If you’re considering a kitchen remodel, or if you’re building a new home, there are some things that you will be very glad you did in your kitchen when you’re done.  You don’t want to be one of the homeowners that stand in their kitchen with regret as they consider what they “should” have done.

Consider these key components of kitchen design that you will be glad you included in your project. 

1. Enough Storage Space

Many people don’t realize how quickly they push the limits of the storage space they build into their kitchen. When remodeling or moving in, it may seem like enough. But after a while you collect more and run out of convenience space.

When designing, utilize every possible place for more storage. There are plenty of ways to do this and still retain your style and unique look. You can built in lots of hidden places to store things and not give up your look.

Ask yourself, “after I’m here for years and run out of room, where will I wish I had put more storage?”.

2. Plan for Perfect Lighting

You could have an amazing new kitchen, but is it displayed right when people walk in? Lights make a huge difference in making your kitchen “pop” at first impression as well as setting the continual mood.

• Do you have glass doors? Lighting goes perfect inside glass door cabinets to make them look very impressive.

• Under-cabinet lighting adds an impressive look and feel to just about any kitchen. Especially when the lights are down and your entertaining or having football game parties with friends. 

• Track or Can Lights also make the kitchen look just right if planned and designed correctly. Get a professional to help you lay it out just right.

3. Think About the Non-Cabinet Items

It’s obvious to think about the things that go in your cabinets, but make sure you consider all the things that may not typically go into cabinets.  Don’t be stuck wishing you made a place for them elsewhere when it’s too late.

• Appliances – Consider putting medium-to-large appliances inside of your cabinets via the plethora of options to hide them. Whether it’s appliance garages, hidden compartments, spring-out shelves, or custom cubbies to make them appear and disappear when you want.  Do it right and they won’t be cluttering up your countertops.

• Trash Bins – Do you really want an ugly trash can sitting in the middle of your kitchen? Or even taking up room outside or on the edge of your kitchen?  Consider putting trash bins inside an island cabinet or elsewhere.  It’s one more thing that’s hidden and keeps your kitchen clean looking, but causes much regret when it’s a “too late” afterthought.

• Spices - Spices can be a disorganized mess, even inside of cabinets.  Design an organizer into your kitchen that makes it simple to keep them in order, easy to find, and convenient to access every time you need some.  After-market spice organizers are typically disappointing and misfits.  You’ll be much happier if you design in your organization method of storing spices and like items.

4. Put The Past Behind You

This may be hard for some, but when you start with a new kitchen, try to forget about the current design and constraints you’re stuck with today.  Too many times people end up carrying forward the things they didn’t like with their old kitchen, just because they think it’s too difficult, or too expensive to change them.

Give yourself the benefit of the doubt and let your designer give you the kitchen you REALLY want, leaving the things you don’t like behind.  If it turns out to be too expensive, then fine, look for another way to accomplish it.  But at least try to get past the challenging things. 

5. Safety

You never want to regret skimping on safe design, after something happens.  Consider places you might regret not thinking through later, depending on the ages and needs of your family or friends. 

• Flooring – Will kids be sliding through on slippery flooring material and hurting themselves? Consider what flooring will best fit your family’s needs.

• Countertops Design – Will sharp or abrupt edges on your countertops be the perfect height for kids to cause head trauma as they chase each other through the kitchen? Or will your nice bump-out at your sink or range be a painful annoyance to your mother’s already sore hip that needs a hip replacement? 

• Burns – How easy will it be with your appliance choices for people to be burned? Consider what options will be the safest.

6. Maintenance

Will you need to seal your countertops or flooring often enough to cause regrets?  Will wood floors have a short life with your kids’ hockey-in-the-house habits?  Will the stained or painted finish on your cabinet wear out too fast because of frequent dirty or oily hands on them?

Consider all things when making your kitchen selections and decide what future regrets could come from those choices.  Maybe there’s a better option based on your habits.

7. Countertop Space

When considering storage space, walking space, and all other things in your kitchen, determine if you will be happy with the resulting countertop space.  To be happy long term, you may need to make some structural changes to buy you more room.  Countertop space is “happy space” when it comes to feeding and entertaining in a kitchen.  Lack of surface could be a great cause of annoyance and regret.

Thinking through all of these things will help you get a jump on your perfect kitchen.  A little thought and planning before it begins will put you in the best position to be happy for the life of the kitchen and not unhappy down the road.

If you are ready to begin planning your upcoming Chicagoland custom kitchen remodel and would like to schedule a free consultation you can contact us here.

Click below to download a free kitchen layout guide.