Custom kitchens require much thought and consideration to offer homeowners an ideal space for their in-home culinary experience. From the kitchen flooring to different layout options to beautiful kitchen islands, how should a homeowner plan their dream kitchen? Below, our kitchen design experts at Hunter Kitchen & Bath in Newtown Square, PA, describe the top do’s and don’ts of kitchen remodeling and how to implement the options you need for your ideal kitchen space.
1. Do Consider Your Lifestyle and Needs When Designing Your Kitchen
How often do you cook? Are your meals often elaborate or do you regularly entertain friends and family in your home? If you spend a lot of time in your kitchen, you need to consider layout options and functionality in your kitchen. If you often cook multi-step meals with a lot of prep work, you need countertop space to set up your mise-en-place, aka, your ingredients You also need an effective “work triangle” between your refrigerator, cooking appliance, and sink. The work triangle isn’t effective if you must walk around an island or other obstacle to get to one of your three key stations. If you’re not a gourmet chef and typically make only pantry staples, you need more storage space for your shelf-stable food goods. Whether you prefer ramen, cereal, pasta, or blue-box macaroni and cheese, a walk-in pantry is a perfect place to hide all your favorite snacks.
2. Don’t Forget About Storage—You’ll Need Plenty of Cabinets and Drawers
Pots and pans, racks, ceramic casserole dishes, and utensils need a spot in your kitchen design. Additionally, canned goods can weigh more than most other pantry items, making the bottom shelf of a cabinet a sturdy choice to store such things. While open shelving looks attractive for dishware in kitchen design catalogs, the ideal space in a kitchen is both functional and appealing. Open storage allows dust and other contaminants to settle on eating surfaces. If you want to display your glassware and plates for guests to find easily, consider glass-front cabinet doors with inlaid cabinet lighting.
3. Do Choose a Durable Material for Your Countertops, Such as Granite or Quartz
Many stone countertops are nearly indestructible, offering a smooth solid surface and attractive patterns of richly colored streaks and veins. However, natural stone is porous and requires regular cleaning with the appropriate products. You will also need to seal the surface of your countertops at least once per year, although you may want to seal your countertops every six months if you cook a lot. Quartz is a manufactured stone material with stone chips or dust mixed in with 5-7% resin. The resin binder makes the surface non-porous, making it an attractive countertop option with very little maintenance necessary.
4. Don’t Skimp on Appliances—Get the Best Ones That Fit In Your Budget
Your kitchen appliances can make or break your cooking experience. Do you want a built-in wall oven or splurge on a combi oven feature? Gas or electric cooktop? What about adding a separate beverage or wine refrigerator? Depending on how often you cook, consider what appliances best fit into your needs and budget.
5. Do Think About Adding a Kitchen Island for Extra Counter Space and Storage
A kitchen island can make all the difference in your prep work, storage, and kitchen entertaining. For entertaining, set up a buffet on the kitchen island so everyone can sit at your dining table to enjoy each other’s company while keeping the dining table clean & elegant! Also, the island is a great place to help kids with homework in the evening as dinner is prepared.
6. Don’t Be Afraid to Personalize Your Kitchen With Unique Details and Accents
For the chefs in your family, the kitchen is their happy space. However, they are not the only people who use the space. Consider adding a custom butcherblock cutting area to prep items that need to be chopped. Add a wet bar if you and your partner enjoy mixing cocktails to pair with dinner. You might also want to add a breakfast bar to the kitchen island so your family can enjoy breakfast and coffee together in the morning, without messing up the rest of the kitchen.
Contact Hunter Kitchen & Bath to Help You Create the Ideal Space in Your Newtown Square Kitchen
Contact our kitchen design team today to help you plan your dream kitchen. Let us help you plan your ideal space, from your kitchen flooring to your countertop materials and your layout options. Call us at Hunter Kitchen & Bath today at 484-872-8801 or contact us online for custom kitchen design in Newtown Square, PA.