A Kitchen is an essential part of everyone’s home. Today it is not just a place to cook but also mingle, socialize and eat. Below are a few tips on kitchen design to consider for a functional and pretty kitchen.
1. Choose your gadgets first
Whether it is refrigerator, microwave or garbage disposal buy your gadgets first and include them in the design. I have seen many DIY kitchen veterans with appliances not fitting in their places. Avoid this issue at all costs. Take a look at this kitchen sink review before you purchase one.
2. Storage, storage, storage
A kitchen is for cooking and storage. Not giving top priority to storage spaces in your kitchen design will eventually backfire. Also make sure that these storage spaces are easily accessible and cleanable.
3. Plan for functionality first, not design
Remember that your kitchen is for daily use so give more importance to functionality over design. Know that not all kitchen designs are made to make cooking easier, while many kitchen remodels are superb in terms of aesthetics they can turn into a complete mess within not time if the importance of functionality is not accounted for. Your best bet is to contact a kitchen designer in the West Hartford CT area first.
4. Utilize all spaces
Don’t waste any space in your kitchen. I don’t mean you should cramp it with gadgets but if you can utilize an under utilized space that is better.
5. Counter top & landing spaces
Not leaving enough space for your counter top and forgetting to include landing spaces are a big design flaw. For any kitchen 15-20” landing spaces are inevitable near refrigerator and oven. And plan counter top space according to your needs, it goes without saying that if you love cooking you will need more space.
6. Lighting that helps to see
Not all lighting is equal, improper placed lights cast shadows over what you cook or wash making it difficult to see what exactly you are doing. So give priority to function before design, make sure that the lights are well positioned so that they don’t cast shadows over your work. Too much lighting also drives up your power bills so design according to your needs.
7. Don’t forget ventilation
Proper ventilation is an important aspect of a good kitchen. If you love cooking especially those Indian and Chinese dishes make sure you don’t cut your budget on ventilation.
8. Kitchen triangle
A golden rule when designing a kitchen is that the total length of the all three sides of the kitchen triangle (refrigerator + sink + stove) shouldn’t be more than 26 feet, let’s say the ideal number is 20. This makes it easy to move around the kitchen but avoids long strides. Does your kitchen plan have this?
9. Use open shelving in moderation
Unless you want to display everything including those less than attractive utensils and not so clean appliances don’t go for open shelves. While it is attractive and trendy as long as you keep the items organized and clean it is not a suitable choice for a busy kitchen.
10. Add enough electrical outlets
All your kitchen gadgets run on electricity so don’t forget to add those extra outlets. If you decide to buy an ‘Alexa’ or a fancy new smart gadget it will be a shame if you have nowhere to plug it in.
11. Account space for trash can
Forgot to add a trash can in your kitchen design? A kitchen isn’t all about cooking. Trash cans, while dirty, have an immense role in keeping your kitchen clean and tidy. They should be placed in a convenient position and must be a part of your kitchen design. And you don’t need to hide them either, there are lots of great looking, shiny trash cans in the market that make a good addition to your kitchen design.
12. Don’t under budget
Kitchen design and remodeling are expensive affairs. A kitchen is supposed to be used daily and should be long lasting. While most of us don’t have an endless supply of cash, opting for low quality materials to cut costs is not a wise decision.
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