A homeowner’s kitchen really tells a tale of who they are; from a busy, career-driven couple, to a young, growing family, there are always elements that express different lifestyles. So, as appointed by our resident interior designer, Kathleen, here is some advice on the items worth spending a little extra on in your new kitchen to meet your needs and show-off your individual style!
Sink & Tap
This may seem like a strange one to start with, but there is little that will irritate you more than not being able to fit that big pot under your tap and into your sink. Look at the sink and tap options your builder has available and consider whether this will suit your day to day needs; in particular check the depth of your sink and the height of your tap.
Another detail to consider is how your sink is being installed. Most builders allow for an inset sink, which is a great option that many people love, while others prefer an under-mount sink which requires additional work to the bench-top and creates a seamless appearance.
Vogue Homes has a great combination within their standard inclusions; a large double bowl sink and a goose-neck sink mixer so you can save some of your budget for the next point.
Appliances
Whether you are building for live-in or investment purposes, you really can’t go past a quality appliance package.
For investment builds such as a duplex, do a little bit of research into what other new builds or renovations for sale in the area/surrounding suburbs are offering. This will give you a good gauge on what the market expects.
For homeowners, it comes down to your personal preference and what you think is important. For some, the cooking functions are most important, while for others, it’s aesthetics or items that might wow future buyers
A couple of things worth mentioning specifically are the dishwasher and the microwave.
- Always get a good quality dishwasher as it’s often one of the hardest working devices in your home. A good quality dishwasher will clean your dishes more effectively, be more economical to run due to advanced design and most importantly, be more reliable. Also consider the size inside, if you have a large family, you really want to make sure you are going to get more than 3 plates in!
- If you have the room, a built-in microwave goes a long way and means that you don’t have to use up valuable bench-top space! Another option to consider is hiding it in the walk-in-pantry. Make sure you have a power supply to this point if this is your option.
Speak to your builder about what options are available to you. Go in knowing what you’re wanting to achieve for the home and how it adds value for you. Don’t be afraid to spend a little more here, this is one area where it always pays off!
Kitchen Benchtop
Most builders now include 20 mm stone as standard for kitchen benchtops, which is great news! Take advantage of this by upgrading to a higher range of stone for a higher quality experience. With so many patterns, colours and textures now available on the market you can really get creative.
Vogue Homes has partnered with CaesarStone to offer some luxurious bench-tops in their standard range. Consider taking advantage of this and spend your budget on increasing the thickness of the stone, upgrading to a stone splash-back or apply waterfall ends to your island bench.
Don’t forget, your kitchen bench-top is both a functional and aesthetic feature of your home where you’re probably going to spend a lot of time. Definitely something worth splurging on!
Cabinetry
This is where it really pays to know what style you love for your home, as there are so many options available.
In a Hamptons style home, you can’t go past a shaker door and drawer panel throughout. On the other hand, modern homes are seeing a rise in v-groove panelling (vertically-lined panels you may have seen on Pinterest, Instagram or in home magazines lately), while timber-look finishes are a staple in kitchen designs across the board (and will be for a while to come).
Don’t be afraid to experiment with textures and finishes, and trust the guidance of your kitchen manufacturer or colour consultant.
Vogue Homes includes polyurethane cabinetry in all of our homes so you know you’re already off to a great start.
Splashback
Your splash-back can really make or break your entire design. Have a look at your floor plan and assess your options. Does your kitchen back onto your fence where you could plant some leafy greens? If so, you might want to consider having a window as your splash-back! Maybe a coloured-glass splash-back or a feature tile is more suited to your design plan? Alternatively, applying stone to your splashback can create a seamless flow from your bench top and, is surprisingly easy to clean. Pro tip from Kathleen, our interior designer: bin drawers. Honestly, you cannot go past a bin drawer in your cabinetry! Best located next to your sink: you can thank us later 😉
If you have questions about any of these ‘splurgable’ items, or are after some advice on your new home build: we’re here to help! Give us a call on (02) 9607 9554 for a chat.
