An average American will spend 37 minutes a day preparing food in the kitchen. But if you love to cook, you probably flex your culinary muscles more than ten hours a week. No matter how much time you spend over the stovetop, is your kitchen up to the task?
Limited counter space, few storage options, and a clumsy layout can turn cooking into a chore. And if your appliances aren’t up to snuff, a bad kitchen can even impact the quality of your cooked meals.
But it doesn’t have to be this way. With these design ideas for a chef’s kitchen, you can enjoy no-fuss cooking once more.
A Chef’s Kitchen is the Best Kitchen: 6 Kitchen Design Ideas
We all know the idyllic image of a chef’s kitchen from our favorite shows and movies. They look nothing like the kitchens we have at home. Even if you aren’t a professional chef, a chef style kitchen prioritizes efficiency and is an upgrade over a typical home kitchen.
Consider these six kitchen design ideas for your next kitchen remodel.
1. Plenty of Counter Space
Of all the woes of owning a traditional kitchen, the worst is the lack of usable space. Decades ago, maybe a few feet of counter space was all you needed. Now our coffee makers, toaster ovens, and microwaves claim most of our countertops.
You probably struggle to find space just to cook a simple meal. But cooking should never be a struggle. With a chef’s kitchen remodel, you can implement smarter counter space options. Even the addition of an island can make a significant impact on the functionality of your workspace.
Interested in a remodel? Here are some things contractors don’t tell you.
2. Open Floor Plan
An open floor plan is a necessity for any chef’s kitchen. With so many talented cooks buzzing about, it’s important that there’s plenty of room to maneuver. This holds true even for your home kitchen.
If you’ve ever cooked with someone else in the same kitchen, you know it can be a frustrating experience. Changing your kitchen’s floor plan makes room for several helpers to work uninhibited.
Plus it’s easier to entertain with an open floor plan. While you cook, your guests can situate themselves at the island while you all converse. You’ll be part of the conversation, rather than being locked away in the stuffy kitchen while the party is out in the living room.
3. A Convenient Workspace
Everything you need should be within arm’s reach. A chef’s kitchen utilizes a principle of design known as the kitchen work triangle. This situates your work area between three distinct appliances: the stove, the refrigerator, and the sink.
This makes the cooking process a breeze. Rather than skipping all around the kitchen, you can stay in place and focus on each individual step. For example, you’ll have a workstation for dicing and cutting by the refrigerator. Then you’ll move on to the stove, where the actual cooking will take place. We have plenty of more tips for tiny kitchen spaces here.
This is one of the best, most efficient design ideas for any home kitchen.
4. Great Appliances
Kitchen appliances have an immediate impact on the quality and success of your cooking. There’s a reason why kitchens don’t skimp on cheap stovetops.
Every good kitchen should have a gas stovetop. Why? Chefs prefer gas stovetops to electric for several reasons. But in short: It’s just better to cook on.
You’ll also want a deep sink so you can fill large pots without any trouble. Preferably the sink will have two separate basins, or you’ll opt for several sinks. When you have dirty plates occupying the sink but you have more pots to fill — well, that’s going to impede your cooking.
5. Smart Storage
A kitchen is the warehouse of the modern-day home. We rely on so many specialized gadgets, cookware, and utensils that there never seems to be enough room. Think about how much time you waste digging through your drawers and cabinets.
It doesn’t have to be that hard. In a chef’s kitchen, most utensils are in plain view no matter where you are. Rather than being stuffed in drawers, they hang from convenient hooks. This means less time searching and remembering where you placed something. Also, built-in shelves can help you gain more space besides looking great and adding value.
These hooks are an important way to get the most out of your kitchen’s space. But not the only way.
If you have to walk across the house to access your pantry, it’s simply too far. Instead, your cabinets can hold many of your spices and minor food items. Installing a turntable can make it easy to find what you’re looking for.
6. Resilient Materials
Since kitchens have to endure a lot of abuse, you should build them to last.
For example, most professional chefs suggest the use of recycled quartz countertops. These are durable and resistant to both scratches and heat. Imagine having more space to place hot pots and pans or chop up ingredients.
But that’s just one component of an entire kitchen. Have you considered the floors?
You’re tougher on your floors than you realize. Hardwood is a great look, but it’s easy to scratch and vulnerable to water — something you’ll be spilling quite often in the kitchen. When you use tile flooring instead, you get the benefit of durable, bacteria-resistant materials.
These options can lead to a sturdy kitchen that’s as beautiful as it is practical.
Make Cooking Fun With a Kitchen Remodel
If you love cooking or are frustrated with your current kitchen design, make your kitchen a chef’s kitchen. You don’t have to be a five-star chef to enjoy the convenience of an efficient, utilitarian design.
800 Remodeling has served Los Angeles for over 40 years. Contact us and see if our kitchen remodeling services are right for you.