Kitchen design is often dismissed as a trivial consideration for a renovation project, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. Properly-designed kitchens use every square meter of space, highlighting your favorite elements and budgeting carefully to cut down on wasted real estate.
And don’t forget to think about where you’re going to put your appliances, like that new dishwasher — you might want to consider putting it in a cupboard.
We’ve got 10 top tips for kitchen design that will bring your project to the next level.
- Think about how you cook
Thinking about how you cook is the first step in coming up with a great kitchen design. Take inventory of what kind of cooking you expect to do and decide if it’s going to be done in the kitchen or not.
Do you prepare light snacks or full meals? Will you be hosting many dinner parties? Whatever your answers, they should inform your decisions on core elements like cabinets, storage and countertops.
- Use your space effectively
You can get away with one big empty corner in your kitchen and use it to store all of your pots, pans and utensils, but you’re going to have a hard time with a stylish entertaining area.
Pay attention to how much counter space you have — more is better! And don’t forget to consider the point at which you’ll have enough room for things like tall appliances and large ovens.
- Design around lighting
Walk through your space and imagine how light will affect the way you cook. Will you have sufficient illumination in your kitchen when it’s already dark outside? Or will lack of natural light make you want to cook at night?
The answer to these questions is going to play a substantial role in your decisions on cabinet colour, countertops, fixtures and even counter height.
- Think about your floors
Good kitchen design should include a solid floor plan. Think about where the places you sit at will be and then consider the traffic flow and how it will affect what goes on in your kitchen. If you have lots of chopping to do, then you’ll have to think about features like a dishwasher, countertop height and an island for extra space.
- Design around storage
Kitchen storage is a crucial part of any kitchen design — but don’t just look at the present, think ahead as well. Bigger families need more storage space and people who do a lot of entertaining will want to be able to keep all their serving utensils close at hand.
If you don’t make room for your storage needs now, you’re going to have a hard time accommodating them later on in your budget.
- Plan for your appliances
Appliances are a key feature of any kitchen design, so you’ll have to know where they will go well ahead of time. For example, fridges are generally much taller than you might think — this is something to keep in mind if you want a single island for food prep.
You should also plan for the location of your dishwasher and how it will fit in with your overall design.
- Think about your countertops
Countertops are one of the most crucial elements of kitchen design because they define the room and they become the focal point when you’re having dinner parties or entertaining guests. If you choose the right material, you can really make your kitchen pop.
- Don’t forget the dishwasher
Planning for your dishwasher is important because it will likely take up some room in your kitchen and might require you to cut down on countertop space.
If you don’t have enough room for it now, don’t worry — just look at options like a narrow under-counter dishwasher or an island with built-in kitchen cabinets.
- Take advantage of built-in storage
If you have stuff you want to keep out of sight and out of reach, then opt for a built-in cabinet instead. This way you won’t need a ton of open storage space. One tip — don’t go overboard with cabinetry here. Stick to the essentials and keep it clean if possible so as not to block your view from the rest of the kitchen.
- Be sure to consider window placement
Kitchen design is all about making the most of your space, which means being able to take full advantage of natural light. By positioning a full-length window in your kitchen, you can really illuminate the area and bring both light and life to every aspect of your room.
Designing a kitchen is never easy, but it’s important to remember that when you are trying to create something new and unexpected — you can get creative with some of the ideas we’ve shown here.