Many of us pore over glossy images of high end, well designed kitchens thinking ‘if only’. But maybe it isn’t entirely unrealistic to get the sleek design and functionality of your dream kitchen. Commissioning a granny annex is an exciting chance to have your kitchen built exactly as you want it.
All the iHus granny annexes come with certain features as standard, but for the extra wow factor, why not think about discussing some of these bespoke features with us.
Or you can simply upgrade some of your existing appliances if you are already living in a granny annex.
Here are our top features and appliance tips that will make your life easier and your kitchen look divine.
Skylights and Solar Tunnels
Bi-folding doors are supremely popular these days, as people like to bring the outdoors in and create the illusion of a seamless room between the kitchen and garden.
If this is a little out of budget, or your kitchen is in the wrong place, consider a skylight or solar tunnel. Both can maximise the natural light in the granny annex kitchen without having to start knocking down walls.
LED Strip Lighting
Every kitchen has some dark areas that need illuminating. And doing so can look very striking, and be more cost effective than you might think.
LED strip lights under work surfaces or top-level cupboards can create soft lighting which is perfect for open plan kitchen diners. It saves you having to have the central light glaring but means you don’t have one section of the room in darkness.
Or, if your drawers and cupboards are deep and dark, you could stick the lights inside to make it easier to find what you are looking for.
Double Bowl Sink
Belfast sinks look lovely, but a double bowl sink is both practical and hygienic.
It allows you to wash ingredients and your hands without contaminating your pot washing area. You can also drain vegetables without having to empty the sink.
And, crucially, there are no excuses for your other half not to do the washing up whilst you slave over a hot oven.
Steam Oven
Speaking of hot ovens, steam ovens are all the rage.
They are smaller than regular ovens so they heat up more quickly and don’t use as much energy.
They also cook with steam (as the name suggests) so they keep food moist and succulent. They are considered to be healthier than dry heat ovens, as food cooked in steam retains more of the nutritional value,
Whilst it probably won’t replace your regular oven (steamed jacket potatoes don’t sound too appealing) it is a great addition to any granny annex kitchen.
Induction Hob
An induction hob is a small kitchen life saver! It sits flush against the worktop so it doesn’t take up precious work space. You can rest a chopping board on it and get to work.
An induction hob works by using magnetic convection to heat the pan, rather than creating a hot surface on which to rest a pan.
This means the actual hob itself is cool to touch not long after you finish cooking. There is no naked flame either, and no dangerous gas to be left on. Once you remove the pan from the ring and the magnetic force is broken, the ring switches off. This makes it the safest type of hob available.
You might need to replace your pans though, as they need to be magnetic for an induction hob to work.
Hot Water Dispenser
A hot water dispenser will sit next to your regular kitchen tap but will dispense boiling or near boiling water.
It makes cooking much faster and removes the need for a kettle. Imagine being able to brew up immediately!
Plus it looks much more stylish than a bulky kettle on your worktop.
An Appliance Garage
These days we have so many gadgets out on our worktops. Coffee machines, kettles, toasters, mixers, processors, the list goes on.
An appliance garage is a cupboard into which you can put all your appliances when you aren’t using them to make space on your worktops.
Many of them are fitted with plug sockets so you don’t even have to remove the appliance from the ‘garage’. There is a sliding or tambour door, a bit like a garage door, that lets you easily access your appliances.
A Granny Annex Kitchen Made For You
Here at iHus we custom build all our granny annexes so you can pick a lot of the features and finishes.
You are the guiding force every step of the design process so you can choose the granny annex kitchen of your dreams.
Have a look here to see all the ways you can customise your granny annex.
Or, if you would like to speak to us, get in touch on 0808 164 1111, email enquiries@ihusprojects.com, or contact us here.
