Creating An Ideal Kitchen
Written by Elizabeth Wood
Editor In Chief, United Home Improvement

If you really think about it, the kitchen is the most frequently used area of the house, solely for its wide range of functions. Depending on the size of your family and the amount of time spent at home, the design of your kitchen should accommodate to the many possible uses. With today’s advanced technology and expanded use of materials, it’s easy to create an ideal kitchen for your home. Below is a list of kitchen considerations to optimize your experience.

• Lighting is essential for great food preparation. If you don’t already have lighting about your stove and under your cabinets, consider adding them. Proper lighting gives kitchen a welcoming feel and ensures safety.

• Choose between a gas and an electric stove. Gas heats up and cools down faster, while electric offers sleeker appeal and is helpful for those sensitive to fumes. Gas also tends to be less expensive to operate.

• The flooring is of utmost importance. One needs to minimize the chances of slipping, for the kitchen floor is one place where water usually spills over. Choose between vinyl, stone, hardwood, and granite tiles.

• There are five primary kitchen layout shapes - the U-Shaped, L-Shaped, Island, G-Shaped, Corridor/Gallery and Single Wall shapes. Select a layout that will enhance your everyday experience.

• Ventilation systems are designed to remove heat, steam, grease and odors released from a range or cook top. Choose between updraft systems, downdraft systems, and ductless range hoods.

• Install kitchen shelves for cook books, and other miscellaneous.

• Use cabinet organizers. There are several specialty organizers available for cabinets.

• Where is your microwave located? Is it the right size and does it take-up too much space? It is suggested, for safety purposes, to place the microwave so its bottom is 24" to 48" above the floor.

• Consider bringing media to your kitchen with a stereo, TV, VCR, DVD, and CD player. This way you can cook dinner and watch your favorite shows and listen to favorites songs at the same time.

• Designate an area to create a mini-office with. This area can be used for sorting mail, doing homework, paying bills, ect. Some people enjoy bringing the family PC to this area.

• Use the kitchen to care for houseplants. Plants bring a wonderful breathe of fresh air to the room.


Another important element to an ideal kitchen includes everything associated with clean-up. The majority of clean up focuses around the sink center and the dishwasher. The sink center is the most frequently used area in the kitchen. In this center, you will have a sink, water and drainage for food preparation and kitchen clean-up jobs. Many homeowners are particular about where the sink center is located. Some like to have it under a window so that they can look outside and keep an eye on the children. Others like to be facing the room.

Double bowl sinks are the most common. However, sometimes single basin sinks offer more room for larger pots and pans. You also have to decide how you want your sink to be mounted. There are four main ways to mount a kitchen sink which include top mounting, under mount, tile in, and flush mount.

The dishwasher completes the sink center. They are typically mounted near the sink making it simple to load the dishes. Location will differ depending on whether you are left-handed or right-handed.

In addition to the sink center, elements such as storage, waste disposal, media, laundry, space management, and décor are also very important. The ideal kitchen takes a lot of planning. You want to bring your kitchen to its highest potential. By examining all the different ways in which you use your kitchen, you will be able to optimize the space and enhance your experience. Looking through magazines will help give you some great designing ideas. Of course it is also recommended to consult a professional kitchen designer for any other questions.

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