I am in the throws of designing three kitchens – something I haven’t done in years and even then, it really wasn’t my bag. Millwork design is specific and precise and I am a broad stroke kind of girl. Not to mention, I have worked with fantastic kitchen builders who like to do their own drawings so I have never really felt the need to flex that muscle. Phew.
But I find myself here and want to roll up my proverbial sleeves partially because in and amongst my work commitments, I am also planning my own kitchen.
To borrow a cliché, the kitchen is the heart of the home and in increasingly open concept design, it headlines the overall tone of a space. Tall order. Big shoes.
This is the first of three posts that will cover the kitchen gamut – must-haves, favorite influences and sources, and finishes. The heart of the home deserves this much attention. Indeed.
Must Haves (or must considers)
Architecture: The kitchen should be a direct descendant of the architecture of your space. Modern, traditional, transitional, contemporary – this list goes on and on now – but the architectural finish and style should play a heavy hand in your kitchen decisions.
Consider your moldings, your windows, flooring – that delicious whole should be your greatest inspiration for what type of kitchen you land on including style and finish.
Appliance Caddy: Seems there is a gadget for everything and I don’t like them littering my countertop, eating precious surface that is either functional or simply beautiful. I am loving the breakfast caddy we are building into a client’s kitchen right now and I just may borrow for myself. Coffee maker meet toaster meet blender meet electric kettle. Lovely. And as a baker (not really – but I try really, really hard), my epic mixer might find its way into this baby leaving my counters clean. Oh, and my juicer as well.
A Place for Everything: One mistake we make when designing a new kitchen is entirely forgetting the way we were. Here is my reality – I have a young family and kids who will inevitably use the kitchen for everything and anything. There are more bits of artwork and love notes that come home from school than I care to admit but love so completely, each wanting a time on fridge to be admired. We all have iPods, iPads, iPhones – these need to charge and seem to LOVE the heart of the home as much as we do.
These pieces of our lives will have to be considered in my design of our space. Period. We will have a docking station at my work desk in the kitchen, neatly in a drawer mind you, but it will be there. I will have a massive cork board or maybe a magnetic chalk board for lists, reminders, artwork. And I will consider how I cook – honestly – in my planning.
Storage: Don’t under estimate how much storage you need. Ever. A well-stocked pantry is going to save you time and effort. But beyond food stores, a place for serving pieces where each piece is accessible (does this even exist?, says the woman who has to take nine things out to get to the one she needs!), extra plates for company, vases and vessels for flowers (I honestly have one million of these) will be such a treat.