Designing Your Kitchen

There hasn’t been a time when the kitchen wasn’t the natural gathering place for friends, families and guests at a party. Before electricity, it was always the warmest place in the house during those Canadian winters. These days, it’s the place for kids to do homework as dinner is being prepared, it’s where friends gather and help you create the evening’s feast, it’s a comfortable place where mess and clutter is always accepted.

This is why kitchen designs continue to evolve into bigger, more open, and relaxing spaces. But there are some key elements in kitchen design that will never change and have taken us through the decades.

Large countertop space. It doesn’t matter what style of countertop or if your kitchen is large or small, maximizing the counter space is ideal for allowing the kitchen to be a place to gather. The more counter space, the more help you will get chopping, pouring, and mixing. If that’s not enough to entice you into looking at how you can maximize your counter space, talk to someone who doesn’t have enough space and you will hear the endless stories of frustration and annoyance of never having enough space.

Cupboard space. There is the long-standing debate; more counter space or more cupboards? It’s really up to the homeowner and their needs and wants. The more cupboards you have may allow you to hide those small appliances that usually take up space on your counter, like the blender or coffee maker. One of the new trends in kitchen design is placing cupboards right up to the ceiling giving you more space without compromising your countertop space.

And last but certainly not least is ensuring you add plenty of lighting to your kitchen. You can get away with lamps and dim lighting in bedrooms and even living rooms, but your kitchen should always be bright and there are a couple of reasons why this is important. The first being the obvious one, safety! It’s not safe to be wielding a knife or using a hot stove in a dimly lit room. But secondly, it’s not easy to read a recipe, check the doneness of your food, or making sure the consistency of your sauce is just right.

Designing your new kitchen with these elements will guarantee your kitchen will be a welcoming gathering place in your house.