Planning an office kitchen is very different from planning a kitchen for a private home. More than anything else, an office kitchen will require lots of storage space for dirty dishes and a large dishwasher. After all, anyone busy in the kitchen is likely to be doing one of the following things: getting water, making a coffee, pouring something away or washing up. If you’re putting together a workplace kitchen, you need to focus on a different type of use than you would for a conventional kitchen.

Shared kitchens should be particularly easy to look after

Particularly easy-care surfaces are best for cabinet fronts, worktops, flooring and the sink in a kitchen that is going to be used by lots of people.

All available storage space should be used

As office kitchens tend not to be particularly big yet serve the needs of lots of members of staff, the storage space should be used to maximum effect. This includes the wall cabinets, which will soon fill up with cups and glasses. Deep pull-out drawers ensure that the storage options are being utilised to the full.

Drinking takes precedence over eating at the office

The fact that people are going to be fetching drinks rather than cooking in an office kitchen should definitely be factored into the design. There has to be space for lots of cups and glasses. You should plan in a storage area for bottle crates. And remember: prime position goes to the coffee machine.

If the kitchen is a place for staff to gather

If the room is big enough, integrating some seating is recommended. Staff can sit here and chat, drink coffee or spend their breaks. This will foster cooperative behaviour and a better atmosphere at work.

Purchasing a high-performance dishwasher should be at the top of the kitchen planning priorities, right after the coffee machine. It goes without saying, however that dishwashers don’t empty themselves. Either the members of staff will need to be instructed to do this during their training or you will have to put signs up in the kitchen to hopefully prompt people to do the right thing.