Modern Kitchen Layouts: Designing for Functionality and Togetherness
Functional, practical, and beautiful–kitchens have changed dramatically over the last decade. How does yours compare to current features?
Not only have kitchen products and appliances undergone major changes in recent years, but more importantly, the way we interact with our kitchens and what we expect from them has changed. No longer is the kitchen a separate room to be hidden from the living area. Contemporary kitchens are an all-encompassing family event. Quality time with the people we care about is becoming more difficult to find, and the kitchen is beginning to serve as the backdrop for our most earnest interactions.
As a custom contractor in Colorado Springs, we’ve helped countless families optimize the redesign process. Make no mistake, there’s now more than one cook in the kitchen, and we design these spaces so that everyone is welcome. Below are the most popular kitchen layouts that our customers find most appealing when designing their remodel.
L-Shape Kitchens
L-shaped kitchen layouts are for small to medium sized kitchens and are great for most production home renovations. Without the need of redesigning too much of an existing home, two adjoining walls form an “L” to host all of the cabinets, countertops, and appliances. With the major necessities pushed to the perimeter of the room, space is often left in the center for a working island. This design adds tremendous function space, maximizes corner space, and provides adequate prep areas for the cooks. A wide variety of functions and features can be added to islands, which is why they’re one of our most popular features, and we’ll talk more about that in their own section below.
Peninsula Kitchens
Peninsula kitchens are basically like the L-shaped kitchen described above, but with an attached island. This is generally a better choice for smaller kitchens that can’t adequately fit a true island. This open design creates a mini-horseshoe and adds additional space for cooks to prepare while at the same time including them in the interaction with guests and onlookers.
Horseshoe Kitchens
Traditionally, horseshoe kitchens utilized three walls. Cabinets ran from floor to ceiling with countertop wrapping around the perimeter. More commonly, we now find that our customers opt to open this up by having one of these walls reduced to a half-wall. This usually bridges common living areas with the kitchen and creates a fantastic open layout. This design provides some of the most usable prep space in the kitchen for the most serious cooks.
Kitchens With Islands
When space allows, a kitchen island is one of the best features you can add to any layout. The additional countertop and cabinetry usually becomes the most utilized space by the cook. The large flat surface is perfect for preparing meals and is usually within close proximity of appliances making it the most convenient. Islands can also offer a ton of versatility with no limit of features depending upon your needs. An additional prep sink with garbage disposal, extra electrical outlets, more cabinetry for storage, a wine cooler, and place to eat with stools. The biggest consideration with an island is clearance. You must have adequate square footage to move around your island without it getting in the way.
Single Wall and Galley Kitchen
These kitchens are often found in condos and lofts, and are the perfect space savers in tight metropolitan areas. You can gain a lot of functionality out of these kitchens, but when space allows, we generally advise opting with one of the other layouts above. However, we do find these styles of kitchens to be very useful in guest houses and as wet bar layouts—essentially secondary kitchens if your home allows.
What’s Best For Your Renovation?
When undertaking a major kitchen renovation, we generally advise giving yourself a little more space. Stealing square footage from living areas and other common spaces can make a lot sense, especially if you’re opening them up to the kitchen. The kitchen is now the focal point: it’s the most interactive and immersive space you have with your family within the home. Phones are set down in this area and the rest of the world melts away as attention is focused on tasks. Getting everyone engaged is only possible if the space allows it.
Give us a call today and we’ll help design a kitchen specifically for you and your family. We’ll optimize the space you have available, and maybe even give you a few ideas you had never considered.
