A Functional Kitchen is a Beautiful Kitchen
What does a beautiful kitchen mean to you? To some, a beautiful kitchen means stunning finishes like natural stone countertops and a unique tile backsplash. To others, a beautiful kitchen is an organized kitchen, where everything has a place. To us at Jennifer Butler Design, the most beautiful kitchen is both functional and beautiful.
Designing for Functionality
When designing your kitchen, think about how you want to and will realistically use it. How you use the kitchen should be the driving force behind the overall design. Ask yourself:
Is your kitchen the family hub of your home, or does it only serve as a food prep area?
Do you need a lot of counter space for large gatherings?
Do you have special dishes or decor you want to display?
For the best outcome, work with an interior designer to create a layout for your cabinets and appliances that is tailored to the way you will be working and living in the kitchen.
Creating Zones for Different Activities
Establishing distinct zones in your kitchen can help with organization and functionality.
If your kitchen is an entertainment zone for friends and family, you may want to include an island for extra storage, counter space, and seating; you might even consider including charging ports for yourself and guests in the island.
If you spend a lot of time cooking and baking, you might want to place cabinets and drawers near the oven to keep spices and oils, oven mitts, pot holders, pots and pans, and baking dishes within reach.
Another consideration may be locating your everyday use dishes in cabinets near your dishwasher for convenience when loading and unloading dishes.
Customizing Kitchen Cabinet Interiors for Efficiency
A functional kitchen design doesn’t end at a perfectly tailored floor plan; it also includes the design of the cabinet interiors. Custom designed cabinets help increase function, organization, and storage space in a discrete, sleek way.
Pantry Cabinets with Roll-Out Shelves
Once you have created your floor plan and determined where cabinets will be located, your interior designer will work with you to create a plan for behind the cabinet door.
If you have a pantry, your designer may suggest multiple roll-out shelves. These can be installed at the perfect heights for everything to fit accordingly. Cabinets that house small appliances like a mixer or slow cooker can also include roll-out shelves for ease of access and use.
Drawer Dividers for Utensils and Cookware
Incorporating custom drawer dividers for silverware, spices, and even pots, pans, and lids is a great way to establish designated places for everything in your kitchen. This mitigates damage to your cookware and appliances, and ensures each item has its place.
Efficient Cabinet Accessories
Pull-out spice racks, tray dividers, lazy susans, and vertical storage can help you take full advantage of cabinet space. Your designer will help you identify what is most suitable to you, your kitchen design, needs, and lifestyle.
Designing Your Kitchen with Jennifer Butler Design
Designing a kitchen that works for you and your lifestyle can be so rewarding. At Jennifer Butler Design, our Grand Rapids based team is excited and ready to design the most beautiful and functional kitchen with you. Contact us today to get started!