Earthy Minimalist Kitchen with Open Shelves & Maximised Storage

5357

Japandi
HDB (Resale)
~700 sqft
2 br
Solo Living

Hello everyone! Welcome to the favorite part of my home, the kitchen! It's my pièce de résistance and where I spend countless hours cooking up dishes I learned from my mom! This kitchen was such a labor of love (with literal blood, sweat, and tears) to plan and build, together with my interior designers turned friends, Ally and Leo from @blueprint.design__. Originally, the kitchen was built in an L-shaped design but I decided to tear everything down and opt for a galley kitchen style instead. This was intentional as I wanted the feeling of openness all the way from the living room to my kitchen, with a clear line of sight, out towards the kitchen windows.
This is where all the cooking magic happens! Choosing an induction stove over a gas stove was a practical decision. Since I live in an older estate, there wasn't a direct gas line in my home. If I had insisted on a gas stove, I would have had to sacrifice storage space below it to place a gas tank and that's a big no-no to me!
As you can see here, I wanted to achieve an uncluttered look across all my cabinetry and counter-top spaces. This was important to me should I have guests over, as I wanted my kitchen to serve as an additional functional space for my guests to gather around. (I don't have a big house!) Ooo.. and did you notice the curved corners?
Among the many countertop options available, I chose KompacPlus for its non-porous and durable qualities. I also loved its warm, wood-like appearance without the high maintenance of butcher block counter-tops. KompacPlus offers a wide range of wood design options to choose from!
Here is the space I saved by not opting for a gas stove, to put all my other appliances and cooking paraphenelia! Originally, I wanted a built-in oven, but I fell in love with this Hitachi multi-functional oven that steams, grills, bakes, and fries! This also makes it much easier to replace in the future, compared to a built-in oven. Also, given my limited space, it was important to prioritise appliances with multiple functions. This way, I could reduce the number of appliances I needed in my kitchen and save on precious storage space.
I had two specific requirements for my kitchen fridge: a two-door design and a water/ice dispenser. Previously living in a house with a big family as well as a rental apartment with housemates, we always struggled with limited storage space in the fridge and insufficient ice. Owning a fridge with these features became a childhood dream of mine. While many homeowners opt for separate hot/cold water dispensers, I remained committed to my dream of having one integrated into my fridge. Haha!
Beyond the cooking zone is where my pantry and cleaning supplies are located. Quick Tip: To avoid snacking too much, store less healthy snacks in hard-to-reach areas. In my case, I stored them above my fridge. I also love how my kitchen cleanly connects to my service yard. I'll share more details about this space in a future post when I take you on my service yard tour!
Okay... maybe just a peek. =P
On the other side of my kitchen is my prep area. I love that KompacPlus offers sink covers that blend with their counter-tops. This is especially useful when I have guests over and want to set up a buffet. The surface provides plenty of space for the spread!
Viola! This is how it looks when you need to use the sink.
There are two main camps of people when it comes to open shelving, and I'm definitely a fan! Open shelving is a great way to display my alcohol, art and crockery collection, and have it easily accessible without opening and closing cabinet doors. The curved corners continues for the shelves too! Some people might wonder about cleaning. I usually keep my windows closed which minimise dust buildup, and I have a helper that wipes down the shelves every two weeks. So, it's not a problem for me.
My lower cabinet storage is pretty standard, but I found a clever hack online which I thought was pretty cool. You can actually use spring rods from Daiso to create additional shelving, just like this! Isn't that a great way to maximise space?
Here's another hack I learnt online: When planning your kitchen storage, bring your ideal cutlery tray to your IDs. They can measure the drawer to ensure it fits perfectly, just like mine does here!
Most people store cleaning supplies under the sink, but reaching all the way to the back can be a hassle. I love this IKEA solution: a slide-out drawer for bins that you can throw your food disposal with ease. I also bought it ahead of time and had my IDs incorporate it into the design.
Most appliances, like washing machines and dishwashers, tend to stick out when placed under countertops. I specifically asked my IDs to build my counters deeper so I could fit them perfectly like this. This also gave me more counter-top space overall! Of course, deciding on which dishwasher and washing machine you want during your kitchen planning is essential to achieve this look as it provides the right measurements for your IDs to plan ahead.
Over here, we have technically reached my 'service yard' area, but I just want to say that I love how it blends seamlessly with my kitchen! Also, I had mentioned in my previous living room post that I love terrazzo patterns. For the kitchen, I chose to use it as my backsplash with 60cm by 60cm tile blocks. Doesn't it adds a playful touch to the otherwise minimalist design? This concludes my kitchen tour. If you like what you see or have any questions, please feel free to leave a comment below. I'll be happy to answer them! Until the next part of my house tour, see ya!