While every room in a Fortin-built home is carefully considered and designed for the best functionality, none of them require quite the attention to detail as a functional kitchen design. Every functional kitchen design is thoughtfully planned based on the space available and your needs and requirements.
Do you do a lot of baking? Is your kitchen more of a gathering space? How often do you cook? All of these are questions that will need to be considered when creating a custom kitchen for your needs. Although each kitchen is unique, here are a few tips we’ve learned over the years to create a functional kitchen design no matter what your needs are.
1. Lighting matters
Let’s start from the top: the lighting in your kitchen matters very much for functionality. Kitchens need bright, illuminating light with no shadows or dark areas. Consider every single workspace to make sure it’s fully lit and visible. Have deep countertops that extend under the cabinets? You may need some undercabinet lighting for an assist.
2. The more counter space, the better
Another rule of thumb is to look for ways to save on counter space where possible. We frequently look for ways to prevent some kitchen necessities from taking up valuable workspace, like mounting the microwave or incorporating a kitchen island for example. Counter space is one of the most important aspects of a functional kitchen design.
3. The sink’s placement is strategic.
You may think that the anchor of a kitchen design is the refrigerator or stove, but that is not the case. The sink is actually the single most important element of any kitchen, and its placement is extremely important to your kitchen workflow. The sink should be either directly across from the refrigerator, stove, or work area — or between these stations.
4. Follow the four-to-nine rule for your triangle.
The oven, refrigerator and sink together form the kitchen triangle, and there are literal distances that you should follow when considering the layout for a functional kitchen design. A distance from one point in the triangle to another should always be more than four feet but less than nine feet. It’s ideal to keep those distances the same between all points. Additionally, the space between all three areas should be less than 26 feet altogether.
5. Don’t forget the floors.
Floors are often one of the last aspects considered during a kitchen design, but it is one of the most important. You’ll want to look for a flooring material that is slip resistant, stain resistant, and easily cleaned. Hygiene and safety are significant factors to consider for your functional kitchen. Design with those in mind, and you’ll be grateful when you’re in your new kitchen.
These five factors — and just a few hundred others — should all be carefully considered when designing your custom-built kitchen. Fortunately, our decades of kitchen-designing experience are yours for the asking. Stop by the office anytime during business hours for advice and for a tour of our showroom.