The Basics of Kitchen Remodeling
Enjoying time with family and friends usually starts in the kitchen; we gather, break bread, and get ready to head out or wind down. The kitchen has become a multi-purpose room built to prepare a gourmet meal as well as tech-ready to zap a fast meal.
The kitchen is where vacation plans are made, homework assignments are completed, and mail is sorted. It is the crossroads and the resting place to re-fuel and decompress! In all cases, a kitchen remodel is as unique as your signature and personality, so careful attention should be given to design and function.
Kitchen Design Concepts
A well-designed kitchen allows the cook to move around the room pulling bowls, platters, pots and pans, and ingredients together in a fun and convenient way. No longer should you have to dig for items, bend and lift heavy things, struggle with poor lighting, or lack adequate raw and cooked food space.
Even if you don’t “love” to cook, the kitchen should still simplify the task. Below are some basics, such as prep and cooking counter space, sink placement, islands vs. peninsulas, and lighting.
Kitchen Counters
Counter space allows for preparing raw food away from dish-cleaning areas and cooked food areas. Adequate preparation counter area — a minimum of 36” wide — should be given to chop, slice, dice, and trim and cut raw meats. If you try doing this on much less, it’s just too small.
Consider containing cutting boards in a drawer at this counter, with the next drawer containing knives that are organized and sharp. Trash should be just under this location so scraps can be scraped or tossed right in.
Allow about the same space for cooked food; you don’t want raw and cooked items to cross-contaminate each other. Above or near the cooked food area, consider installing a serving pantry where clear glass will allow you to quickly assess the clean dishes, grab one, and plate out the food.
Ideally, you’ll have enough counter space for plating the number of persons in your family — say three or five persons, or 36” to 60” wide. Imagine you just sautéed broccoli rabe and sausage. You have three plates lined up, and after plating the food, you sprinkle on some grated cheese to finalize the dish, which is now ready to be enjoyed.
Kitchen Sinks
Sinks, traditionally set under a window, sometimes work well when relocated into a corner area. This arrangement takes advantage of dead space in the corner while freeing up the window area and window light for the preparation area. Statistics show that more time is spent prepping at the counter than washing at the sink, so why not enjoy the window view while prepping?
We prefer larger, single-bowl sinks over double-bowl sinks. The larger sinks allow for washing big roasting pans and platters. If you need to wash other items, you can use a plastic tub and convert the sink to be multi-purpose.
Most sinks we install are stainless steel, under-mounted with a minimum depth of 8”. A second sink opposite the range is a nice addition for draining pasta or grabbing water for cooking.
Kitchen Islands
Islands are preferred over peninsulas in most of our designs, since walking around a peninsula can be a hassle. However, some kitchens with inadequate width can’t accommodate an island.
A minimum room width to have a sit-down breakfast island with counters on both sides is 13’; anything less and the aisle space will be too tight.
In both cases, allowing two or three stools is great for gathering and a quick in-and-out meal. Don’t worry if you only have room for two stools but have three children — the chances of getting them all seated at the same time are slim anyway!
Multi-height islands and peninsulas should only be used when trying to conceal a sink. Otherwise, the functional counter space will be broken by the two heights and will not work very well, so try to keep everything on one plane.
Kitchen Lighting
Lighting is key in a well-designed kitchen. Over-light and use dimmers and switches so that when you need the light, it will be there. Recessed lights (we use LED 2700K type) placed around the room in conjunction with under-cabinet lights (LED lights are now replacing Xenon and halogen) help cancel shadows and produce good lighting.
All of this should be topped off with one large pendant at the island or two medium pendants. It used to be that three pendants was the magic number, but design trends have changed. This type of light layering, coupled with natural light, produces pleasing colors and functional kitchens ideal for reading, working, and cooking.
Other auxiliary lights can be added for visual effect, such as in-cabinet lights, soft indirect lights, and LED strip lights under the toe-kick to illuminate the floor.
Invest in Your Kitchen
The most rewarding home improvement project you could take on is the kitchen remodel. Renovating and rejuvenating the kitchen will bring years of life and renewed energy back into the space and home. It feels fun cooking in a new space — it’s easier and more exciting. One thing that can’t be promised is that your food will taste better, but you’ll definitely have more fun. Stop in, call us, or send a question about kitchen basics and we’ll help with the ingredients for your beautiful kitchen remodel.