6 Kitchen Design Tips

The kitchen is one of the most important rooms of your home. It is often affectionately called the heart of the home. Your kitchen is more than just a place where you prepare meals. Every day, your family creates new memories in your kitchen. Many people entertain their guests in their kitchen, too!Careful planning is required to ensure a stylish, yet functional kitchen. Here are some tips to consider when designing your kitchen.

Make Sure Your Walkway is Wide Enough to Move Appliances

The width of a kitchen walkway should be at least 36 inches. No walkway routes should pass through the kitchen triangle, that being the sink, the refrigerator, and the stove. Paths within the cooking zone should be at least 42 inches and 48 inches wide for a one-cook and two-cook set ups, respectively. Make sure any kitchen islands or peninsulas are adjusted accordingly.

Provide Enough Countertop Space

Provide as much countertop space as possible around the cooktop, the sink, and next to the oven and refrigerator, where the bulk of loading and unloading occur. If you cook frequently or prepare complex dishes, plan for extra counter space.

Direct Traffic

To create a kid-friendly kitchen, keep the cooktop out of traffic areas. This will prevent spills that occur when kids bump against cookware handles. Make sure the refrigerator is accessible to passersby and people working in the cooking and cleaning areas.

Use Light Colors

Dark color schemes visually shrink areas, making them look less inviting and open. If you are planning a small kitchen, use soft shades on cabinets. Come up with a plan to increase natural light in your kitchen.

Use Modern and Stylish Cabinet Doors

One of the first things people notice about a kitchen is the cabinets. Your kitchen cabinets have a major impact on the look and feel of your kitchen. Selecting the right cabinets for your kitchen can provide the necessary face-lift and enhancement of space that transforms your kitchen into more than just a room.One of the most important things to decide when designing kitchen cabinets in Sonoma County is the type of doors to be used. Bulky wooden cabinet doors and drawers are out of fashion. To make your kitchen cabinets look extraordinary, use glass doors, and display shelving. Alternatively, try incorporating wine storage or windows.

Find a Focal Point

You can make your kitchen backsplash, the range, or islands the focal point of your kitchen. If you want to make the backsplash your kitchen’s focal point, choose a unique tile pattern in a bold color.Many homeowners who choose to make the range the focal point may add in a bit of color or use in-vogue marble finishes. And, many make their islands the secondary focal point. If you want to go this route, use countertops made of contemporary materials such as wood, quartzite, or concrete.Need more kitchen design tips? Humanity Home & Cabinetry has been helping Sonoma County residents design their dream kitchens and cabinets for years! Our team of experienced interior designers know how to combine aesthetic, form, and function. Call us today (707) 595-5046 for a free consultation.