Kitchen Design Ideas and Layout Hints

Have You Decided to Redesign Your Kitchen? Are your looking for kitchen design ideas?

Your kitchen is one of the key spots in your house. You will spend lots of time in it for leisure and at the same time there are a lot of activities going on there. A pleasurable environment, yet functional, can make your kitchen a favourite place to spend your time and work as well. When you are searching for kitchen design ideas you have to take into account that it has to be both beautiful and practical.

Make your kitchen so it suits your needs and personality!

There are two approaches to designing your kitchen: consider the functionality of each area or choose a theme in which all the details have to fit. A complete theme would take careful consideration of each detail.

If you choose Feng Shui for example, all its principles must be taken into account when you design the kitchen. Feng Shui concerns placing the elements in the right position so they attract positive energy. Like, for example, when you cook you should never face the entrance, this will influence the overall design.

If you go for making decisions according to each area’s purpose there are many possibilities. Important factors are your budget for making the kitchen, its layout, what you like and don’t like. You have to take each element at a time and figure out what solution fits your needs best.

Below you will find some kitchen design ideas and examples.

The floor – it’s an important choice as it influences all the other elements of the kitchen. It has a great impact on the esthetical aspect of the room and will create a powerful impression when someone walks in for the first time. There are different materials you can choose from, but the main choices are tiles, laminated and hardwood. You have to consider both the visual aspect and the functionality, like for instance how easy is it to clean, or will it be too cold. For a cosy, comfortable feeling, floor heating is recommended.

The countertops should have a colour and texture that go well together with the rest of the kitchen, meaning the floor, the paint, and the cabinets. Different materials can be used for esthetical reasons. Having different materials and colours combined can make you kitchen more appealing to the eyes. When you pick up the material keep in mind that it is for long term and that it should be easy to maintain and repair if necessary. The best choices are marble and granite.

Lighting can be made in several ways.

The most frequent choice is to have a large light source in the middle of the kitchen. To avoid working in your shadow around the kitchen, you should have extra lights near the sink, the cooking machine or the shelves. Consider your lighting needs when you decide on the windows sizes and placement as well.

The perfect layout for you

When deciding on the layout of your kitchen your preferences come first. This is a matter of personal choice, what works for you might not be suitable for somebody else, so design it so you feel comfortable with it. The arrangement has to suit your personal style and way of working in the kitchen. Of course the possibilities in kitchen design ideas are limited by the configuration of the space available. Here are some steps you should follow so you get the most out of your kitchen space.

The steps of a kitchen layout

Here is what you should do to fully use the space available in your kitchen and make it look beautiful.

1. Take accurate measurements of the kitchen, and pay attention to all the details such the position of doors and windows, electric plugs and switches, sink and drains, and so on.
2. When you plan the space consider the three functionalities you need in the kitchen: cooking, cleaning and storage, and plan the space accordingly.
3. Decide on what appliances you will have in the kitchen and find out their dimensions so you leave enough space available for them.

These points are important from the functional point of view, if you take them into consideration you are then free to choose the style that is most appealing to your taste. Here are the four typical examples of layout:

1. Corridor style: works great in a kitchen that is rather long than wide. You can organize everything on 2 rows, one for cooking and cleaning and one for storing of goods. Consider leaving at least 1.2 meters in between them so you have space enough to move around.
2. L-shape style: this design allows a generous area for moving around since the cabinetry is placed on two of the walls forming an L shape. This way the activity will take place in the corner.
3. U-shape style: it is a very convenient setup and it is most frequently used in small kitchens.
4. Island style: as opposite to the previous one, this is used in larger kitchens. The cooking area is designed as an independent unit and you will usually have the sink and storage on two of the walls in an L shape.

Of course you can combine different styles and choose from many options available for your kitchen design ideas. Keep in mind at all times that the two important things are that you feel good in it and that it is functional for the work you have to do there.