So, you’ve finally made the important decision to design your custom kitchen. That is a huge decision that will finally provide you with your dream hosting, cooking, and gathering space. Before you get started on designing your kitchen and hiring a contractor to start the construction process, there are some tips and tricks that you should know.
Understand the Costs
First off, it’s important to understand the cost of the different features that you’re wanting to include in your kitchen. If you take the time to set a budget for your project, it will be a lot easier to determine how you will divide your money between different parts of your kitchen. Doing a bit of research and identifying the different materials that you’ll be using will give you a good idea of how much money it will take to create your dream kitchen. Make sure that you prioritize your budget based on the different kitchen features that you want to include according to how important they are to you. For example, if you really want to include custom cabinets, but you don’t really care about the kitchen appliances, spend some time researching the best companies that will design and install your custom cabinets. Then move on to the next biggest priority and do the same type of research. This process will help you to understand how much your kitchen will cost overall.
Make Enough Counter Space
Second, it is very important to make sure that you include counter space in your planning process. Often, homeowners try to design modern, open, and airy kitchens, and sometimes neglect counter space for a more accessible feel. However, this can cause problems when you find yourself taking on a big cooking or baking project and need the extra counter space. You will never regret increasing your counter size since you’ll always use the space that you have. The more counter space, the better! One way to make sure that you have enough counter space without taking up a ton of room along your sink and walls is to add an island counter. Islands can come in many shapes and sizes, and some are even mobile islands that can be moved around and later locked into place. Islands are great solutions for creating a little more counter space in your kitchen.
Think About Storage
Now that you’ve started thinking about the counter space that you’ll need to cook with all of your kitchen appliances, it is important to remember that you need a space to store all of those appliances. There are many different solutions for kitchen storage, from shelving to cabinets to drawers to wall hangings. While open shelving or glass-faced cabinets have become increasingly popular in recent years, they don’t always provide the best storage space since they are designed more for appearance rather than convenience. On the other hand, cabinets can help organize your kitchen and give you more space to cook. You may want to work with a custom kitchen designer to determine which storage solutions will work best for your kitchen space.
Make it Safe
Even if you don’t have a young family, you’ll inevitably have friends or loved ones over that will have small children running around and playing in your home. You want to make sure that you design your kitchen to be a safe space so that no accidents occur. For example, you may want to take special care to reduce sharp edges and corners when you’re picking out your countertops or designing your custom cabinets. You can easily have the corners of these pieces sanded down or glazed to make them less sharp.
Plan the Layout
Planning your kitchen layoutis arguably the most important step of your whole kitchen design process. It is a step that will help you to make sure that you have enough room within your designated space to include all of the elements that are most important to you. One of the essential parts of planning a kitchen layout is designing walkways. If you plan on spending time on your kitchen, you must make sure that you have clear walkways and an open kitchen design which facilitates direct traffic through the kitchen. This is especially important if you anticipate hosting large crowds.
Kitchen Appliance Placement
As part of your layout planning, consider where you’d like to place your built-in kitchen appliances. Think about the space that each of them will need to be useful and effective. For example, your oven will need enough space to fully open and close easily. Your sink and dishwasher should be placed fairly close together so that you can clean dishes quickly and easily. You’ll want to give space for a garbage bin where it will be easy to access, whether it is hidden in your cabinets or stored in your pantry. Your fridge should also have enough room to open fully, providing easy access when you’re cooking. You’ll want to determine the right height for your microwave so that it will be convenient and accessible for all members of your family. Each of these kitchen appliances will have locations that will work great in your space, all it requires is a little bit of forethought and planning !
Location of Electrical Outlets and Features
As you’re planning the finishing touches for your kitchen, don’t forget to plan out the location of your electrical outlets and appliances. You want to make sure that your electrical outlets are located in a place that is both convenient and pleasing to the eye, which usually means that they’re usually hidden in plain sight. It is a good idea to have outlets near your countertops and on your island where you’ll be plugging in your griddle or mixer or other types of appliances. You can even choose the color of your outlet cover to make them blend in more with your cabinets or backsplash.
Adding Decorative Touches
Once all of your counters, cabinets, and appliances are in place, start thinking about the final decorative elements that will be the cherry on top for your kitchen. Adding a backsplash is a simple solution that can add a polished finish to your kitchen and tie all of your color schemes together. You can also choose metal hardware with certain finishes that will set off your countertops or your cabinet paint in a stunning way.