5 Home Kitchen Design Ideas
There is no place better than the home. Arguably, the kitchen is the most important part of the home: It is where food is served, guests are entertained, and work is done. Having a beautiful, livable kitchen is an important part of a day-to-day life. A wonderful kitchen is not just a dream reserved for the pages of a magazine: Below are some great kitchen design ideas to improve your home and family life.
Give Yourself Enough Room
A great kitchen is not effective unless it is versatile. Versatility begins with space. Make sure to give yourself enough space for everything you want to do. Do you have enough space for counter-top appliances? Do you have enough room to cook several portions of a meal at once? Thinking about space will allow you to enjoy your kitchen and utilize its versatility.
Space can be maximized with extra cabinets and counters, as well as space-saving appliances. Consider installing an island or purchasing appliances that can be mounted on a wall. Also consider other upgrades, such as a small work nook or desk. Frankly, paperwork tends to inundate the kitchen quite often; having a separate area for miscellaneous work will help keep you organized. Such investments will lead to years of future enjoyment.
Storage is another aspect of space and versatility. The proper amount and location of storage areas in the kitchen is vital to its livability. Before remodeling, determine the biggest organizational problems in your kitchen. Be sure to include remedies for these issues in your remodeling plans. When in doubt, err on the side of excess space for cabinet and storage layouts.
Be Smart with your Appliances
Another kitchen design idea is something that you have probably heard all too often: be conscious of your energy footprint. Even if you aren’t a hardcore environmentalist, reducing your energy use can have a great economic benefit. Installing Energy Star appliances is the easiest way to ensure efficiency in the kitchen. Although the devices may be more expensive up front, the savings and the value they add to the house are certainly worth the cost. Some tax rebates are also available for certain appliances.
Install Proper Lighting
Proper lighting is vital to a vibrant, livable kitchen. Recessed lighting over the sink and counters is often a nice touch. A separate fixture should be placed over an island or in any nooks where light from the main fixture may not reach. If your kitchen includes a dining table, a separate fixture over it is also necessary.
It is also important to choose the correct light bulbs for your fixtures. Every type of light bulb usually comes with two options: incandescent or compact fluorescent. The compact fluorescent bulbs are much more economical, but give off a different quality of light than the incandescent. In a kitchen, it normally looks better to go with the yellowish, less intense light of the incandescent bulb. Compact fluorescent bulbs emit a harsh, white light that can add a negative character to the room and distract guests.
When planning a layout for your kitchen, decide where to place windows: a kitchen should be fully lit by the sun during the day. This makes the kitchen seem welcoming and open. A window over the sink and a larger window near the dining table (if you have one) will usually do the trick. However, window design is one area where you can get very creative, based on the location and the intricacies of your kitchen.
Decide on a Theme
Themed kitchens are considered by most to be an attractive part of a home. Even simple themes, such as contemporary or classic, give the room character and appeal. Visitors will have something to instantly notice and admire, and you will have something to enjoy every day. Consider a designer kitchen; although these may be more expensive, they add an irreplaceable feel of personalization to the home.
If a designer kitchen isn’t for you, simple color combinations and cabinet choices can embody various themes. Even if your theme isn’t overly prevalent, it can still add character to the kitchen.
Enjoy Your Kitchen
All in all, the kitchen should be one of your most enjoyable rooms. Experiment with different kitchen design ideas to make you kitchen more personalized for your home and family.
When we bought our house, it was newly remodeled, so I haven’t had to do any work in there. Yet….
You are so right space and appliances are so important for any kitchen. Lighting also helps not to cut anything but the food 🙂
Haha, yes, good lighting is definitely important for several reasons.
What an interesting post and there is nothing more exciting than renovating one’s kitchen! At least it is for me!
These are really great tips. Our kitchen is small so I appreciate the idea of having an island or small table to help with storage and organization.
These are all really great ideas. We just moved and we are still working on setting up the kitchen. I am currently looking for a larger kitchen table.
I have been thinking about putting a small movable island in my kitchen. When my Hubs and I are both working in it, we get in each others way. I mentioned an island to him last week and he thought it was a great idea.
Growing up, we had a cart like the one shown with wheels – we called it the microwave cart and it was a beautiful addition to the kitchen. I love all of these ideas.
I love working in my kitchen and would have to agree lots of cabinets are a must have! These are great tips!
I agree. One reason why we chose the home we did was due to its kitchen. It was a choice between open concept, or awesome kitchen and we chose awesome kitchen.
These are great tips. We remodeled our kitchen a year ago. Majorly remodeled. Gutted it down to the floor boards and the rafters above and no wall. I went to Houzz for inspiration for my kitchen and was very happy with the outcome.
What great timing for this post. We are in the process of purchasing new furniture for our living/dining rooms (great room) and working on a new color scheme. Deciding on lighting has been very tough!
I really like the idea of a moveable kitchen island especially if there isn’t enough counter space.
I feel like lighting is one of the most important elements in a kitchen. Not just because you don’t want to chop your fingers off, but also because natural light makes the most important room in the house feel even more cozy and welcoming.
great tips! 🙂 we’re currently renting out our home and traveling and moving around.. but eventually when we settle back home.. we want to do a new kitchen renovation. i would eventually love to have a kitchen island!
This is a great post, thanks for sharing. We have dreams for our kitchen one day 😉 down the road… but as of now, have only made a few smaller changes (like painting the walls and adding a pantry).
I love these great ideas! It took me awhile, but now I have a kitchen that I totally love!
We definitely could use better lightening in our kitchen area. it’d be better for our plants.
These are some awesome designs for kitchens indeed. I love the light fixture above and I will be getting something like this one for my kitchen which needs better lighting in it. The lighting is so important I believe along with the coloring in the kitchen. Thanks for sharing.
Proper lighting and a nice theme can make you an easy on the eye looking kitchen. It can also appear more spacious and more comfortable.
I’ve been thinking of getting a little island on wheels. We need more storage for our pots and pans.
We’re leasing our home so we can’t do any upgrades yet. Love the lighting suggestions.
That kitchen cart id awesome. It would totally match my current cabinets too.
Great tips! Our kitchen is ugly. Awful and outdated but we rent. Sadly, so there’s not much we can do. Hoping to move this summer, and maybe be able to do some fun and pretty things!
You are right about space. My kitchen is super small and it is not very convenient
Proper lighting in a kitchen is so important. Leaving yourself enough room to move around makes it a lot easier to cook.
I love these ideas. My kitchen is in need of a makeover!
I love a spacious and well-lit kitchen! It makes cooking and preparing meals more relaxing!
I remember when my parent’s remodeled their kitchen, one of the first things they did was install a whole bunch of lighting. Maybe too much, but you can never say it’s dim in there.
Those are great tips. I love the rolling island so convent.
I need a new house with a kitchen that has a pantry. lol Honestly though, new lighting made a world of difference in how I felt about our kitchen. I was amazed at what a difference such a small change made!
This is a really cool idea. I never thought about having a mobile kitchen like this.
I love the little portable island, I’d definetley want one of those. We are in the process of getting a loan to buy our first home.
Nice tips! I love the first arrangement. We badly need to spice up our kitchen.
I really like that you touched on proper lighting. It’s often an aspect of kitchen remodeling that goes overlooked or understated. Lighting is very important in helping to create the look or the vibe that you really want in your kitchen.
Helpful tips and ideas that home owners can follow through. Thanks for it.