Merillat Masterpiece Hadley in Cherry Cinnamon
Over the years, the kitchen has become the hub of life in many homes. Sure it’s for cooking and eating, but its function can serve much more – a conversational area, a work place for adults and kids – the possibilities are endless. The right design should reflect these needs. Considering how you want to plan the design or redesign of your kitchen, you’ll want to ask yourself a few basic questions:
- How much space is available?
- Does my family eat in the kitchen, or do I entertain in the kitchen? If so, countertop seating at an island, or built-in seating might be handy.
- How important is having a recycling station in the kitchen to me?
- Do I need a workspace for paying bills, household paperwork or homework?
- Is there space for a wastebasket near a food prep and cutting area?
- A designated breakfast area, with coffee maker, toaster and microwave, can free up other valuable kitchen space.
Determining how much space you actually have is a fundamental aspect of any kitchen design, as you decide what features will be included and how they can best be arranged to fit your needs. One primary reason for remodeling your kitchen is expansion. Kitchen cabinetry, counter space, and general storage space are always at a premium, particularly in smaller kitchens. Expanding the kitchen allows more room to work, gather, socialize and eat.
Options for enlarging your kitchen are to expand the house outward around the kitchen or to take space from elsewhere in the house. Consider your options carefully, as knocking down structural walls can get expensive, although this is often less expensive than expanding outward.
Open floor plans have become very popular as the kitchen’s entertainment and gathering needs have increased. Merging food preparation and social areas is essential for many families today.
If the kitchen is large enough, it can also accommodate a kitchen island or peninsula – a valuable tool not only for food preparation, but for additional storage as well. You also might consider adding a pantry or pullout pantry near the refrigerator for easy access.
Be sure to include more cabinetry space than you think you need, because kitchen cabinets are always filling up and clutter is inevitable! You can reduce this clutter by making sure you have ample storage. For example, installing taller cabinets that reach to the ceiling creates an illusion of having a larger more spacious kitchen, with extra storage as a bonus. You can also create a drop zone near the kitchen entryway to help organize clutter before it reaches your countertops! According to the National Kitchen and Bath Association’s (NKBA) Kitchen and Bath Planning Guidelines, when replacing a countertop or changing the shape of your kitchen, a total of 158″ of countertop frontage, 24″ deep with at least 15″ of clearance above, is needed to accommodate all uses, including landing area, preparation/work area and storage.
If space planning is thought out well beforehand, creating an attractive, efficient kitchen that enables you to perform various functions is simple. It’s important to enlist the help of a kitchen design professional, as they can best advise you on how to maximize your space to meet your needs.
Check out our inspiration gallery and our planning resources as you start your kitchen remodel planning; the NKBA’s website has wonderful resources too.
Tags: kitchen cabinetry, kitchen cabinets, Kitchen Design, kitchen remodel, merillat, NKBA, space planning