Whether building a home or remodelling your existing kitchen, focusing on functional, beautiful features is essential. A great kitchen gives you ample space for cooking and entertaining and makes you feel comfortable and at home while spending time in the room. When fashioning your new kitchen, focus on the layout, appliances, lighting and flooring to create a space you’ll love to spend time in. Get inspired to design your ideal cooking, baking and dining area by exploring the six qualities of a great kitchen. 

• High-Quality Appliances 

Your appliances are the workhorses of your kitchen, so it is critical to invest in a quality kitchen appliance package that offers long-lasting durability, high functionality and plenty of style. The types of kitchen appliances you need depend on how often you cook and for how many people. If you regularly entertain a crowd or have a large family, an extra-large 6-burner range and dual oven is a savvy investment. If you eat out most nights or only cook for one or two people, a 4-burner range and a slimline fridge generally offer enough storage and cooking capacity to suit your household. 

Buying appliances for your new kitchen doesn’t mean you must shell out tens of thousands of dollars. Numerous high-quality brands offer luxe features at affordable prices. Thor appliances offer commercial-grade performance with sleek modern styling. Its appliance packages include high BTU ranges, range hoods and chic french door refrigerators. For the perfect combination of style and function, consider ZLINE appliances. In addition to offering numerous features from infrared burner technology to dual fuel ranges, ZLINE offers appliances in stunning finishes like on-trend matte black. 

• A Thoughtful Layout

The key to a functional kitchen where you’ll enjoy spending your time is a well-thought-out layout. Your kitchen layout dictates the flow of traffic and the space’s accessibility. Designing a kitchen layout relies on creating work triangles. 

A work triangle is a kitchen design concept used to create efficient workspaces. The triangle typically refers to how the sink, fridge and stove should form a three-point functional space to ensure that everything is within easy reach and minimize wasted steps. You should also consider designing a layout with wide walkways to allow enough room between cabinets and appliance doors. The standard kitchen walkway is around 36 inches wide. Extend your walkways to 42 inches for a single-person cooking area and 48 inches for a two-person cooking area. 

• Ample Storage

Extensive cabinet and drawer space ensures your kitchen is organized and uncluttered for better functionality and aesthetics. Investing in high-quality cabinetry materials in a timeless style gives your kitchen an elegant appearance and practical functionality. Durable, stylish cabinets also ensure that your space can withstand the weight and size of the items you put inside. 

Opt for large, spacious floor-to-ceiling cabinets. Sneak in extra storage space with a sizable kitchen island with drawers and underneath storage. You can also work with a carpenter to design a custom-made corner or walk-in pantry where you can place counter appliances and bulky groceries in bags or boxes when not in use. 

For non-cabinet storage ideas, use wall, countertop and stand-alone shelving to store items. Invest in open shelving that you can use as a space divider and place decorative plates, cups, teapots and other items on. Install shelving above your countertops or open spaces on the walls to store utensils and small kitchen gadgets. You can also include a decorative hutch or stepped-shelving unit to showcase glassware and fine china.  

• Well-Positioned Task Lighting

The lighting in your kitchen plays a significant part in the aesthetic and ambiance of the space. Consider the three elements of kitchen lighting — task, ambient and accent — when deciding on lights for the room. 

Ambient lighting refers to your primary light source and is typically shone by recessed lighting, chandeliers and pendant lights. Accent lights are small lights that add style and charisma to the space, such as cabinet lights or toe kick lights. Task lights are light sources placed directly in areas where you perform tasks such as cutting, mixing or reading recipes. Many people overlook task lights, like puck and strip lights under cabinets or over the stove or island, but adding them can elevate your space and improve your functionality in the kitchen.

• Plenty of Counter Space

If you spend time in the kitchen, you’ll want to add plenty of counter space to your design. Great kitchens give home chefs the room they need to create delicious meals for friends and family by using countertops for chopping, mixing, and pouring. 

Most kitchen designers suggest you design your counters using the 3×4 rule. This unofficial guideline says to aim for at least three countertops in your kitchen, each four feet long. This counter space should give you ample room to carry out your kitchen tasks. You can also implement the six-paces rule to have all countertops and appliances within a six-pace area for easy accessibility. 

To create extra counter space, consider putting in a kitchen island. The average island countertop measures 40″ x 80″, giving you ample area to perform extra kitchen tasks. You can also maximize your counter space by installing space-saving hooks and racks for pots and pans, and mount appliances into designated areas on the wall or above the stove. 

• Low-Maintenance Flooring

A great kitchen must-have low-maintenance, stylish flooring. Hardwood floors are gorgeous but scratch easily and aren’t an excellent choice for low-maintenance cleaning. Instead, choose materials like vinyl or linoleum that are easy to clean and offer a wide variety of colors and patterns. Modern vinyl is durable and cost-effective, and it requires minimal upkeep. You can choose a vibrant, complex patterned tile or go for vinyl flooring that resembles hardwood or natural stone. You can go with slate or granite floors for a more industrial look. These hard stone materials are durable when sealed every three to five years and easy to clean with a broom and damp mop.  

Design Your Ideal Kitchen

When designing your ideal kitchen, focus on functionality and style. Adding essential elements like durable fixtures, task lighting and premium appliances gives you a beautiful, practical space to prepare meals and spend time with your family. Start with a functional layout and add elements as you go for a stunning result.