Designing Your Dream Kitchen
One of the biggest reasons why people choose to build vs. buy a home is because they get to design it the way they want it. This is especially true when it comes to kitchens. The kitchen has evolved into something much more than an area to prepare and serve food. The kitchen is now the major focal point of a home, a place to gather as a family or to socialize with friends. The kitchen is commonly referred to as “the heart of the home”, and when it comes to design, it gets very personal.
There is no one perfect design or one size fits all when it comes to designing a kitchen, it all boils down to individual wants needs and budget. Maybe you want your design to accommodate a crowd, and spare no expense, or maybe you simply want a down to earth kitchen that meets your needs at a reasonable price. No matter how big or small, Riteway Builders can help you design and build the kitchen that you’ve always wanted.
We’ve helped many of our clients come up with their perfect kitchen design, and have a few recommendations to incorporate in your kitchen design!
Space
“Our current kitchen is too small”… is something we often hear when working on a new home design with a client. Allow extra space in your design to open the kitchen area up a bit. An open kitchen area can make the entire home feel bigger and more inviting. Remember, in addition to cooking, baking, and eating, the kitchen often becomes the go-to place for entertaining and even often needs to function as a mini-office space for doing homework and paying the bills.
Organization & Storage
Having a larger open kitchen design without good organization and storage won’t be efficient, and can turn out to be downright chaotic. The kitchen sink, stove, and refrigerator are the highest traffic areas when cooking, so it makes sense to keep them in fairly close proximity. Choose cabinets and drawers that make the best use of available space, don’t forget to make space for all the mixers, beverage makers, toasters, and other kitchen gadgets that you may want out of sight when not in use. Kitchen islands are very popular right now, they add more counter and storage space. Our advice is simply to make sure your kitchen island is appropriately sized for your kitchen. A huge island in a medium or small kitchen space will result in a clumsy feeling, with the cooks in the kitchen stumbling over each other.
Lighting
We love home designs that include a well thought out lighting design. This especially true for the kitchen, and not just for safety reasons. A bright kitchen is warm and inviting and adds just that right touch that takes a kitchen from looking great, to looking absolutely amazing. With the growing popularity of LED’s there is no limit to how and where light can be added. Also, not all LED’s have to look like they came out of a space ship. LED’s now are offered in bulbs and fixtures that fit any design style, from futuristic to old fashioned.
Opportunities To Save
Buying the most expensive doesn’t always mean you are getting the best product. We’ve mentioned this in previous posts, but some of the most expensive appliances rated lower in consumer testing than models costing much less. You can get great performance and looks from appliance packages that are reasonably priced.
If the budget is tight, consider a nice looking laminate countertop. Consider it a placeholder until you are ready to upgrade to something more exotic. You may be surprised at some of the new advances in affordable materials, they look and perform great (you may not want to upgrade later!)
Where To Spend A Little Extra
With such a strong emphasis on storage space, our recommendation is that if possible, spend a little extra on your cabinet package. You won’t regret the extra storage space, and niceties like soft closing drawers and specialty storage for larger items are a must have for many homeowners. Opening a kitchen drawer only to have pots, pans, lids, fall out onto the floor should be a thing of the past. Choose cabinets made from high-quality materials with deep drawers, shelves, and well thought out storage options.
If you are considering building a new home, or want to talk more about designing your dream home or kitchen, please give us a call, or contact us online using the form to the upper right! Learn more about the Riteway Difference Here