Home for the holidays looks very different this year, as an increased number of families are opting for an intimate gathering at home with household members instead of hosting guests. The kitchen is the centerpiece of the home. When it comes to meal preparation, spacious countertops, easy to access drawers, cabinets and cupboards accenting open areas of usable space are important elements of an efficient kitchen layout. Feast your eyes on these functional space saving kitchen trends to make preparing a home-cooked feast perfect for Thanksgiving.
Improve Family Living Space with ‘Flextension’
Brandt Design touts ‘flextension’ in home design, a term used to define flexible living space in rooms like the kitchen, unifying it to the rest of the home. In the kitchen, hide-and-seek storage elements and concealed appliances provide a cornucopia of space for cooking, dining and entertaining, while easily being transformed into usable space for home office and remote learning workstations. The design concept for flexible living in kitchens focuses on integrated kitchen island seating, low-level and floor to ceiling storage solutions, concealed food prep stations and extended breakfast bars or multi-purpose countertop and island units. The hide-and-seek approach can be achieved further by integrating sliding wall storage or shelving compartments, pull-out larders, pop-up shelves and departmental drawer storage solutions.
Accommodate Everyday Kitchen Items in Usable Space
Accessibility is important for kitchen space to function appropriately. HGTV’s Kitchen Storage Styles and Trends credits walk-in pantry organization systems and below the range pantry pullouts with maximizing cabinet space and making hard-to-reach items and heavy objects like cast iron skillets and baking dishes more accessible. Rolling shelves also simplify accessibility to floor-level cabinets, while floating wall mounted shelves make grabbing commonly used containers and spices easier. Everyday kitchen utensils, plates and glasses should be stored at an easy-to-reach chest level in divided utensil and pull-out drawers. Reserve higher cabinet space for rarely used or special occasion objects, like a turkey roaster, gravy boat or fine china.
Built-In Space Saving Appliances
Built-in appliance units are not only aesthetically pleasing, they are also convenient, practical and space saving. When it comes to planning space for appliances, the most important rule of kitchen design is the use of the basic triangle. Designate a place for the sink, stove and refrigerator in each corner of the triangle, positioned at an accessible distance from one another. Keeping the basic triangle in mind, move on to the kitchen shape and layout designed for efficient work space to accommodate food preparation and multiple chefs.
Cabinetry is not only beneficial for storage design, it can also be used as a solution to hide a microwave, dishwasher, refrigerator and regularly used small appliances that generally clutter countertops. Concealed appliances are critical to space saving. Alexandria Living Magazine reports microwave drawers and counter depth built-in refrigerators are trending as well as column refrigerator, freezer and wine towers. Look for built-in wall ovens or cabinet installations in double units for simultaneous baking of the main course and side dishes at different temperatures. Dishwashers covered in a custom cabinet panel also blend seamlessly within surrounding cabinets and countertops.
Our team at Signature Homes by J.T. Maloney understands the importance of kitchen design. That’s why our Lehigh Valley custom built homes offer aesthetically appealing, comfortable and efficient kitchen layouts to make meal preparation convenient.
At Signature Homes by J.T. Maloney, we do more than plan, construct and build. Our team is specially trained to help design each room of the home to work with your everyday life, making living space stylish, comfortable and easy to navigate. Contact us today to get started designing the custom built Lehigh Valley home of your dreams.
From our family to yours we wish you a safe, healthy and happy Thanksgiving!
