Kitchens
Building a fully customized home can be overwhelming, especially when you start to get down to room layouts. The kitchen is one of the most used rooms in the home. It’s often the hub of activity for the entire home. Having a functional layout is vital to enjoying your custom home and running your life and family smoothly. Here are a few things to keep in mind when designing your kitchen.
Design Tips:
- Place sink/dishwasher, cooking and refrigeration in a triangle configuration.
- Place a garbage bin where it is easily accessible from both triangle and general family use.
- Electrical outlet placements should make sense for prep and multiple appliances.
- Leave enough counter space on each side of the main appliances.
- Make sure your pantry is well organized and in a position that’s easily accessible. Sometimes, a back kitchen use for a pantry is desirable.
- Plan for counter space for prep, cooking, and clean up.
- Cabinet height will affect your overall look but also think about functionality.
- Plan lighting accordingly for different moods.
- Style and design are important to setting the theme of home.
Bonus Tips:
- Double sinks and ovens aren’t necessary but they are big selling features. Think about how people will interact with your kitchen when they’re not cooking. Sometimes a second sink at the island can work into a triangle setup.
- Is there space for entertaining, eating, or just hanging out?
- Only put in special features if you’ll really use them such as wine fridge, ice maker, or pot filler. Adding them for the sake of having them can actually end up causing you more of a headache.
- The design of a “back kitchen” that is a true extension of the kitchen can be useful. A back kitchen is also the pantry except with extra counter space, appliances and cabinets. It can be fully viewed from the main kitchen or hidden. Think of a back kitchen as the catering kitchen and the main kitchen as the entertaining area.
- Think about every little thing you use in a kitchen and plan a place for it from dishcloths to a slow cooker.
- Make sure plumbing and electrical can handle everything you use in your kitchen.
- Pick materials and designs that are practical and easy to clean.
- Make sure the kitchen flooring is stain, slip, and moisture resistant.