Kitchen Design Tips
Storage is King – Like with real estate it is all about location, location, location. Storage is vital to any good kitchen design. With all the pots, pans, appliances that seem to be getting bigger and better, a kitchen should be able to provide the storage without taking away much needed counter space. The kitchen should not only provide the storage, it should also make it easy to get that appliance used on rare occasions. The cabinets and pantry should also be versatile so that it can store those oversized pots and appliances that never seem to fit anywhere or hold flatware or all your various storage containers.
Simplicity is better – It is easy to get overwhelmed with all the wonderful design ideas that are out there. A big mistake is trying to do too much. With aesthetic choices on cabinet style, countertops, backsplash or paint color, one thing should be the focal point of your design and all other choices will be designed based on that.
Function, Function, Function – Like storage, functionality of your kitchen should be paramount in your design. Do not get caught up with kitchens that look beautiful but are not designed for cooking. Sometimes, we forget the main purpose of the kitchen is to prepare food. Especially with smaller kitchens, we try to pack various ideas into one space. We can’t have large appliances that eat up kitchen space and then want an office area, or an enormous island. Too many wants crammed into a kitchen can cripple its main function.
Center of your Life/ Center of the home – The kitchen inevitably is the place where people tend to congregate be it family or guests. To provide easier access for everyone, it only makes sense to open the area to the dining room or the family room if possible. A well designed kitchen will keep guests out of the work space but allow them to chat with you while you work.