Whether you have a traditional family, blended family or multi-generational household, having multiple family members living in the same house places special demands on a kitchen.
Blum offers practical tips for making the most of your available storage space, creating an ergonomic, safe and comfortable area for your family.
Tip 1: Plan functional cabinets for lots of storage space.
As soon as children arrive, the cabinets quickly fill up with additional items such as bottles, baby food and snack boxes. The need for supplies also increases. The most important thing in every family kitchen is planning enough storage space. Cabinets with full extensions help you to access all available space, even into the farthest corner.
Handy pantry unit
The SPACE TOWER can be custom built-in to fit the width, height and depth of your space. The inner pull-outs let you store supplies in a clear and easily accessible manner.
Narrow cabinet solutions
Every gap, no matter how narrow, is valuable real estate. With special narrow cabinets, you can convert even the last inch into usable storage space. A narrow cabinet like the SPACE TWIN is deal for bottles and chopping boards or baking utensils.
Lift systems for wall cabinets
With wall cabinets, you can make the best possible use of the space with spacious wall cabinets that utilise lift system fronts. The wall cabinet front moves out of the way and you don’t run the risk of hitting your head if, for example, you are momentarily distracted by a family member or two people are cooking at the same time.
Tip 2: Design workflows with lots of freedom and ergonomics
Avoid hurdles in everyday kitchen use — especially when things are chaotic or you need to get food on the table quickly. Your workflow should run smoothly. Keep these basic rules in mind when planning your family kitchen:
• Adequate freedom of movement. Where cabinets run parallel, a distance of approximately 1.2m between the front and rear bench is ideal, especially if several people are in the kitchen at the same time.
• Consider your five work zones: consumables, non–consumables, cleaning, preparation and cooking. Grouping these areas together will create a better workflow and be more convenient.
• Using full-extension drawers minimises the need for bending or stooping over to access hard to-reach items. Including interior organisation will also provide better and faster access to those items.
• Optimal storage requirements should be considered based on shopping habits and size of your household.
• Enhance user convenience with motion technology such as TIP-ON, TIP-ON BLUMOTION or SERVO-DRIVE products.
Tip 3: Safety can be built in
There are many dangers lurking in a kitchen, especially for small children. Child safety should be considered during kitchen planning. Instead of sharp-edged handles that children could bump into or get caught on, handle-less furniture or recessed grips are recommended. Handle-less kitchen furniture can easily be opened and closed with an electrical opening support system just by lightly touching it. As an added bonus, fit a switch so that drawers can be turned off if necessary and remain firmly closed. For electrical cooking appliances, we recommend an induction stove with controls that can be locked. Also, a wall oven protects your back and prevents curious little noses from getting too close to the oven door. Most importantly, cleaning products should generally be kept out of reach in family households.
Tip 4 : Ensure a long service life
On average, kitchens are used daily for up to 20 years. During this time, a kitchen has to withstand a lot of stress brought on by the chaos of everyday family life. Robust, durable materials help to keep the heart of your home looking appealing and attractive for many years. Good quality is crucial for functionality and convenience when it comes to interior fittings. Blum’s furniture fittings are designed for 200,000 opening and closing cycles. Find out from your local cabinet maker or designer how Blum can be specified into your kitchen designs and improve your quality of living.
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