Not too long ago, style gurus began to predict the disappearance or demise of the kitchen in homes. This was primarily because of two very different reasons: the rising popularity of communal living and the availability of convenience food combined with people’s penchant for eating out.
But things have changed because of the pandemic. Since the various lockdowns of 2020 until now, the kitchen, once more, became the focus of families and other homeowners. In Sydney, for example, you need only go to a supermarket to get an idea of what people are doing at home: cooking and baking.
Making the most of your kitchen
For people who love their kitchen, pre-COVID until now, the kitchen is a place where anything goes: cooking, eating, lounging, homeschooling, working and more.
It’s the place where you could be discussing your day with other household members or asking the kids about their homework or school. It’s also where you chop, chop, chop away as you chat with your friends over Zoom, FaceTime, Viber, Messenger or whatever app you’re using. These are just some of the ways COVID changed our kitchen habits.
Why the kitchen is important for families
The kitchen is the place where people gather together – something reflected in open-plan designs that turned it into a vital part of the living space.
Then the pandemic happened, and what it has done is to reinforce the importance of kitchens, dispelling early predictions that kitchens would be non-existent or vestigial by 2030.
Today, kitchens are more important than ever because of the following reasons:
- They have greater emotional significance since the pandemic has led to the physical isolation of families, relatives and friends. Don’t you miss those carefree days where everyone hung out in the kitchen before the party started?
- We have nostalgic feelings for the kitchens of our youth, particularly those of our parents’ or grandparents’ homes, as the kitchens of before functioned more like living rooms in the truest sense.
- Kitchens have become flexible and multifunctional – something that began when open-plan kitchens became in vogue and further reinforced by the pandemic.
How’s your kitchen looking? Should you renovate it or just update it?
If you’re looking to make some improvements to your kitchen, you need to remember that renovations can be costly. But if you have the budget, a kitchen renovation can get you the perfect layout if yours isn’t quite right.
But if your kitchen is generally fine and just a bit dated, you can update it fairly easily in the following ways:
- Deep clean it by getting rid of grime, grease, dust, debris and all kinds of dirt caught in forgotten corners and hard-to-reach areas.
- Update countertops and flooring that are already past their use-by dates.
- Repaint cabinets and walls in neutral tones to ‘expand’ the space and make it look good as new.
- Change hardware like door handles and taps to add some verve and sparkle to the area.
- Add a dishwasher (which saves water) to make your kitchen eco-friendlier, or include a kitchen appliance you’ve always wanted.
Of course, when you have the budget for a full-scale renovation, then by all means go ahead. Plan things out carefully, look for new kitchen designs post-COVID and achieve your dream kitchen.
Looking for help selling your home or renting your investment property? Our team at Belle Property Balmain support homeowners across Balmain, Balmain East, Birchgrove, Rozelle and Lilyfield. Feel free to get in touch for a no-obligation discussion or property appraisal.
