A well-designed office kitchen is a must-have in every office. Its presence is extremely useful from the perspective of employee satisfaction and integration. In order for it to properly fulfill its function, you need to put some effort into its equipment. How to design an office kitchen so that spending time in it is a pleasure for employees?
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Designing a kitchen that is functional and convenient for all employees in an office is not an easy task. Especially in larger facilities. In them, it is worth considering having a separate kitchen room on each floor.
Maintain proper workflow in the office kitchen
Regardless of whether you are designing a home or office kitchen, one of the most important issues is maintaining the so-called workflow, also known as the technological flow. This is the basis of functionality in any room of this type. This principle assumes that all equipment and countertops should be arranged in such a way as to imitate the order in which meals are prepared.
How does it look in practice? The technological chain begins with the food storage zone, i.e. the fridge and cabinets for dry products. Then we move to the worktop, where the food preparation zone is located. In it, we cut the vegetables and fruits we need, or prepare food for further processing. The kitchen furniture in this part must contain all the cutlery and other useful kitchen accessories . Then, on the countertop, there should be various cooking support equipment.
Next comes the cooking zone. This should include an oven, stove, and microwave. Pots, pans, and other cooking utensils should be placed in the cabinets in this area. Plates and bowls for eating meals will also come in handy. The last of the zones to consider when creating an office kitchen design is the washing-up zone with a sink. With a higher budget for equipping the kitchen space, you can also try to place a dishwasher there.
In offices, due to limited space, these rooms also function as dining rooms. To maintain full functionality, when designing a kitchen, remember that the table and chairs should not block access to cabinets or appliances. In such a case, the entire benefit of introducing a technological line during kitchen design would be wasted.
In order for the workflow to function properly, you need to take care of more than just the equipment. Issues such as the way doors are installed are also important. The best choice will be doors that open from both sides. They will allow for easy entry and exit from the room when someone is preparing their lunch or second breakfast.
The functionality of all kitchen appliances is also important. Kitchen faucets should be movable, which will make the sink more useful. You can't forget to install a hood over the stove, which will facilitate the removal of steam and fat during cooking. In addition, it is worth investing in a spacious refrigerator that will accommodate meals for all employees.
How to properly design hanging cabinets above the countertop?
Upper kitchen cabinets are pieces of furniture that help a lot in designing a kitchen. They allow you to use all the space available in the room. When including hanging cabinets in your kitchen design, you need to remember to leave enough space between the countertop and the bottom of the furniture.
If the hanging cabinets are hung too low, using the worktop will be very inconvenient. They cannot be placed too high either. Then the furniture would become useless for shorter employees who would have trouble reaching the necessary dish or product.
Of course, when designing hanging cabinets, you need to remember about the stylistic coherence of the room. The fronts of these pieces of furniture should match the cabinets mounted under the worktops. In this way, the kitchen will be coherent and attractive to the eye.
How to design the right lighting in the kitchen for the office?
A very important element when planning a kitchen is kitchen lighting . The basis will be the main source mounted centrally. It will illuminate the dining area, partially all zones and make it easier to find the necessary things in the cabinets.
Another important element is additional lights under the hanging cabinets. Thanks to this, the entire space used for preparing meals will be well lit. This will significantly facilitate cooking and make the time employees spend in the kitchen more pleasant.
Good lighting is extremely important for the functionality of the kitchen. Especially if it is a room without access to natural light. In such a situation, the entire kitchen space should be evenly lit to allow comfortable use of countertops, stove, oven, refrigerator and other equipment.
The right height for kitchen cabinets and office worktops
Adjusting the height of the countertop is crucial to the functionality of the room. Employees will appreciate not having to bend down excessively when preparing their meals. That is why kitchens should install slightly higher countertops, which are more versatile. Shorter people will still be able to use them comfortably, and taller employees will save their backs.
In the case of kitchen worktops, it is not only their height that is important, but also the material they are made of. Wood is a common choice. Worktops made of it are quite easy to maintain, but this applies to home use. In the office, they are used much more intensively. Therefore, it is worth choosing more solid materials, such as composite or conglomerate.
The height of the kitchen cabinet and countertop is also important for a modern kitchen sink . It must have enough space underneath it to be connected to the water and sewage system. If the cabinets are too low, you need to choose fairly shallow sinks . In such a situation, a strong kitchen tap can cause water to end up everywhere around the sink.
Kitchen cabinets should also be equipped with capacious drawers. They are not mandatory for every piece of furniture. However, they are useful because they are best for storing cutlery and accessories.
How to plan the number and installation locations of electrical sockets in the office kitchen?
Kitchen design also includes proper planning of the number and locations of electrical sockets. Office spaces of this type use many devices that require access to electricity. Therefore, proper planning of connections is extremely important. The supply zone does not require too many inputs. In it, only the refrigerator needs electricity. Therefore, one well-placed connection, preferably behind it, is enough.
Kitchen equipment that requires electricity is most often located in the food preparation area. This is where the microwave, food processor, coffee maker, or electric kettle operate. For this reason, it is worth installing several easily accessible connectors there. An interesting solution may be countertop sockets, mounted in the countertop, which can be hidden when not in use. Classic wall inputs will work just as well. These should be protected using the Group 501020000 Electrical Socket Element . This is an aesthetic housing, the design of which will fit into any office space.
Several sockets will also be useful in the dining area. In a modern kitchen, employees should have free access to electricity, so that they can, for example, connect their smartphones to charge during a meal. This is possible thanks to the Element Group electrical socket with a USB connection 501030000. It has two standard 230V inputs, as well as two USB ports with a power of 2A each, thanks to which you can quickly charge mobile devices such as smartphones, tablets or power banks.
Kitchens are where most employees spend their breaks, so making sure they are functional is very important. Many people appreciate having access to a stove, microwave, or coffee machine in their workplace. By creating your dream office kitchen, you gain the goodwill of your employees and their willingness to work efficiently.