Many say that the heart of every homeowner’s home is the kitchen. After all, this is the space where families prepare and cook their meals, unite with loved ones every mealtime, and gather to celebrate important events, like birthdays and anniversaries. The kitchen holds plenty of purpose for many families, making it an essential part of the house. Furthermore, the quality and functionality of your kitchen add significant value to your property, whether you’re planning to sell it soon.
That’s why the kitchen is among the favorite rooms that some homeowners love to renovate. But before you begin your kitchen project, having a renovation plan will make it easier for you to design a stylish and functional kitchen that will add a heartwarming feeling to your property. For your guide, here are seven design tips you must note before starting a kitchen renovation to help you fulfill the kitchen of your dreams.
Create An Easy-Flow Design
You’ve probably seen some intricate kitchen layouts and forms on the internet and found most of them appealing. However, if you picture yourself working on that type of kitchen, you’ll realize that its design is mainly for aesthetics and not for functionality. Keep in mind that you’ll be doing various tasks in your kitchen, and the last thing you need is to walk through extra steps and corners to reach the sink, oven, or fridge.
Thus, when designing your kitchen’s new layout, make sure you come up with an easy-flowing kitchen design that harmonizes with how you use your kitchen and the activities you do with it. It’s also recommended that you visit website of a professional contractor who will help you create a functional design for your kitchen. These contractors will not only provide you with custom drawings of your dream kitchen, but they also have the required tools to complete the renovation effectively.
Provide Enough Space For Every Function
Now that you have the kitchen layout figured out, it’s time to start planning how you’ll utilize your space. Not all homeowners are granted a big house with a spacious kitchen, so you’ll need to work with what you have. When planning the kitchen space, ask yourself which functions you need or use the most.
For example, if you’re more into cooking and less baking, you may want to give more space for your stove, microwave, and other equipment needed for cooking. On the other hand, if you’re living alone, you may need a kitchen that’s easier to cook in and clean. Ultimately, make sure you provide ample space for every function to make it more accommodating to work with.
Design Wider Kitchen Pathways
Besides providing enough space for the functional areas, make sure you designate wider pathways. This is applicable, especially for kitchens with islands in the center. If possible, the island and the cabinetry space should be at least 40 inches wide. With enough room, it’ll be easier for you and your family to move around your kitchen.
Design Enough Landing Spaces Beside The Appliances
Imagine that you’re cooking on the stove or toasting your bread in the toaster. Then once you’re done, you realize you don’t have enough space to place your sandwich or cup of coffee. That’s because some people often focus on giving room for the appliances but not the food or ingredients they need. Hence, when designing your kitchen, make sure you have enough landing spaces near your appliances.
Plan Your Appliances For The Outlets
Planning the appliances may sound too early during a renovation. However, you’ll need to know how many appliances and tools you are planning to incorporate, so you’ll also know how many outlets should you add for your newly renovated kitchen. Remember that you’ll need separate outlets for your gas, water, and electrical kitchen appliances.
For instance, the dishwasher, refrigerator, and oven should be positioned near the electrical outlets while ensuring that the wires are safely distanced from any water source to prevent a short circuit. Meanwhile, your gas stove must be positioned near the gas outlet. For portable appliances, like blenders, mini toasters, and coffee machines, you can put them somewhere near the additional outlets. If used occasionally, you can tuck them away in your cabinets and plug them only when needed.
Split Up Your Cabinets
During the renovation, some homeowners tend to focus so much on rearranging and remodeling the space and layout that they sometimes miss the cabinets. While your kitchen cabinetry plays a vital role in storing your food and kitchen tools, they can sometimes make your space look heavy and dull.
So, other than painting it or updating its doorknobs (which is what most people do), consider splitting up your cabinets and utilizing the new wall space for something more interesting. For example, you can add open wall shelves and use them to display stylish plates, wine bottles, or plants and picture frames for a more personalized touch.
Create A Focal Point
Suppose your kitchen’s layout is already functional. In that case, you can plan on how you’re going to add a focal point to make your kitchen more visually appealing. For instance, consider switching with fancier flooring, patterned countertops, or vivid backsplash tile. Just make sure you don’t overdo it to keep your kitchen from looking disorganized.
Wrapping Up
Revamping your kitchen can be a satisfying and exciting experience, especially if you’re looking forward to improving your home’s aesthetic and atmosphere. Even if you’re not planning to sell your home, a newly renovated kitchen can boost your motivation and creativity as you prepare new recipes or baked goods. So, if you have an upcoming kitchen renovation, take note of these design tips and get creative.