Wednesday, February 5, 2014

Kitchen Layouts for Your Lifestyle – Part 1

Planning a kitchen remodel goes much deeper than choosing the appliances, countertops and kitchen cabinets that speak to you. It can and should go much deeper than aesthetics alone. If you’re truly trying to get the most out of your space, it is important to choose a layout and design that will work for your lifestyle.

Here are a couple examples to get you thinking:

Family home with young children

If you’ve got kids, chances are your family never has a dull moment. With everyone constantly in and out, it’s important to cherish any amount of time you can share – even if that means while you cook and they do their homework. When planning your layout, pay attention to:

  • Flow - A family like this will benefit from having an open kitchen layout that allows the chef to be part of the fun.
  • Seating - Kitchen islands are perfect for families with children, as they provide more storage (there’s never too much), seating and extra counterspace, (perfect for your family to help you roll out the pizza dough).
  • Spacing - Be mindful of heavy traffic areas in your kitchen, and make sure you give yourself enough space to accommodate you, your hot pot, and a kid running by.
  • Safety – Be mindful of countertop corners (you may want to opt for a rounded edge vs. pointed).

The entertainer

Are you usually the person nominated to host gatherings because of your award-worthy culinary skills or your ability to make everything picture perfect? Embrace your talents when planning your design. Keep in mind:

  • Openness – If you’re finalizing preparations and your friends or neighbors arrive a bit early, you probably won’t want to miss out on any fun. Keep your layout open so you don’t feel like a servant.
  • Counterspace – You can never have too much counterspace, as you need plenty to slice and dice, and then some to display your array in a fabulous way. Including a kitchen island and/or a kitchen bar top will help.
  • Task Lighting – Since you want to make sure everything looks perfect, be mindful of task lighting over areas you’ll be doing most of your chopping and preparing.
  • Appliances – If you are entertaining frequently, you may benefit from features like a double-oven, warming trays and a spacious refrigerator. A snazzy vent-hood will also jazz up the space while helping you clear the air before your guests arrive!

Stay tuned for more kitchen lifestyle planning ideas in part 2 of this post!

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