Kitchen Designs for People Who Love to Cook
WHAT’S YOUR STYLE?
People who love to cook need a functional and stylish kitchen that streamlines workflow and reflects the cook’s unique style. If you’re considering remodeling your kitchen, think carefully about your lifestyle as you envision the type of space you’d like to create. Do you need lots of open areas to allow for a constant flow of kids, pets, family and friends through your work area? Or would you prefer a more enclosed space with added work surfaces for food prep? Perhaps you have a minimalist, understated style, or maybe you envision a custom kitchen design that would accommodate equipment or decor associated with culture-specific cuisines. Indeed, each individual kitchen remodel should reflect and complement the cook and his or her needs!
SHOW US WHAT YOU’VE GOT
One of the first considerations in any kitchen remodel is the floor plan. Not only will the kitchen layout optimize workspace, but it should also include an area for family and friends to gather. Kitchen designs fall into one of six common layouts. U-shaped and peninsula shaped floor plans allow the cook to create dedicated food preparation areas that facilitate ease of movement throughout the kitchen. Island layouts increase workspace even more, allowing more cooks into the kitchen to help with big projects. If you don’t have acres of square footage for an expansive kitchen, however, an L-shaped floor plan can effectively optimize the traditional kitchen “work triangle,” which includes the refrigerator, food prep area and stove into smaller spaces. Thanks to a plethora of clever new pull-out, fold down, and hideaway storage options, moreover, even the smallest single wall floor plans or galley layouts can become beautiful cooking and entertaining areas. How will you know which floor plan is best for you? When you consult with Michelle and Stuart about your kitchen remodel, they will assess the physical space you have and make recommendations about how they can effectively transform what you’ve got into what you imagine.
DECISIONS, DECISIONS
Perhaps the most daunting aspect surrounding a kitchen remodel is choosing appliances and decor from the overwhelming array options on the market today. Flooring, for example, includes easy-on-the-feet wood, laminate, and vinyl choices in colors and textures that all look fantastic, and cabinetry options that optimize vertical spaces are also available in a range of styles and finishes. Popular work surfaces include stainless steel, soapstone, granite, marble and quartz, each with distinct natural colors and patterns, and kitchen sinks are available in steel, porcelain, concrete, or composite, and most have one-one bin or two-bin options. Proper lighting is also important in the kitchen, and a thoughtful designer will include a mix of overhead lighting, task lighting, and decorative lighting to create the atmosphere you’re after. Finally, the extensive catalogue of available appliances on the market runs the gamut from basic electric ranges to multi-burner professional gas setups, to “smart refrigerators” controlled by phone apps. With all these options on the table, “decision-fatigue” sets in quickly for many people. Fortunately, though, Michelle and Stuart have years of experience in guiding clients through these decision-making processes and helping them choose kitchen elements that not only work well together, but which also remain within the client’s financial parameters.
WHERE THE HEART IS
We all know that the kitchen is the heart of any home, and as such it should be beautiful and unique as well as functional. It is where most of us begin our days in the morning, and where we end our days at night. Whether you’re a soccer mom who needs miles of counter space to accommodate assembly-line style sandwich making, or a couple who is hosting an elegant dinner party at home, or a chili cook-off champion looking to defend your title, your kitchen should be a place of functionality, pride, and peace. Let Michelle and Start guide you toward recognizing your vision in whatever form that takes.
