the working area set at a comfortable height for standing prep work and the dining area lower or higher to accommodate chairs or bar stools, depending on your preference.If you would like to incorporate table-height dining into your island, make the table 750 millimetres high. Regular dining chairs will then be suitable for use.Don’t forget to take the thickness of your benchtop into account when specifying the height of your kitchen island. Benchtop materials vary from stainless steel, which is only a few millimetres thick, to average-thickness laminate at around 33 millimetres, all the way up to 40-millimetre-thick granite benchtops. If you have chosen varying benchtop materials in different areas of your kitchen, keep in mind that the difference in thickness between the materials should be kept to a maximum of 3 millimetres. Try to keep surface levels within 2 millimetres of each other, unless you are drastically changing heights, for example with the addition of a dining-table-height bench.
Microwave cabinetThe microwave is a kitchen appliance that many of us can not live without. One of the things that my clients constantly complain about in their existing kitchen is having their microwave on the benchtop, taking up valuable bench space. Housing your microwave in an overhead cupboard isn’t always an option, depending on the layout and design of your kitchen. A great solution is to incorporate a microwave cabinet under your bench, maybe in your island. This will free up valuable bench space and also means that the microwave is at a height that all your family can easily use, including your children as they get older.
Pop-up power pointHaving an island bench is great in any kitchen. It creates a central hub for people to gather around and it also creates a big empty work space for you. Pop-up power points are an excellent way to incorporate power in your island. They sit flush with your benchtop when you are not using them and easily pop up out of the bench when you want to plug something in. They are available with varying amounts of power points, and some are even available with USB points, so you can plug your iPad in to read your recipes when you are cooking.Incorporating power points into your island bench is a great way to optimise the functionality of your island. This will allow you to plug in items such as mixers and blenders at your island, making for a more practical workspace.
Internal drawersHaving lots of pantry space is very important for most families – the more space, the better. But usually the bigger the pantry, the more stuff you will put in it.Accessing items on deep pantry shelves can be tricky, and can sometimes mean that you forget about food items you have bought – resulting in lots of throwaway from expired use-by dates. One of the best solutions for creating a more user-friendly pantry is using internal pull-out drawers instead of shelves. By using pull-out drawers, you can easily access items stored at the very back, and it saves you from bending down and trying to reach into an awkward space.Look for drawer runners that have a high weight carrying capacity so you can really load them up without having to worry about them breaking.
Whatever your preference, a single-wall kitchen is worth considering if you have a small space and are trying to work out the best layout for it. There’s far more to this layout than meets the eye and lots of workable options to make it right for you.TELL USDo you have a single-wall kitchen? If so, how do you make it work well for you? Share your tips and photos in the Comments below.MOREHow to Make the Most of Your L-Shaped KitchenHow to Make Your Galley Kitchen Work Better for YouKitchen Evolution: Work Zones Replace the Triangle
A hidden place for chargingSpeaking of counter clutter, personal devices are the worst. And they’re full of germs – not a good mix with surfaces where you prepare food. Charging drawers keep them tucked away, safe from spills and ready for playing podcasts and looking up recipes while you’re working in the kitchen. Now I can’t stop thinking about those germs. Stash a packet of cleaning wipes in here too.
13. Bins and recyclingToday we are much more inclined to consider ways in which we can sort our rubbish, recycle where needed, and compost what we can. The excellent set-up pictured here has a top drawer for fresh off-cuts which can be composted. There’s also a removable tray to make it easy to empty the drawer as it becomes full. Below are two separate bins – one for recycling and the other for general rubbish.
12. Fruit and vegetablesIt’s often hard to know what to do with fruit and vegetables which are not stored in the fridge. They can go in the pantry, of course, but can look messy or be hard to contain. This example features a purpose-built unit inside a drawer, which segments the items used. It also incorporates a mesh insert at the front of the drawer to keep air flowing throughout and will maintain the produce stored inside for longer.
9. CutleryKeeping track of more than just knives and forks, a well-organised drawer system also includes space to sort and organise utensils and cutlery for serving. Look for a system that’s flexible and can be tailored to suit your individual items. The cutlery trays should be fairly narrow so items can easily be found. A set-up such as the one pictured, with one larger drawer and an inner drawer, allows you to keep everyday cutlery at the top and utensils underneath.
7. UtensilsDrawers don’t always have to utilise a horizontal storage solution. In this example, deep ‘pockets’ have been installed to allow for the upright storage of cooking utensils. This arrangement makes the utensils easy to see and easy to pick up during busy cooking times. Using a number of smaller pockets also allows for similar items to be grouped together, which makes finding the one item you are looking for so much easier.5 Chef-Approved Tools Every Asian Kitchen Needs
5. TraysAny serious baker knows that you need a reasonable amount of trays to ensure you have the right size for the job. Pictured here is a brilliant way of storing trays that not only makes them easy to spot, but stops all that banging and clanking that can happen as a tray is being retrieved. Note, too, that the space remaining above is used for casserole dishes and other baking items to ensure every centimetre is maximised.
Get a kick out of your drawersWho thought of toe-kick drawers? Give that person a medal. Depending on your cabinetry construction, drawers can be retro-fitted in this forgotten space. Keep drawer pulls simple and flat to avoid accidentally kicking them.
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