Designing Your Kitchen to Match Your Style

A kitchen is more than just a place to prepare meals and dine together. It is also a place to gather together, and enjoy a casual conversation over dinner. Kitchens are often the nerve center of the home, where family and friends congregate and talk while munching on snacks.

While designing your kitchen, it is important to keep the family’s needs in mind so that the design matches their style of living. There are many details involved in kitchen design to ensure it will be attractive, useful, comfortable and efficient.

Layout

The foundation of a kitchen is the layout, which should be compatible with its planned functions. A gourmet kitchen may have a U-shape or similar layout for maximum efficiency, or a G-shape to discourage through traffic. A social kitchen may be an L-style, or an open style where it is merged with another room.

Functionality

The main functional design should take the working triangle into consideration. The refrigerator, stove and sink should all be close enough to one another to allow frequent access while cooking. Prep and storage areas should be placed conveniently as well, such a locating a counter top near the refrigerator.

Cabinetry

Cabinets are the most visible part of a kitchen, and cabinets that are custom designed for that kitchen will make it unique. Cabinet design should be considered carefully, since the cabinets are the foundation of the kitchen’s style. Whether your style is contemporary, old world, simple, antique or anything else, it will be showcased by your cabinets.

Solid hardwood construction, properly cared for, will bring beauty and utility for generations to come. There are also many features that customize your cabinets. Glass-front cabinets are popular today, as are built in organizing features. There are many choices in pulls, knobs and hinges to accent your cabinets.

Countertops

Preparation surfaces require rugged materials to stand up to the abuse they will receive without showing scratches and dents. Granite, quartz, marble or other stone surfaces provide the rugged beauty that is ideal for this application.

Appliances

The workhorses of the kitchen should combine robust functionality with style for a beautiful and practical kitchen.

Flooring

Durability, appearance and cleaning are the main considerations with kitchen flooring. Ceramic tiles are very durable and beautiful. They come in many shapes, sizes and colors that can be arranged in unique designs and mosaics. Slate comes in a variety of rustic colors and is very difficult to damage or stain. Hardwood is beautiful and durable, but not as resistant to stains and damage as other materials. Laminate flooring can mimic the appearance hardwood while being more durable.

However you design your kitchen, your cabinet’s design should unite all the elements into a beautiful and fully functional whole. The craftsmen at Cabinets by Graber have been custom building cabinets for more than 30 years. We will work directly with you and your designer to equip your kitchen with the finest cabinets. Contact us to see what we have built for others, and what we can create for you.