Kitchen Design Facts

 

Designing your kitchen is a major undertaking but well worth the time and effort. More than any other individual room, your kitchen affects the way strangers perceive and value your home. For that reason, it is the most important room in the house if you are ever planning to sell your property. 

Kitchen Design Facts

With that in mind, let’s take a moment to consider the top kitchen design facts that are most likely to influence the way you think about your kitchen. As always, you may choose to bend the rules slightly, but it’s a great way to consider the functionality and aesthetic behind your choices. 

Don’t Go with Shortcuts

Some contractors will really try to push you to use shortcuts. Saving money can have an incredible appeal, but it will cost you more in the long run if you try to use shortcuts in your kitchen. 

The kitchen is the most abused room in virtually any home. It’s constantly exposed to grease, heat, and humidity. If you decide to use inferior materials or shoddy techniques, it will be visible to you and everyone else before you even have a chance to enjoy your new kitchen. 

Using strong materials like real wood and Neolith sintered stone will ensure that your kitchen holds up to that abuse and looks great 5, 10, even 15 years later. 

Personalize Your Choices

When you’re designing your kitchen, think about the appliances and tools that you use on a daily basis. Look for features in appliances and organizational units that serve those needs well. 

For example, if you find yourself bringing out the cast iron grill more than once a week, consider a stovetop that incorporates a grill surface. If you regularly struggle to time dishes so that they’re ready at the same time, look at getting a warming drawer. 

Consider the Work Triangle Theory

The Work Triangle essentially states that your refrigerator, sink, and stovetop should create a triangle in your kitchen. As a result, you should be able to quickly and easily transition between the major locations. 

Just keep in mind that the triangle should be big enough that two people can work in the kitchen without constantly running into each other. This guiding principle can help you to ensure that your kitchen is functional and not just aesthetically pleasing. 

Don’t Block the Flow of Movement

Kitchen islands are still extremely popular, but they aren’t for everyone. The flow of movement in your kitchen is one of its most important features. Nothing should encumber traffic in or out. 

To that end, avoid placing anything too close to doorways or walkways. If you have a smaller kitchen, don’t try to include a kitchen island just because it’s chic. Maintaining a more simple floor plan will help you to create a highly functional space, and there will still be plenty of other areas where you can show your appreciation for current trends. 

Create Visual Interest

Using a neutral palette in a kitchen can make it really easy to update the look as trends change, but you don’t want the whole room to be variations of cream or gray. To make a truly beautiful kitchen that will capture the imagination, you need to include visual interest. 

A vibrant backsplash, accent wall, or gorgeous sintered stone countertops are all great opportunities for making your kitchen stand out. Of the three, the accent wall is the easiest to change up, and the sintered stone countertops are the most functional and long-lasting. Given their scratch resistance, heat resistance, and incredible range of colors and patterns, sintered stone can add class and functionality to any space. 

Ultimately the Choice Is Yours

Everyone has their own taste, and you may not agree with everything on this list. These are just some strong guiding principles that are commonly helpful, so hopefully you walk away inspired.