I’m architect, listed here are 5 issues I might by no means put in my kitchen

An architect has revealed the five design elements that could ruin the flow of your kitchen and one of them has sparked a heated debate.

Georgina Wilson, an award winning architect from Sydney, shared the design blunders that she would never be caught dead making in her own kitchen.

Walk in pantries, serveries and downdraft rangehoods are a few of the features that make the space inefficient and less pleasant to work in according to the expert.

1. Never install a walk in pantry

The architect said that walk in pantries, usually a must have in high end kitchens and an object of envy for many, actually decrease the area available for storing items. 

‘Never do a walk in pantry, you get more storage from not having one,’ she said in a video.

She explained that kitchen spaces that run efficiently do so because they share circulation with the existing space well and that a walk in can disrupt that flow. 

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Georgina Wilson, an architect from Sydney with 20 years of experience, said that no matter how popular walk in pantries and serveries are, she thinks they’re a bad idea design wise

2. Never put a sink or a cook top on an island bench

The Australian designer said that she wanted to scream the next tip out louder for ‘the people in the back’, advising them to never install a sink or cooker on an island.

‘It’s a fantastic uninterrupted prep area and you don’t want to be splashing guests or kids with water or cooking oil,’ she said.

3. Always remember the rule of 900

Making sure benches and islands are not too far or close together is a key element in a kitchen that is pleasant to use, and Georgina said that 900 is the magic number.  

Sinks and cooktops in island benches are also potentially dangerous and messy according to the design expert who said that water and hot oil often splashes around the rest of the area

‘The absolute minimum distance between your island and anything is 900mm,’ she said. 

4. Never install a servery or pass through window 

The architect also warned people against having a servery or pass through window in their kitchen that opens up to an outdoor space. 

‘Don’t let the magazine photos of cute kids eating ice blocks out of servery windows confuse you, these are a terrible idea,’ she said. 

5.  Never install a downdraft rangehood

Rangehoods with downdraft ventilation are usually a popular option as they save a lot of space, but Georgina thinks that they aren’t nearly as effective for one reason.

‘Just remember, hot air rises,’ she said. 

While a few agreed with Georgina wholeheartedly, many Aussies came to the defence of their walk in pantries, and said they were the best part of their kitchen. 

‘I love mine, I would never change it for the world,’ one said.

‘A walk in pantry is my dream,’ is another added. 

Others agreed with the architect and said the built in feature was a waste of square footage unless you were working with a huge kitchen floorspace. 

Many said that a sink or a cooktop on an island is ‘frightful’, but others who had them insisted they worked well and allowed you to be social while you cook.  

Another said that they wouldn’t trade their servery window in for anything. 

‘It is so handy to pass things out to the party. And my partner can be cooking outside while I’m busy inside and we can still work together, it’s the best,’ she said. 

One Aussie suggested that rather than debate the virtues of the kitchen features, people should suit themselves.

‘Just do what you want in your space, these rules are opinions only,’ he said.