There are many factors to consider when designing your new kitchen. From cabinet colours to countertop surface, faucets and handles. Deciding on the perfect material and colour for your countertop is daunting enough as you have to factor cost into budget and whether the value it adds to your home is justified.

Over the past 40 years Joos Joiners, with our collective experience, have found that other less obvious but equally as important factors also need to be considered.

Underestimating and under budgeting for Storage Solutions

Kitchens come with a lot of equipment and accessories. Even a Spartan cook still needs pots & pans ,dishes, mixers, trays, utensils, cups, glasses, Sunday china, small appliances – it is no wonder kitchen storage is at the top of most homeowners lists.

However not all storage is equal and it is essential to identify your individual needs and make sure you come up with smart storage solutions. Joos can guide you through the myriad options of drawer dividers, cutlery sorters, and spice and grocery pullouts. With the right storage solutions even small kitchens and just as easily functional as a large one.

Perfecting your workflow

You can have the perfect colours , cabinets and accessories but if your workflow has not been optimised this can prove detrimental to your kitchens value. Good design allows you to move easily from one work station to another with little or no disruption.

There is nothing more frustrating than drawers the get in each others way, appliances that open the wrong way or an island that makes getting to a sink an epic journey.

Not Enough Lighting

A beautiful kitchen with bad lighting very quickly becomes a very dreary space. Areas where food is prepared needs to be well lit. Consider pendant lighting, under cabinet lighting, and recessed lighting. Having different levels of lighting can add depth to a small kitchen, life to a large kitchen, and make your new features really shine.

The Kitchen Bin

Well, actually, we want to forget the rubbish. We want to pretend it doesn’t exist at all instead of being constantly reminded of its presence with it sitting right there in the open reeking of last night’s snoek braai. So don’t forget the trash just yet! Definitely be sure to include it in your remodelling plans. A great solution is to keep the garbage discreet in a pull-out trash bin hidden behind a cupboard. Even better is to include a compact recycling options available through Joos supplier network.

Choosing Appliances Last

Even though they’ll be one of the last things installed, it’s important to choose your appliances first as your cabinetry and layout will depend on it. Make sure your contractor has the exact measurements of each appliance before even considering measuring for your cabinets.

Not Enough (Or Poorly Placed) Outlets

From coffeemakers to blenders, an appropriate amount of outlets are necessary in the kitchen. You don’t want to have to keep all your small appliances in one corner simply because it’s the only place with an outlet. This is an easy feature to install at the beginning of your project but nearly impossible halfway through your back splash installation. If you don’t like the look outlets on the wall, there are plenty of nifty ways to camouflage or hide them.