Remodeling Your One-Wall Kitchen
You may have been looking at your one-walled kitchen and lamenting over the lack of opportunities you have when remodeling your kitchen. The good news is, the one-wall kitchen gives you a unique opportunity to be creative when designing your kitchen.
What is a one-wall kitchen?
By definition, a one-wall kitchen layout has all the essential kitchen needs set up on one wall. All the kitchen’s major components, the range or cooking zone, the sink or prepping and cleaning zone, and the refrigerator or storage zone, are installed in one area.
Benefits of a one-wall kitchen
Space savers
They are compact. The layout is great in apartments, lofts, condos, and small homes. They are great space savers. Yet, with the right mix of cabinets, you can still maximize storage.
Minimal furniture
When you have a larger kitchen, you tend to think that a large dining room table and an overflow seating area are necessary to entertain. With a one-wall kitchen, you see the possibility in a minimalist style. A small island can double as storage and seating. Or a dining table with fold down or insertable leaves can optimize seating when you need it and be stored away when you don’t.
Remodeling costs less
With a smaller footprint, remodeling a one-wall kitchen can be very cost-effective. With all the plumbing and electrical on one wall, you’ll save on labor costs because you won’t need to worry about moving the utilities. You need less of a budget for new kitchen cabinets as you’ll have one set of upper and lower cabinets to buy. You will also have less countertop, flooring, and backsplash materials to purchase.
Perfect workflow
Your prep zone, cooking zone, and cleaning zone are all in one with this kitchen. Giving you a smooth workflow as you prepare and cook food. No need to worry about traffic patterns in this kitchen.
Smarter storage
Without the space to spread out, you can use practical storage solutions to maximize space. Installing tall upper cabinets and a library ladder can give you extra storage. Special cabinet pull-outs in 3, 6, and 9 inches can add a pantry, spice rack, or cookware storage to the smallest of places.
Disadvantages of a one-wall kitchen
The advantages seem pretty overwhelming, less space, less maintenance less cost. Who could ask for more?
Well, one primary disadvantage is that the size is limiting.
You will not be able to have a large party or 20 of your closest friends without utilizing other areas of the house.
One cook in the kitchen
One-wall kitchens tend to get crowded very quickly. It isn’t easy to have multiple people in the kitchen.
Can cost you when you sell
Not every homeowner can see the potential in a one-wall kitchen. They may not value the space-saving and decorating opportunities this type of kitchen allows. A one-wall kitchen can hurt the resale value of the home.
Remodeling your one-wall kitchen can be done with these four design tips.
1) Careful planning of kitchen work zones – The arrangement of the work zones in a one-wall kitchen is interchangeable; however, there is a prescribed order that has been proven to increase efficiency. All work zones must be installed in the particular order of the sink, refrigerator, and range.
2) Using open shelves in your design – Open shelving can save space and makes the kitchen appear airier. It is the perfect type of storage for a compact one-wall kitchen because it doesn’t feel too cramped.
3) Add a kitchen island – If you have space, you can add a kitchen island to maximize the potential of your one-wall kitchen layout. Whether the island is movable or built-in, this smart design feature is guaranteed to provide more counter space, seating, and add to your work zones.
4) Utilize multipurpose furniture – Multipurpose furniture is a smart solution that can enhance the functionality of a kitchen layout. A simple drop-down table can double as a casual dining area, a food workstation, or a rolling cart counter can add to your food preparation.
A one-wall kitchen doesn’t need to be boring because you lack the space to decorate. You can bring all your creativity to life in this compact space while making it the best functioning kitchen. Talk with our designers today about what you need in your kitchen.