Have you always wanted to make changes to your kitchen, so it’s more functional and makes the best use of its space? A great layout is just one aspect of creating a cooking area that meets your lifestyle needs and style taste. In addition, you need ample storage for your favorite ingredients, dishware, and other related supplies, as well as enough counter space when unloading groceries.
Below are eight tips that can help you take an inefficient kitchen area into a culinary dream that makes every meal a joy to prepare.
1. Creating an Optimized Floor Plan
One quick way to perfect your kitchen layout is to move things around. You want clear pathways to your major appliances and ample space for your family to move around if in this area at the same time. Even if you have a door or window causing a loss of usable space, these too are movable to accommodate a better arrangement. For some, removing part of a wall to an adjoining room is the perfect solution for a cramped floor plan.
2. Writable Walls
Do you always seem to lose your shopping list or forget items that need to be added? A small spot with either a chalkboard painted wall or a hanging whiteboard is the perfect solution. Whether you need to keep track of a to-do list for the day or a recipe for grandma’s sugar cookies, having a spot to write messages is ideal. No more losing sticky notes or shopping with an incomplete grocery list.
3. Revamp Your Storage Options
One of the key features of any kitchen is storage space. However, cabinets can be a blessing and a curse because while they store many kitchen items, their design may not be the most efficient. For example, bottom cabinets are often awkward to get into, and stored goods get easily forgotten in these dark recesses.
Fortunately, there are many custom kitchen cabinets in Bryn Mawr, PA, that can create better access and use of these areas. In addition, you can have built-in drawers installed, so you don’t have to stoop into an awkward position to get your favorite mixing bowls.
4. Install an Extra Sink
If you currently have a single sink, consider installing a second or upgrading to a double basin version. This will make washing your dishes or rinsing your favorite fresh veggies a breeze. It also provides extra space to complete different household projects without hogging the entire sink to yourself.
5. Choose Decor That’s Functional
While decorating your kitchen with cute decorations is fun, if you’re living with limited space, consider displaying only functional utensils and cooking ware. For example, invest in some beautiful mixing bowls or adorable spice shakers for your favorite herbs. Cutting boards and pans are beautiful when hung or put on an organizer stand in your cooking area. Doing this will also help save space in your cabinets and drawers for other frequently used items instead.
6. Dedicate a Drawer for Your Spices
Do you hate all the containers you have for spices? These goods can waste space, and it’s hard to find a shelf that can hold them all. Instead, consider installing a retractable drawer in one of your cabinets to keep them organized instead. This will save you tons of countertop space and minimize how much dust they collect.
7. Use Your Cabinet Doors for Added Storage
Do you already use your cabinetry handles to hold onto potholders or eco-friendly reusable paper towels? What about the interior of these doors? Believe it or not, there are interior hooks you can put on these doors to store your measuring spoons, pans, and other items. There are also slim racks designed for the interior of a cabinet door to hold onto things like aluminum foil or plastic wrap.
8. Install Specialized Lighting
Another way to make your kitchen more functional is to ensure you have lighting where you need it most. Many homes have an overhead light in these areas, but homeowners get frustrated because this position means they cast a shadow onto whatever they’re preparing. Instead, consider installing under cabinet LED light strips and a hanging pendant lamp over your sink. This will create improved illumination that doesn’t have you wobbling around trying to get your shadow out of the way while cooking or washing dishes.
Conclusion
While it’s true that expanding your kitchen’s layout may not be possible without knocking out some walls, it’s possible to make the space you’re working with more functional and convenient. The smallest kitchens often need to reposition a few appliances and a more orderly approach to storage. The easiest method to improve your cooking space’s flow is to improve how your cabinets get utilized and use related wares as decor instead.
Functional kitchens are a great investment and can be the source of many great memories when optimized.
