10 Tips to Design Your Functional Kitchen
We're in our kitchens daily to cook, clean the dishes, and [for some] quickly eat our cereal as we rush out of the door in the morning. Create a space that's thoughtfully tailored to you and the things you love. Whether you're a cooker, baker, or the cleaner in the family [or all], you want to create a kitchen that will be functional for your workflow. Here are 10 of our pro tips when designing your functional kitchen!
01
KITCHEN TRIANGLE
Your sink, stove, and refrigerator should be between 10 to 25 feet apart.
02
STORAGE
Storing food, small appliances [toaster, coffee maker, mixers, etc.], pots and pans, glassware, and many other items stored in your kitchen.
PRO TIP: Taking the time to plan out where things will be stored can help you maximize your space.
03
COUNTER SPACE
Planning out your kitchen counter space, you'll want to ask yourself the following questions.
PROMPTS:
- What's going to be permanently on your counters?
- Where do you want to prep food?
- Will you want an island/peninsula?
04
LIGHTING
The common places to light:
- General lighting for overall illumination
- Task lighting
- Accent lighting
05
BACKSPLASH
Makes a great decoration piece but it also helps maintain a cleaner kitchen. With the steam, water, and grease that frequently is occurring, a backsplash is easier to clean than paint on the wall.
06
VENTILATION
Investing in a good ventilation system will improve the quality of your indoor air to help avoid stinky cooking odors.
07
KITCHEN ISLAND
If placed in the wrong location or the wrong size, an island could obstruct the flow of traffic in your Kitchen Triangle.
PRO TIP: The minimum size of your island should be 4 feet long by 2 feet deep with the ability for people to move and work around it.
08
RECYCLING + TRASH
Plan on having trash and recycling sort bins to save you time and steps during trying to meal prep.
09
TIMELESS OR TRENDY?
As trends frequently change, going too trendy instead of timeless could have you unhappy with your remodel sooner than you would like.
PRO TIP: You can add trendy, interchangeable elements balanced by having some of the more costly timeless elements.
10
HIRE PROFESSIONALS
Designers are equipped with the latest ideas and information to help save you time, frustration, and disappointment in the end result.