While most consider eating a necessity, you consider cooking an art and your kitchen a studio. Most homeowners rate building a kitchen as one of the more important decisions in their interior design process, but for the foodie, the kitchen is the heart and soul of your home.

A foodie will spend more time using a kitchen than the typical homeowner, so it’s essential that design is equally focused on the weight of functional use over mere aesthetic qualities. This factor will drive planning to create a hybrid space that incorporates the simplistic usability of a commercial kitchen into the intricate beauty of traditional residential design.

7 Ingredients for Kitchen Design: A Recipe for Foodies

1. Ingredient Storage: Accessibility is everything to the home gourmet chef. Purposefully locating convenient storage areas will help cooks find even the most obscure ingredients in a short amount of time. Open shelves in a walk-in pantry, interior-lit cabinets with open or glass fronts, built-in herb gardens, and quick-access ingredient drawers or racks allow the chef to find and transfer the essential ingredients to their respective workstations.
2. Tools & Gadgets: Creating uniquely organized storage solutions for utensils, cookware and kitchen gadgets is key. Preferences will vary on whether these items should be visible or stowed away nearby within their own compartments or drawers. Locating these areas conveniently near workstations will save the cook time and aggravation when searching for the right tool.
3. Surfaces: Choose countertop, cabinet, appliance and backsplash materials that can be easily cleaned and will withstand increased usage versus a typical kitchen. Design countertop edges to reduce spills from dripping down to cabinets below. Don’t neglect the impact that lighting will play on illuminating surfaces. Incorporate overhead and under-cabinet fixtures to improve work area visibility.
4. Sinks & Faucets: Depending upon the use, it may be a great idea to install an additional sink and water source at more than one location in the kitchen. Separate prep areas may have increased functionality if fitted with areas for soaking or washing, versus transporting items back and forth across the kitchen. Install detachable faucets to create more versatility in cooking and cleanup.
5. Waste Solutions: Be sure that your disposal preferences are considered in kitchen design. Strong beliefs about what to do with waste should lead to the inclusion of compartments for composting, recycling, disposals, compactors and traditional refuse containers.
6. Appliances: Whether traditional appliances or an added supplement, carefully consider these options in the kitchen. Appliance prices are often driven by durability and features. Determine which features are worth spending the money for.
   1. Ranges & Hoods: Gas heat will provide the most control. A varying range of BTUs will provide flexibility for different cooking tasks. Always take into consideration the limits and requirements for exhaust hoods and design with the appropriately sized hood for the space and home, installing them at the ideal height over the surface.
   2. Ovens & Warmers: Not only do features drive cost, but insulating capabilities of doors and exteriors are essential factors when choosing the right oven, so not to lose heating power. Explore if the popular double oven is the best choice for your needs. If space is limited, substituting the second traditional oven with a convection or microwave oven, or a warming drawer, may serve a greater purpose.
   3. Dishwashers: If you use a lot of utensils and larger cookware and prep items, you will want them to be clean for your next cooking task. Choose a dishwasher with creative options for utensil drawers or holders and that also allows for adjustable spaces for large bowls and pots.
   4. Refrigerators & Freezers: If there isn’t room for a larger side-by-side unit, or if supplemental cooling options are needed, utilize a portion of cabinet space for optional built-in cooling drawers or small freezers.
   5. Miscellaneous Appliances: Your specific cuisine interests may also drive the additions of features such as rotisseries, woks and other enhancements. Discuss the usage frequency of these items and determine where they rate in design priority over other, more crucial elements.
7. Inspiration: Even though function can win over aesthetics in designing a foodie kitchen, discover what fuels your culinary passion. Strategically add windows, art, décor and music devices to be your muse for your next greatest creation.

Passionate thought and attention of preparing the perfect meal is what separates a foodie from a recreational cook. Your heart should beat with the same enthusiasm about designing the space where you create your masterpieces. Let us help you design a space that inspires your gifts and fuels your passion for food! Bon appetite!