A kitchen remodel is your prime opportunity to get it right. If you’ve lived with an ugly or outdated kitchen, the thought of choosing new cabinets, appliances, flooring and lighting can be spellbinding. But don’t let form drown out function.

To have lasting value, a new kitchen needs to perform as good as it looks. This is your chance to really analyze how you use the kitchen, what features and layout will help you prepare and cook meals efficiently, and how to best store everything to make life easier for everyone who uses the space.

Once you have all the functionality figured out, choosing surfaces and materials is like icing on the cake. Here’s a list of things you need to consider to avoid a badly designed kitchen:

A Gigantic Island – For a single-cook kitchen, you need a minimum of 42” between the island and the cabinets that surround it; for a multi-cook kitchen, that becomes 48”. This helps with foot traffic and being able to access all doors and drawers. Even in a large kitchen, a single-level kitchen island larger than 48” wide x 120” long becomes harder to use and clean.

Where’s the Trash? – Between garbage and recyclables, a kitchen produces a lot of waste, so plan for it. If you prefer freestanding trash and recycle receptacles, decide in advance where they will be placed in the floorplan. If you prefer them hidden in base cabinets, both trash and recyclables need a minimum 30 quart container.

Wasted Space – Hundreds of linear feet of kitchen cabinets mean nothing if they’re inconveniently placed or the storage is configured wrong. In the above example of an island during construction, note how much space is wasted by the 45-degree, bat-wing style.  Plates, bowls and cups should be above or near the dishwasher so it’s easier to unload directly into wall cabinets. Pots and pans work best in base drawer cabinets near stoves and cooktops. Deep pantry cabinets work more efficiently with rollout shelves.

Watch Yourself – Don’t let your new kitchen fall into the shadows. Chopping blocks and range tops can be dangerous places in the kitchen, so have plenty of light above these areas so you can see what you’re doing. Under-cabinet lighting illuminates all of your countertops, and task specific lighting can be a timesaver. Consider lighting as 10% of your kitchen remodeling budget and you will – literally – see beautiful results.

These are the types of details that can make or break a kitchen remodel, so use the design phase to address and perfect how well your kitchen works. Working with professional kitchen designers and remodelers will help you avoid bad kitchen design, as well as common mistakes like inadequate electricity, ventilation and water supply.

To get the best form and function for your new kitchen, work with the Certified Kitchen Designers and planners at Mosby Building Arts. Check out a portfolio of their kitchen remodels in Metro St. Louis. You can learn more about Mosby kitchen remodeling services here.  And if you have any questions, call the Mosby office at 314.909.1800 or contact them here.

Related posts:

1. Using Kitchen Cabinets in Other Rooms
2. Does Your Kitchen Need a Facelift?
3. Update Your Kitchen the Right Way
4. The Latest Kitchen Remodeling Trends
5. KMOX Audio Tip: Kitchen Disposal Tips

Learn the Art of Living at CallMosby.com.

Tags: cabinet drawers, kitchen island, kitchen remodel, task lighting

This entry was posted on Thursday, January 19th, 2012 at 7:49 am and is filed under kitchens. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.