Choosing your kitchen: Essential tips for a functional space

If you had a few months to plan the next 15 years of your life, a period where everything remains the same without change, it's reasonable to assume you'd "design" yourselves in the best, most comfortable, and quality way until the next change. Our home is, in a sense, a part of us; certain spaces in a house bring the family together. Such is precisely the kitchen. A space that brings our experiences closer; through food, we laugh, love, hurt, and experience together. An Israeli family changes the kitchen on average every 8-15 years, a person changes kitchens 3-4 times in their lifetime. Just before choosing a new kitchen, a new database of experiences, what's important?

If you ask Asher Shayo, a home designer and Nano Kitchens owner, he'll answer: "It's most important to understand the kitchen's needs, what functions are essential, and how frequently it will be used - whether cooking a lot/little/regular hosting, etc. The budget pan is no less important; it's the basis to define and manage within the budget framework, because the sky's the limit."

Now, start scanning the market. The existing selection is broad and diverse. It's important to stick to what matters and decide on the design accordingly. Are many storage spaces important? Workspace? How important is the cooking and preparation function? Do I want a large, spacious kitchen for convenience or for the posh? The customer knows his kitchen habits and consequently needs to make decisions to design a kitchen tailored to his needs.

Be consistent. What serves you, answers your needs, and will make kitchen activities easier. Since there are plenty of models, materials, colors, and designs, it's important not to scatter, to be consistent, focus, and fulfill the dream.

"We'll continue with kitchen equipment," says Shayo. "Electric appliances have become an integral part of the kitchen. Thanks to advanced technology and the aspiration for efficiency and convenience, their presence in the kitchen has grown over the years. Therefore, when designing the kitchen, attention should be paid to their integration and to emit a similar appearance to the desired kitchen style, taking into account their dimensions and location. Technological advancement is also reflected in materials. The market has become an inexhaustible source of options."

The family is a significant part of kitchen design. The differences between an older family and a young family are mainly reflected in comfort; young children require changes in kitchen safety. For example, pull-out units, shelves at a uniform and not high height, locked safety cabinet, work surfaces with a sitting corner, convenient locations for useful electrical products like a microwave, large handles, and more.

"In the past, little importance was attributed to spatial design, especially not in a kitchen that was a closed and isolated space, the investment was in the food itself and not in the surrounding technology. Nowadays, the design has changed, people want everyone to see what's happening in their kitchen. Gastronomy and media have merged and entered the home space. Today, we want to be excellent chefs and show everyone our designed kitchen. Don't fall for trends. Choose a kitchen that will serve you for many years. Think ahead. A trend that is relevant today, in another year or two, will no longer be," he concludes.