The Austrian hardware manufacturer Blum has been examining how people use their kitchens since 1997, starting with a study of 200 households in which two-thirds of respondents said they needed more storage space. A later study of 681 kitchens in 33 countries revealed even more insights.
What has emerged over 30 years is a complex picture of a highly intensive space in which we undertake more than 80 tasks a day between five different zones. Of these tasks, 40 are done while crouching down, and 30 are done while bending over. If you’ve ever wondered why your existing kitchen feels hard to cook in, it’s probably because its very design is amplifying, rather than simplifying, those complexities.
The answer? Workflow. As Blum’s research has shown, it’s useful to think of kitchens in five key zones – consumables, non-consumables, preparation, cooking and clean-up – and to arrange the space in the most logical way possible, with ergonomic solutions that make each task straightforward.
This will change between different kitchens – especially if you’re renovating an existing space – but regardless, workflow can make an enormous difference to a kitchen’s efficiency. Inefficient workflow in one L-shaped kitchen has been shown to increase the distance travelled from 210 metres to 264 metres per day. Over the lifetime of a kitchen, that’s a remarkable difference.
Secret Storage
Modern living spaces are more open, and more multi-functional than ever. Activities that once required separate spaces now take place in the same room. Layouts are increasingly dynamic, blurring the lines between kitchen, dining, living and working. Partly, it’s about being more efficient with space, but it’s also about how we want to live now. When was the last time someone sat on your couch when they came to visit?
Logically, this way of living demands cabinetry that can house everything from laundries to coffee stations and bars, with space to hide things when they’re not in use. Here, Blum’s new Revego pocket system opens up opportunities for creating multi-functional space.
Revego has fully integrated technology that allows you to open up areas as needed, and conceal them again when they’re not being used. Full overlay fronts disappear into a dedicated narrow pocket with a light touch. Double and single-door options, and standardised pocket widths, make for a flexible, intuitive solution.
Finishing Touches
The final piece of the puzzle is testing the design. For this, Blum has developed an innovative approach with its Kitchen Test Drive. Presenting you with a 1:1 scale mock-up of your proposed design, Blum allows you to think through hundreds of small nuances. Does the space work the way you thought it would? Is the space used efficiently? Is the storage ergonomic and useable? Do you have the right amount of storage? Will doors and drawers collide if opened at the same time? All this and more will be revealed.
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Blum's range of hardware and solutions can make or break a kitchen. Here are some of our favourites.
Space Tower
Tall cupboards have their benefits, allowing you to maximise the use of vertical space. Add drawers, and you have what comes close to the perfect pantry solution: Space Tower. This unit uses fully extendable drawers instead of shelves, with access from three sides. High load-bearing capacity and optional dividing systems optimise storage and accessibility. Add Blum’s Legrabox drawer runners to increase storage capacity.
Sink drawer
Blum’s Sink Drawer is a U-shaped pull-out that makes use of the space around and under the sink – ideal for storing sponges, washing-up liquid and tablets. At lower levels, it wraps around the U-bend and provides space for waste bins and cleaning products. Blum’s organising baffles, Ambia-Line and Orga-Line, keep things in order.
Space Twin
Space Twin is a cabinet application with diagonally offset runners designed to free up space in a narrow cupboard that would usually be taken up by hardware.
Space Step
And finally, Space Step is an integrated step that makes use of a previously hollow space under the cabinets in the plinth – a space traditionally hidden by a toe-kick. Blum’s slide-out step allows you to access higher cabinets with ease, enabling cabinetry to run to the ceiling. (It also provides a welcome boost for younger members of the family.) As an added bonus, drawers create extra storage in the plinth of base units.
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