What are the first things you should think about when planning a kitchen redesign? In this article, you’ll learn four expert kitchen design tips that will help you to design your kitchen like a pro.
If you are like most homeowners, you will probably start your kitchen project by thinking about the color scheme or appliances. However, if you’re a professional designer, the first thing you will think about is the kitchen layout.
Out of all of the rooms in your home, the layout of your kitchen matters most. As a functional space, your experience of your kitchen is dramatically affected by how easily you can move around the space when cooking or cleaning. A professionally designed kitchen maximizes movement, minimizes the need to stoop and reach and improves your ability to use the kitchen as a multifunctional space. To do this, there are several key considerations that a professional designer will factor into their kitchen design:
1) The Kitchen Work Triangle
The three most important elements of your kitchen design are the stove, the refrigerator, and the sink. Cooking and cleaning your kitchen can quickly become a needlessly arduous and joyless task if you need to run laps around a poorly designed layout.
A good kitchen layout will allow you to move easily between the three while cooking. It should also provide enough space so that if you are cooking alongside someone else, you won’t constantly be knocking into each other. To make this possible, a kitchen designer will create a “work triangle” between the stove, refrigerator, and sink that is typically angled between 15° and 25°.
Here’s an additional kitchen design tip – your kitchen can have several work triangles depending on your needs.
2) Your Kitchen Multifunctional
“You’ll always find me in the kitchen at parties”… you have probably heard and experienced this yourself. Over recent years, kitchens have moved away from being solely utilitarian and in favor of being more versatile, suitable for entertaining and relaxing as well as cooking. A professional designer will always keep this in mind and look to create a kitchen design that is open and inviting, and that can facilitate entertaining and be cooking simultaneously.
One of our favorite kitchen design tips is to include a kitchen island with seating. This provides an inviting area where guests and family members can relax and socialize without encumbering the use of the work triangle. The host can then cook and entertain without being excluded.
3) Consider Your Cupboards
Most people don’t pay enough attention to how they allocate or use cupboard space, but this is one of the key details that gives a kitchen design that professional touch. Your cupboard layout should be organized according to how you use the space. Situate items that you commonly use together near to each other.
Locate frequently used items where they are easily reachable, so you don’t need to stoop down. Even simple touches such as elevating and organizing your spice collection so that it’s easy to see can improve your experience of using your kitchen.
A professional designer may even install a bespoke kitchen cupboard system that allows you to use your available cupboard space to maximum effect. Don’t be afraid to get creative with your kitchen cupboards if it can facilitate ease of use and make using your kitchen more enjoyable.
4) Create a Floor Plan
Every kitchen designer knows that the best way to start any kitchen project is with a floor plan. That way you can plan your kitchen layout and design before you book your contractor.