When building kitchens in your student housing units, you’ll want to ensure they’re durable enough to last a long time. A durable kitchen will withstand the wear and tear that comes with young college students as they cook and eat in the kitchens you build.
Whether they’re cooking amateurs or know their way around the stove, a durable kitchen will benefit everyone involved.
So, how exactly do you build a durable kitchen for student housing? You need several things, including functional cabinets, hardwood flooring, and LED lighting, all of which we’re going over in today’s blog. Keep reading to learn everything you need to build durable kitchens for student housing.
1. You Need Durable Surfaces. You won’t want to buy the cheapest countertops you can find because they won’t last nearly as long as higher-quality options like quartz and granite. There’s a reason granite has been the most popular countertop choice for years, closely followed by quartz. The only difference in durability with these involves maintenance.
Granite needs to be sealed, while quartz never needs to be, although it is more expensive. You’re choosing between a less expensive, higher-maintenance option and a more expensive, less-expensive option.
Either choice is great for student housing. Both are extremely durable and won’t scratch, crack, or chip easily. They’re low-maintenance choices, which are ideal for student housing.
2. You Need Functional Cabinets. We’re not just talking about the cabinets tolerating wear and tear from being slammed open and shut. While that does matter, it’s important to have flow, organization, and storage. Functional cabinets will help the students in your housing units navigate the kitchen.
For example, we recommend keeping cabinets close to your dishwasher so you can quickly transfer them to the cabinet once they’re clean. Convenience is another important aspect of building student housing.
3. You Need Lacquered Cabinets. While this might not be your first thought for your cabinets or other surfaces, lacquering is a great option to keep your kitchens sustainable. You can buff the countertops between semesters to keep everything nice and shiny.
Thankfully, most lacquered finishes — whether matte or glossy — don’t contain volatile organic compounds (VOCs.) VOCs can give you allergies, headaches, affect coordination, and cause nausea. They can also cause liver, kidney, and central nervous system damage. What’s worse is that VOCs can cause cancer in pets and people.
4. You Need LED Lighting. There’s a reason LED lighting is extremely popular; it’s changed the game for kitchen lighting. It’s brighter than incandescent or fluorescent lighting and lasts a long time. LED lights use 75 percent less energy and last up to 25 times longer. Very little heat comes from them, and they have a low profile. LED lights go great underneath cabinets and for cove lighting. Having lighting built into the ledges and recesses of your student housing is a great way to create ambiance.
5. You Need Hardwood Floors. While you probably wouldn’t imagine putting carpet on your kitchen floors, you might not know what type of flooring to install. Tile? Wood? Hardwood? While each type of flooring has its pros and cons, we highly recommend installing hardwood flooring for your student housing units. Hardwood floors are stylish, which your tenants will enjoy, and they’re sustainable and durable, which is what you want. It’s a win-win.
Hardwood flooring is easier to keep clean, too, since it won’t collect dust, animal dander, pollen, or common allergens. That’s very ideal for student housing, where many students barely get to sleep, let alone clean their housing unit.
6. You Need Reliable Appliances. Before you install cabinets and flooring, you need to consider where the appliances will go. While typical student housing doesn’t include high-end appliances, you still need a dishwasher, oven, stove, and microwave. These essentials will allow students to make their unit their home and enjoy some tasty dishes. Don’t just buy the cheapest appliances you can find; this is not the way to go if you want durable kitchen appliances that will outlast the students who come and go. Look at brand reliability charts and individual appliance reviewing to ensure you get durable appliances.
7. You Need the Right Finish. Now, you don’t need to go with the most expensive option to get durable appliances. The most expensive option isn’t always the highest quality. Having the right finish on the appliances can be precisely what you need. Go for faucets with a physical vapor deposition, which is highly durable. We also recommend stainless steel sinks, as they resist stains, abrasions, and heat damage.
8. You Need Everything to be Easy to Clean. No matter how durable your appliances are, they will wear out over time if they aren’t kept clean. You’ll want durable, easy-to-clean appliances, as these will last the longest. Some students stay busy between classes and extracurricular activities. Other students always stay in their rooms, taking advantage of online courses. Either way, living in an easy-to-clean home free of cast-iron appliances will be most helpful for them.
Contact Superior Commercial Solutions Today.
Whether this is your first time building or you’re a veteran builder, you’ll want to work with Superior Commercial Solutions to ensure the kitchens in your student housing are durable. We specialize in cabinetry and countertops for student housing and would love to work with you to make your student housing exactly what you want it to be.
Superior Commercial Solutions goes through four stages — design, production, import, and installation — to provide you with the high-quality products you need. We’ll work with you every step of the way, resolving any issues that might arise during the building process.
Superior Commercial Solutions is located in North Salt Lake, Utah, but our work spans the United States. Call us at 385.273.6670 for a free consultation or to learn more. You can also fill out the form on our website to receive a quote for your project. Let’s build durable student housing together.