3 Features of a Functional, Modern Kitchen

Home design websites are full of images of beautiful, modern kitchens. Bright rooms full of natural light, pristine work surfaces, and beautiful cabinets are alluring to many homeowners. But many homeowners may wonder if remodeling is worthwhile.

Modern kitchens offer more than just modern finishes. As designers have worked to improve homes across the nation, they have learned how to make kitchens as functional as they are beautiful.

If you have a problem with the way you have to work around your kitchen’s flaws, a remodeling team can resolve the issue by incorporating the following function upgrades during your kitchen remodel.

1. Space-Efficient Layout

No matter the size of your kitchen, wasted space can make the difference between a comfortable cooking environment and one with cluttered countertops. Ideally, a modern kitchen should use every bit of space to support the work that the cook does every day.

When most people think about using space efficiently, they think about storage space. But modern kitchen cabinets have come a long way beyond this. Instead of reaching into the depths of a dark base cabinet, you can install pullout shelves that allow you to see everything easily. You don’t have to worry about wasted space above your cabinets, either. Modern cabinets usually extend to the ceiling, maximizing storage space.

Beyond storage, space-efficient layouts are built around a work triangle that includes a food preparation area, food storage area, and cooking station. If all of these areas are comfortably equidistant from each other, moving between them to perform cooking tasks feels natural. In a modern kitchen, you won’t waste your energy moving far across the kitchen repeatedly while cooking.

2. Task-Oriented Lighting

Your kitchen isn’t just a sitting area: it’s a workspace. You have many tasks to perform in your kitchen, including food preparation, cleanup, cooking, and food storage. Modern kitchen design takes all of these tasks into account and assigns lighting schemes for each of them.

Generally, kitchen designers install ambient lighting, task lighting, and specialized lighting schemes. Bright ambient lighting that covers all of the kitchen’s surfaces is essential for cleanup tasks. Task lighting over work surfaces is essential for food preparation and sink work. Specialized lighting schemes include in-cabinet lights that help you find stored items and accent lights that provide soft light for ambiance.

The best modern kitchen designs allow homeowners to change the way their kitchen is lit based on the task they are performing. During meal preparation, you may want to have most of the lights on. While when you get a midnight snack, you may only want to turn on the accent lights. Either way, you will always be comfortable in your kitchen.

3. Resource-Efficient Design

Modern kitchens help homeowners reduce their consumption of a variety of resources, including electricity, gas, and food, through the clever use of modern appliances.

Modern appliances are generally much more energy-efficient than older appliances just due to advances in technology. For example, ENERGY STAR appliances are rated for their energy usage, and choosing these appliances can help you save money and reduce your electricity consumption.

In addition, the right kind of appliances can help you preserve food without wasting energy. Chest freezers, for example, allow homeowners to purchase bulk food items and store them for long periods of time for a low-energy cost. If you choose efficient appliances, you may be able to add more long-term food storage space to your kitchen without increasing your energy usage.

You don’t have to live with the inefficiencies of your current kitchen. At DESIGNfirst Builders, we offer complete kitchen remodels that completely transform the way kitchens operate. Contact our expert team today to get started on your project.

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