Ever feel like your kitchen keeps getting smaller and smaller? You’re not alone. While we have been spending more and more time at home the past year, we’ve been using not only our kitchens but other rooms in our homes for more than one use. A prime example are ‘cloffices’ which are closets that have been transformed into offices for folks who work from home. But back to the kitchen! We had a chance to chat with Natalia David, Trend and Design Manager at The Home Depot Canada who provided us with some amazing tips about maximizing the use of the kitchen but also some advice on how to even create a workspace in your kitchen.
See also: Thinking of Selling? Get A Pro’s Advice About Staging Your Kitchen
WanderEater: What are some tips that you have on how people can maximize utility in their kitchen?
Natalia David: People could add extra working surfaces: extended island worktops, moveable working surfaces- bases with casters or hinges that can come out of existing cabinets. Look for flexible and versatile solutions.
Anything that can maximize the space — STORAGE! Shelving, cabinets in their pantries, drawer organizers, pull-out cabinets with extra racking and corner cabinets.
WE: Capitalizing on space has been the name of the game while cooped up during the pandemic. What are some new ways people are using their kitchens?
ND: Kitchens have become family hubs for cooking, working, homeschooling and spending time with the family. It is important to have enough electrical plugs in the kitchen or drawers with charging stations for our smart devices. Task lamps with swing or extendible arms. The kitchen plays a centralized area in the house and functions to multiple needs. Think about hidden plugs, movable or collapsible tables, extendable shelves – in order to “move” around depending on whether it is time for cooking, or working or playing a board game.
WE: What tips can you offer to people on how to create workspaces in their kitchens?
A few ways folks can create kitchen workspaces is by taking use of an extra working surface, focusing on storing items that don’t need to be on the counter, adding charging stations and stands to hold your devices. Plus, the addition of a task lamp always makes any space feel more office-y.
WE: What are the top three things that can be focused on when making kitchen workspaces?
- Working surface
- Storage
- Lighting
