How to Design the Perfect Kitchen

So, the first thing we’ve got to tackle here is the definition of the “perfect kitchen”. What is the perfect kitchen?

It’s a simple question, and the short answer is that “it depends”.

The perfect kitchen for one person isn’t going to be perfect for another person. If you have a family to feed, then you might want a kitchen designed with loads of storage and the capacity to easily feed a lot of people. But if you live alone and only cook for one or two people, you might not have the same needs.

On a similar note, someone who cooks a lot and makes everything from scratch will require a very different kitchen to someone who prefers simpler meals or food prepared by someone else. 

Ask yourself what you need out of your kitchen, then think about what you want. After all, there are so many options for design choices and styling, and not every one will speak to you. 

The kitchen renovation is almost always one of the most intensive projects when you’re renovating your home. So, it pays to start planning.

Planning Your Kitchen Budget

There’s a saying that you’re almost certain to have heard before that goes “if you fail to plan, you plan to fail.” Normally it’s applied to students studying for exams, but you can use that principle to refer to any large project, whether it’s in your career, personal life, or in reference to your home renovation.

When planning your kitchen, you first need to start with everyone’s least favorite subject, money.

Unfortunately, most kitchen renovations cost a pretty penny. You can save money when renovating your kitchen, but before you can find ways to preserve your hard-earned cash, you need to work out exactly how much you can afford to spend.

When setting a budget for a project like this, don’t stretch your funds to the maximum of whatever you can afford right away. Big projects can go wrong, so your budget needs to include some wiggle room. 

Once you’ve set a budget, you can start saving and planning out the project and your kitchen design.

Designing Your Kitchen

So, here we come to the meat of the article, designing the kitchen itself.

Before you start designing and planning in earnest, it’s a good idea to get a general idea of what you’re looking for. We’ve touched on personalizing your kitchen to suit your specific needs, so write down the “must haves” and the “would be nice” design features for your future kitchen.

It can also help to look for inspiration. Pinterest boards and blogs are great ways to find more inspiration for different styles and kitchen layouts that could revolutionize your cooking experience.

When thinking about kitchen design, you also need to consider what style would work best for your home. If the rest of your house is modern and sleek, a cluttered country kitchen might look out of place. Your home design doesn’t need to be boring or completely homogeneous, but it helps if it at least flows nicely.

Once you have a general idea of what you want, use an online kitchen design tool to plan and visualize your kitchen.

You should also consider how much work the project will be. For example, if you want to switch out the layout of your kitchen and move large appliances around, you will need to not only rip everything out, but also change the electrical and plumbing outlets in your kitchen.

Keeping the layout the same is the simplest option, but sometimes an inefficient kitchen layout can be a pain to deal with. You can move around counters and cupboards with relative impunity, however, so look for different layout options that will meet the middle ground of being easy to install, while giving you the kitchen of your dreams.

Be prepared to make sacrifices and accept that, sometimes, you can’t always get exactly what you want. Whether you’re constrained by money or space, you might have to compromise. But with enough planning, you can still end up with an amazing kitchen for all your effort.

The Perfect Kitchen Appliances

One of the most expensive parts of any kitchen refurbishment has to be the kitchen appliances. First of all, you don’t always have to replace every large appliance in your kitchen, especially if you have free-standing appliances. You can even take your appliances with you when you move house.

So, if your appliances are fine as they are and they suit your new kitchen, leave them be. If not, or if you want to upgrade them along with the rest of your kitchen, then the same degree of planning applies. 

For example, the refrigerator is an integral part of any kitchen. So, think about your needs as usual. Do you like to meal prep? If so, a large fridge and a freezer with plenty of space will allow you to store meals much more easily. If you have a large family, then you’ll need all the space you can get. But if you find that your refrigerator is always half empty, you can save money and space by getting a smaller appliance.

This can be a great way to determine what you need and cut down. If you live alone, you might find that a single countertop induction ring and an airfryer can cover your cooking needs just as well as a full oven and stove top. 

Those are some of the larger appliances, but what about small appliances. Again, every person has different needs.

A microwave comes in handy in most kitchens, as you can quickly heat up whatever you need and even cook food if you know how to use it. A toaster or toasting oven might also be a must, but everything takes up precious space on the countertop.

Of course, you can’t talk about small appliances without mentioning the all-important coffee machine. The best coffee machine for home always depends on, you guessed it, your preferences. Do you want a lot of coffee made relatively simply? Then a filter machine might be ideal. But what if you care about quality above all else? Well, then find a machine that does the works, including grinding beans, steaming milk, and making a perfect espresso every time.

Stocking Your Kitchen

Once your kitchen is ready to go, it’s time to stock your kitchen. Now, most people already have the pots, pans, utensils, and everything else they need. But if you do need to restock, start with the basics and work from there.

Cups, glasses, bowls, plates, and cutlery are a must. From there, invest in a few sharp kitchen knives (a chef’s knife and a bread knife are a good place to start) and a cutting board to protect your countertop. A couple of mixing bowls will always come in handy, as well as food storage boxes.

Most people will need at least a couple of pans. A saucepan and a frying pan are a good place to start, as well as a roasting tray or two. Cookie trays are always handy to have around.

As well as the bare necessities of utensils and tools, stock up your kitchen with the basic pantry essentials. Flour, oil, salt and pepper (as well as other spices) are a good starting point, then you can think about vegetables, meat, and other ingredients that you use often when preparing meals. Ideally, you should be able to whip up a quick meal whenever you need to.

The perfect kitchen can have a huge impact on your life, so make sure you get it right the first time.