subject: Designing Your Kitchen [print this page] Designing Your Kitchen Designing Your Kitchen
Kitchens were once a place one just used for practical matters such as cooking food. Today the kitchen is much more, both pragmatically and socially. The kitchen is the place people tend to gravitate, linger and live. With that, many are choosing to focus on the value of designing their kitchen with all the luxury they desire.
Before renovating your kitchen or designing from the bottom up, there are some thoughts and concepts that must be taken into consideration. To start, if you haven't already done so, begin collecting ideas from other kitchens, magazines, designers or friends of what styles, concepts or ideas you love. Don't worry about how congruent they are with each other yet, just begin a scrapbook of everything you love or would want in your dream kitchen.
Second, start asking yourself what it is you want to do or already do you in your kitchen. Do you spend a lot of time baking? If so, you will want to invest in a convection oven. Do you have a large family who goes through a lot of dishes? Then what size of dishwasher will you need? Does your family eat at different times - there is always the warming oven. Appliances and their style and function are quite diversified, so identifying what you want out of your appliance before shopping for them will help you find exactly what you need or want. Another lifestyle question to take into consideration when designing your kitchen is how you and your family prefer to dine. Do you like formal dining, counter dining or dining in a breakfast nook. Having a kitchen you can eat in may require an adequate amount of counter space, which may mean the insertion of a kitchen island, to free up that space.
Third, what is the style you are going for in your kitchen? There are many different styles one can choose from that are all classy and luxurious. If you want to mix and match styles, you can be eclectic. Other kitchen styles include: Arts and Crafts, Asian, Contemporary, Country, English Cottage, Federal, French Country, Lodge, Mission, Modern, Neoclassical, Old World, Rustic, Shaker, Transitional, Tudor, Tuscan and Victorian.
Once you have made a decision in style, you can get down to the nitty gritty - such as what types of cabinets will you need and how much storage is necessary? Planning for the addition of kitchen items is also wise as you don't want to outgrow your kitchen before its even finished. If you are building a new home, laying out the amount of room you want in your kitchen along with its proximity to other rooms is important. Hiring a professional may save you a lot of time, headaches and even money. While the professional will charge for their services, they know how to make the most use of a room and can remind you of some of the necessities every kitchen must integrate within it.
Laying out your kitchen on paper is also helpful. A professional may even have computer software that helps you develop a three dimensional rendering of what your kitchen could look like based on your ideas. You might be able to buy your own software for this as well if you are comfortable in using a computer.
What will your kitchen's shape be? While this appears to be a simple question, it is an important one. Kitchens can be in the shape of a U, L, even a G.
While designing your dream kitchen is fun and exciting, it also may be the most complex and thought provoking part of designing your whole home. But in the end, you will have the luxury designer kitchen of your dreams.
