A HOLISTIC APPROACH TO KITCHEN DESIGN : Bringing Together Form, Function + Beauty in Designing Your New Kitchen

An Overview on Kitchen Design

The Kitchen remains, since it moved up from the basement about 100 years ago, the warm, beating heart of the home. It’s where we create sustenance, gather our friends and family, sit for homework, bond with girlfriends over an end-of-day glass of wine, or catch up on emails. It’s where we go for our first coffee when we wake up, and return just before bed for that last glass of water. It’s where we catch up with loved ones while baking cookies, or mourn a loss in some ice cream. The Kitchen IS home. It’s truly our heart.

But not only is It the most important room in the home, it’s also the most technical. A great Kitchen goes far beyond ‘the triangle’ (NO!) or plug-and-play basic principles of order. Kitchens that are well-designed are organized in work Zones, have what you need exactly where you need it, take safety and efficiency into consideration, carry your personality and cooking style into the details, and still remain beautiful. 

Luxury in Kitchens doesn’t just mean a fancy Appliance or expensive cabinetry. Having the best, means having the best FOR YOU. The best layout for the way you cook. The best area for Prep, a step from where you Cook. The best cabinet styles for quick and easy access while in the rush of working a dish. The best machines to cater to your specific cooking needs. 

When it comes to Kitchen Design for the passionate home Cook, work with someone who understands these major principles of design in this layered space, the processes of cooking and working in the Kitchen, the complexities of multiple functions—along with adjoining spaces, and the intricate details required to bring it all together. And also consider balance, beauty, symmetry/asymmetry, form, cohesion, personality and passion. 

It’s a lot! Hiring the right people is an important first step.

Why Kitchen Design Matters

Kitchens are complicated spaces - and not limited to one space. Their relationships to the dining, eating, outdoor cooking/eating and sitting areas are as important. All considered, it’s easy to not get it right.

Homeowners Often Aren’t Getting What They Want / Wish for in their Kitchen

Unfortunately there are too many stories out there of homeowners with brand new Kitchens - that don’t work. The things they need aren’t where they need them. There is no place to Prep (up to 80% of your Kitchen time!). Similar Appliances are at opposite ends of the Kitchen. It doesn’t … flow. 

When a Kitchen is designed with a basic ‘triangle’ or ‘plug-and-play’ method of organization, it often means that how a Cook physically uses the space wasn’t considered. Many Design and Architectural Firms hand off the ‘simple’ job of designing the Kitchen to their junior staff. Rarely have the actual tasks at hand been taken into account. For those who take cooking and gathering quite seriously, a Team that understands their importance matters.

Safety and Ergonomics Are VERY Important in Kitchen Design

Safety is a major concern in the Kitchen where boiling liquids, sharp knives, open flames, broken glass and many other hazards can - and at times definitely will - be present. Open-ended handles that catch clothes, counters that aren’t deep enough to avoid sharp falling objects, unnecessary extra steps offering more opportunity for spills, wall ovens that force a reach that’s too high can all cause otherwise avoidable accidents and consideration should be given to thoughtful design.

Ergonomics helps us use the Kitchen space in ways that don’t cause back pain, knee problems or sore joints. Fastening drawer pulls 3-4” lower for the aesthetics of the ‘mid-drawer’ position means extra inches bending at the knee every time. An alternate/island countertop 2” shorter or higher for smaller or taller humans is helpful on the neck and back for the hours involved in chopping and dicing. Wide finger pulls can allow for opening drawers at any angle, perhaps saving an extra step in time. Multi-Cook Kitchens should allow for separate paths of movement so their ‘dances’ don’t clash. Spending time in this space of sustenance and healing shouldn’t cause us pain!

Beauty Follows Form and Function in Kitchen Design

And let’s not forget beauty! We believe strongly that one can make any functional Kitchen beautiful, but you can’t often make a beautiful Kitchen suddenly function. It doesn’t work as an after-thought. Beauty should be integral to the Design process from beginning to end, from simple things like aligning ceiling lighting to cabinets and Appliances, to keeping fingerprints off by using fewer painted finishes. Warmth and personality should be a conversation throughout the project. 

And we don’t mean over-designing with every little detail out of catalogs - leave opportunity for moments of magic through found objects, travel treasures or memory items. Celebrate your collections and embrace little groupings over sterile environments. Explore balance and asymmetry over strictly symmetrical (and sometimes uninteresting) layouts. Every decision with purpose.

Considered Design : Bringing it All Together in the Kitchen

When you take into account all the points above, you can see why putting careful consideration into every design decision is important in the complex space of the Kitchen. It has to function well AND be beautiful, working AND relaxing. For those who cook and gather passionately, getting it right matters. Having the right Team will get you there.

Working with  a Professional Kitchen Consultant

When your goal is a thoughtfully considered Kitchen space that will meet all your needs (and most of your wishes!), having the right team behind you is the first step. Your Contractor, Millworker, Designer and/or Kitchen Consultant are there to give you professional advice, to manage the project and to leave you with a beautiful, functional completed space - but also to LISTEN. The team's expertise combined with your specific needs are what should make the Kitchen a successful project. Having the right people is important. But also in the end, it’s the cook - the family - who has to live in this space long after the team has gone.