Picking your favorite kitchen design is one of the most important activities during the planning stage of your kitchen remodeling project. Depending on your functional and aesthetic needs and preferences, you might opt for a conventional or a hybrid kitchen design style. Needless to say, your budget will play a huge role in determining the most appropriate design style for your kitchen. Depending on the kitchen layout and features, there are three main/conventional types of kitchen designs: gourmet, family-friendly and entertaining. If you wish, you can implement an altered/hybrid version of any of these styles by combining some features from each or all of them. To choose rationally, consult a reliable kitchen remodeler in your locality. For instance, search for any professional plumbing company offering DC kitchen renovations in its service bouquet if you live in Washington. Outline your project features to these experts and request their advice on the most appropriate design for your kitchen.
Gourmet Kitchen
Regarded as the best option for a foodie, this bon vivant kitchen design focuses on functional performance as opposed to aesthetic appeal. A gourmet kitchen features professional appliances and fixtures, ample facilities for specialty storage, and durable and easy-to-maintain countertops and surfaces. Appliances and fixtures are chosen for performance and the layout focuses on functional zones for food preparation and cookery, meal service, and after-meals cleanup.
They usually feature multiple sinks, lowered countertops for baking, wood butcher-block counters for food chopping, open shelving storage cabinets, and large tile, rubber or wooden floors that are easier on the feet. Quartz is usually the surface of choice because it is strong, easy-to-clean, stain-resistant, nonporous, and durable. They usually have task lighting fixtures like under-cabinet lighting and pendants to focus light on specific workspace zones. Some of the most common gourmet kitchen appliances and features include professional-grade gas ranges, double ovens, warming drawers, dishwasher drawers, convectional microwaves and stand-alone refrigerators.
Entertaining Kitchen
Regardless of the space size, entertaining kitchens are designed to host house guests — whether for casual or formal parties, buffets or sit-downs among other events. They feature specialty features that are meant to ease the service of food and beverages in the kitchen area. Although space is not a key factor, you should consider the floor space in relation to the expected number of guests per session.
To underline the functional nature of this design, entertaining kitchens merit sleek appliances for entertainment, such as flat screen TVs, glass cabinets to display beautiful dishware, and point-of-service refrigeration, instead of professional-grade kitchen equipment. Mostly, these kitchens are adorned with stainless steel features including warming drawers, double dishwashers and wine coolers. In some cases, raised countertops are used as cooking spaces and to hide dishes, while in other cases they serve as party dining surfaces (snack bars, dining tables or support surfaces for guests).
Family-Centered Kitchen
As the name suggests, family-centered kitchen designs include features and a layout that aims at optimizing the functional value of the kitchen in relation to household needs. Basically, this design style must cater for individual cooking and nutrition needs for each and every member of the family including the kids, pets and even the parents as they prepare household meals. Although gourmet and entertaining kitchens include family-friendly features, family-centered designs focus only on creating functional household kitchen spaces. To enhance the functionality of the kitchen as demanded by the household, family-centered kitchen designs empathize space planning and cabinet storage features.
Family-centered kitchens feature easy-to-clean and durable countertop surfaces and floors like quartz or laminate, accessible pantry cabinets for storage of foodstuffs, snack bars, refrigerator drawers, and convectional microwaves. These kitchen designs usually feature an open plan layout that blends the kitchen and the living room together.