It’s a pleasure to contribute to Cary’s blog.
He is a gem of a kitchen designer, knowing his way around drawers, doors and islands very well.
Function is our second lesson, piece of pie, in kitchen planning. You may think a kitchen is a kitchen but there are really many ways these important rooms are used. We might want to see which fits best with our own personal style and function.
• professional
• working
• family friendly
• entertaining
• glamorous (glam)/show
There might be some combinations of the above, for instance a working, family friendly kitchen is good. But a glam kitchen would not combine with a working kitchen. If you love to make a mess, it would be tough to keep the immaculate look you so love.
A glam kitchen (fig 3) might work with entertaining if you cater your parties or know how to have everything done in advance so your pristine kitchen stays pristine.
If baking is your forte you will need to consider the right surfaces to get the best results. (Marble is considered the best for baking.) If you cater you will need very large surfaces and a large refrigerator or two.
How many are being cared for under your roof? Children are an important design factor. Would you like to keep an eye on them while you are preparing dinner? (fig 4) Islands are perfect tools to keep guests involved while you take care of last minute dinner preparations.
Consider the function of your kitchen early in the design process. You wouldn’t want to source materials for a glam kitchen and then find your husband loves to cook. Perhaps other things have changed, a new career or family and friends are visiting often.
There you have your second slice of the kitchen design pie! Analyze your life-style. Your preferences. Your goals. What functions does your kitchen have to perform to accomplish these goals? Allow your kitchen to reflect the ideals of those living there!
– Lynda Louden, Interior Decorator, Lynda Louden Interiors
Lynda is our first guest author/designer and has generously contributed this her second excellent post on the complexities of kitchen design. We know you will enjoy reading it as much as you did the first one! Lynda is a NKBA Member and CID Certified Interior Decorator located in Jupiter. Her website -> http://lyndaloudeninteriors.com/