The Modern Kitchen Design
The modern kitchen in some aspects differs a lot from the kitchen of yesteryear, but in some respects harks back to even earlier kitchens, when instead of a small, cold dark hole it was the heart of the home, where the family congregated around the hearth.
Everybody is au fait with the classic work triangle between the hob, fridge and sink, but in luxury homes the kitchen has progressed very far beyond this.
The Vastu Shastra guides in middle-age India ruled that the kitchen should be situated in the south-east corner of the home, so the housewife will be exposed to some sunlight. As it is in the northern hemisphere this makes a lot of sense, as it would not only get the morning sun all year round but also the winter sun and be cool in the afternoon when the wife would be cooking the evening meal.
Here in the southern hemisphere, we place the kitchen on the northeast corner for very much the same reason: It exposes the kitchen to the cheerful morning sun, making it a pleasure to have breakfast there, while it is cool and tranquil in the afternoon.
Kitchen at House Boz, Mooikloof Heights.
Here the kitchen is placed on the north-east corner directly adjacent to the family room, dining room, lanai, and pool. Steel, glass, and concrete architecture by Nico van der Meulen Architects.
Interior design, kitchen layout, and furniture by M Square.
House Boz.
You can literally feed people in the pool directly from the kitchen.
The modern kitchen is usually open plan, except maybe in very formal homes, where the family room may still be open plan to the kitchen, but the dining room and formal lounge are placed apart.
In the event that a more formal dining area is sometimes required we have used sliding pocket doors that can be closed to create a more formal atmosphere.
The kitchen flows onto the lanai, while the pool spills over into a kiddies’ pool. Steel, glass, and concrete architecture by Nico van der Meulen Architects.
Mooikloof Heights kitchen.
The kitchen and breakfast room are situated next to the pool and lanai on the north-east corner.
Steel, glass, and concrete architecture by Nico van der Meulen Architects.
Interior design by M Square Lifestyle Design, kitchen, and furniture by M Square Lifestyle Necessities.
Forrest Road house, Inanda.
The bronze glass doors at the right rear of the photo can be closed to cut off the kitchen.
Often clients require a separate informal breakfast area.
This breakfast area is placed in the north-east corner.
Steel, glass, and concrete architecture by Nico van der Meulen Architects.
Interior design by M Square Lifestyle Design.
Furniture and kitchen by M Square Lifestyle Necessities.
Victoria House, Waterfall Estate.
The kitchen in Victoria House overlooks the indoor pool and flows directly onto the lanai through massive double-glazed sliding doors that disappear into the wall.
Steel, glass, and concrete architecture by Nico van der Meulen Architects.
Interior design by M Square Interior design, kitchen, and furniture by M Square Lifestyle Necessities.
House Blair Atholl,
Here the kitchen joins the double-volume dining room and family room to the west and the lanai and pool to the north. The breakfast area is situated on the east side and flows onto a deck and herb garden. The kitchen overlooks the lanai, family/ dining room, pool, and garden to the north and east. A Syam barbeque, wine fridge, ice machine, bar, and television make this a self-contained entertainment hub.
Steel, glass, and concrete architecture by Nico van der Meulen Architects.
Interior design by M Square Lifestyle Design, furniture by M Square Lifestyle Necessities.
We usually design a scullery and pantry as part of the kitchen area and try to connect the garages to this. The scullery is usually equipped with a second gas hob and sink. The pantry is fitted with floor-standing kitchen cabinets to allow the small appliance to be kept there to avoid cluttering the open-plan kitchen. The laundry can be part of the scullery or a separate room.
Often clients request a walk-in fridge and freezer, which results in careful placing of the rooms to avoid several doors leading from the kitchen.
Good ventilation is very important in a kitchen and many of the kitchens designed by us feature large sliding doors either to the garden or the lanai, as well as east-facing windows.
In the event, the clients want a formal dining room we often design a butler’s pantry between the kitchen or scullery as a link to the formal dining room. This acts as a serving space and crockery /cutlery store while also reducing noise and smells from the kitchen area.
In many of the houses, we design we also allow for some form of a wine cellar in the vicinity of the dining room. Wine connoisseurs do not recommend keeping wine in the kitchen, because temperature variations and even vibrations negatively impact wine.
It is also important to consider a kitchen yard, to keep rubbish bins, wash lines, and gas bottles. It also often serves as a hiding area for air conditioner units and heat pumps.
