8 Tips For Designing Your Ideal Kitchen

Whether you have a large, dream kitchen with all of the luxuries or a smaller kitchen that you adore, your space isn't efficient unless it’s functional. Even the latest and most modern kitchen technologies can be rendered useless for cooking and food prep if they are not combined with a good kitchen design,

While your kitchen serves a variety of functions, designing it to contribute to the overall enjoyment of your home is important. While some kitchens only require minimal modifications to be practical, others require a total makeover.

The Kitchen Triangle

The stove, refrigerator, and sink are the three main kitchen design features. The work triangle in the kitchen must be appropriately positioned for the best efficiency. To make your kitchen experience enjoyable rather than challenging, you should easily switch between the three. Your kitchen arrangement should also allow two individuals to cook side by side without continually bumping into each other. The stove, refrigerator, and sink usually are angled between 15 and 25 degrees apart. Work triangles in the kitchen can be customized to your needs. An extra work triangle for baking (oven, sink, refrigerator) or dining (table, coat rack, china cabinet) could be helpful.

Floor Plans

Making a floor plan for your future kitchen is the most effective approach to obtain a sense of its appearance. Adjust the placement of appliances, cabinets, and seating until you discover your ideal configuration. By doing so, you will be able to consider how you will use the space and what will work best for you and your family as a whole.

Lighting

Proper lighting is essential in creating a functional kitchen design. In the case of home cooks, this implies bright, illuminating light over the counters, stove, and any other surfaces where they'll be preparing their meals. When it comes to building a functional kitchen design, under cabinet lighting is a common choice. 

Cupboards

Prepare for installing your cabinets by devoting some serious thought to how you intend to use them. Is it better to display your fine china on the lower shelves, where others can see it, or to keep it on the upper shelves, where it can be protected? Do you use spices regularly? If so, do you require a spice rack, a spice drawer, or something different to accommodate your requirements? Do you consider yourself to be short or tall? What about the young ones? 

All of these questions have an impact on how much space you have in your cabinet. Skilled kitchen remodeling contractors will know to place products that are regularly used together on shelves that are conveniently accessible. Don't be shy in sharing your kitchen cupboard requirements and asking for your contractor's opinion. In the kitchen, there is no such thing as a "one size fits all."

Seating Requirements

Most people have heard the expression "too many cooks in the kitchen." This train of thought can be used to create functional kitchen design features. While the kitchen is the home's social hub, where many people congregate, having too many people in the room might make it challenging to perform critical activities. If you consider this, you can ensure that no one gets in your way while preparing dinner. Place seats away from your kitchen triangle and work area if people tend to congregate in the kitchen to enjoy watching the process or discuss with one another.  Utilize stools and counter seating away from your "triangle" to allow for a more personal seating arrangement if you wish.

Clutter-Free Spaces

You could have the most beautiful kitchen design in the world, but if your countertops, cabinets, and food preparation areas are cluttered, all of your efforts will be wasted. Make a kitchen organization system that is functional for you and your family members. Remove items from the room that are out of date or do not belong there. Depending on how messy your kitchen usually is, a reorganization effort factored into your kitchen remodel design can be your solution to this problem.

Think Modern

In today's world, there are more tools than ever before to aid you in building an efficient kitchen. Do you use your phone or a tablet to create recipes? An under-counter or in-cupboard holder that can be stored away out of sight can be a great tool to implement into your kitchen. You want your kitchen to have longevity, so make sure you incorporate the latest in technology and gadgets on the market that can help you make sure your kitchen meets your needs for a long time to come.

Integrated Appliances

One of the best ways to utilize space effectively in your kitchen is to have implemented appliances that are seamlessly fitted into the design and flow of the cabinets. Not only does this look better, but it allows for a better design and feels too. As much as possible, have smaller appliances such as your microwave mounted off the counter or within a designated space, so you remove the temptation to use up more of the countertop than you need to. You can get them hidden in many cases, so they look like part of the design and stand out as an applicant.

Designing your new kitchen is personal and unique to your home. Of course, looking at kitchens for sale to get an idea of what will and won't work in your home is a great first step, but just keep in mind that these are standard designs that are created to look good and might not be at all practical for your personal needs.

Before committing to design, carefully consider how your family uses your kitchen space, what you like and dislike about your current kitchen, and what you think will make life easier. Once you have this information, you can consult with expert kitchen contractors to make sure your ideas and plans are brought to life in a careful and considered way that enhances your life and your home too.