In response to COVID-19, many Australians are dining out less, traveling less frequently, shopping online more, shopping at stores less and spending heaps more time at home.
We’re now consuming more of our snacks and meals at home. Anyone whose kitchen is less than ideal is now confronted by its flaws or inconvenient aspects much more frequently than ever before.
Happily, the federal government recently offered grants to encourage home renovation projects.
Taken together, these lifestyle trends have resulted in a recent upward spike in home improvement projects. In particular, many Australians are making updates to their kitchens.
What changes are being made in the kitchen? The following are 4 currently popular upgrades to consider:
1. Appliances With Santising Cycles
Cleanliness was always an important aspect of cooking at home. In the wake of COVID-19, keeping things tidy and sanitary is now an urgent consideration. This has prompted an increase in interest in appliances that feature a sanitise cycle. Some dishwashers, washers and dryers offer this helpful feature.
2. A Practical, Durable Kitchen Sink
The sink is a central part of your cleaning efforts in the kitchen; therefore it’s crucial to have a practical sink that can easily be sanitised and kept tidy. A stainless steel sink is ideal for this purpose. Check out the highly functional options offered by BuildMat to find a range of up-to-date kitchen sink styles.
3. Additional Food Storage Space
Many Australians’ grocery shopping habits have changed in the aftermath of COVID-19. Perhaps you used to grocery shop frequently – once every few days or so. Nowadays, maybe you’re making less frequent trips to the store but buying more food when you do shop. This sort of change might mean that you’re now short on space to store your food.
Even before COVID-19 became an issue, lack of sufficient kitchen storage space has historically been one of the more common mistakes Australians tend to make when designing their kitchens. Considering this plus the recent change in consumers’ shopping habits, many people are now finding that they need to increase their food storage capacity.
There are multiple ways to deal with this issue. One is to add a small refrigerator to your existing space – perhaps under a counter or out in the garage. Another possibility is to get rid of the fridge you have and replace it with a significantly larger one. Yet another is to add a chest freezer.
If you’re finding that it’s cabinet space you need more of, you could consider adding storage furniture pieces such as hutches, sideboard buffets or kitchen carts to your kitchen or dining room. Another idea is to add pantry space to your floor plan.
4. A Walk-In Pantry or Butler’s Pantry
Pantries are useful for storing food and also for hiding clutter. Whether you have a kitchen gadget addiction or a need to keep enough food on hand to feed a sizable family, either way, it’s beneficial to have storage space available in the pantry for these things.
A butler’s pantry can also be used as a meal staging area. Once the meal has been prepared, it can be plated and styled in the pantry just prior to serving the food.
These aren’t the only popular home improvement projects Australians have recently been undertaking. According to Business Insider, an uptick in home renos had been underway even before the COVID-19 crisis became an issue. In addition to the above-mentioned kitchen projects, Australians have also been upgrading or adding home security systems, new roofing and gardening projects, among other things.
These upgrades all have one thing in common: They’re useful for helping people adjust to living in the age of COVID-19. If you’re spending more time at home these days, you might as well have the experience be as comfortable and enjoyable as possible.
