San Diego Union-Tribune (Sunday)
Homestyle Kitchen wish list: keep it simple
More homeowners crave uncluttered, open kitchens that make meal prep easy
It’s no surprise that tastes change over time. And so do the spaces where tastes occur literally and regularly: the kitchen. For proof, ponder the latest research from the National Kitchen & Bath Association (NKBA), which found that, among its members polled, 80 percent of homeowner clients identified decreasing clutter via targeted storage as a crucial design need; 61 percent favored kitchens mainly designed for simpler preparation of meals, and 87 percent preferred open plans that maximize kitchen visibility. The sur vey also revealed other trends:
Islands are expected to get bigger and more multifunctional,
Kitchens need more charging outlets to cater to families working and studying from home,
Improved storage is in greater demand,
Easier-cleaning commercial finishes are desired, too.
These findings match what NKBA member Sarah Rober tson, an associate kitchen and bath designer (AKBD) and founder of Studio Dearborn in Westchester County, New York, has obser ved recently in the field.
“It makes sense that homeowners desire to simplify their spaces, including their kitchens,” she said. “Our need to simplify our surroundings becomes a counterbalance to sensor y overload and the mental clutter of the news, social media, Zoom chats, pings, beeps, messages, texts and emails. We crave a source of calm in our physical environment to offset this chaos.”
Simone Bumpus, a design associate with Scottsdale, Arizonaheadquartered
Kitchens By Good Guys, subscribes to that theor y.
“Also, the kitchen used to be tucked away, closed off and used only for cooking. Today, it’s a huge focal point, setting the style for the entire home and ser ving as the main gathering area,” Bumpus said. “With it being more visible and open, the kitchen needs to be visually pleasing and better organized.”
Achieving many of the goals identified in the NKBA sur vey can be accomplished with careful planning and the right remodeling approaches.
“You should try to preserve the kitchen work triangle that pivots conveniently between a cooktop, refrigerator and sink within close proximity, even in a larger and more open kitchen. That may mean moving appliances or plumbing to reduce the workspace distance, making ever ything more easily accessible,” Bumpus suggested.
Spatial efficiency and reduced clutter are also recommended.
“There’s no better way of storing or hiding ever ything in the kitchen than using cabinets, drawers, furniture and equip
ment that easily conceal items with the help of pullout and hideaway features,” said Chris Rojas, president of At Galler y Company, Inc., an Indianapolisbased construction company.
That means incorporating amenities such as dish drawers, nested pullouts, drawer dividers, tray pullouts and cabinet inserts, Robertson saod.
Joshua Smyth, vice president of sales for Majestic Kitchen & Bath Creations in Youngsville, North Carolina, said he’s noticing more kitchens with taller ceilings, upper cabinets and larger pantries, too.
“These options provide an incredible amount of storage without compromising the open concept and changing the floor plan, and they free up your countertop to avoid clutter,” Smyth said. “Homeowners yearning for less clutter and greater efficiency should also consider including a sink within their island so that all food prep and clean up can be done in the same spot.”
To further simplify your kitchen, think carefully about where tools and utensils can be better placed.
“Put knives near the cutting boards and chopping area, store items like mixers not often used in the pantr y, and incorporate slide-out cabinets for waste bins, pots and lids,” recommended Robbie Maynard, an interior designer in San Diego. He also advises implementing double islands in your kitchen to create smaller modified work triangles that can streamline meal prep and cleanup.
Bumpus agreed that strategic positioning makes a big dif ference.
“You can make your kitchen function better by adding a trash pullout next to your sink, inserting a pots-and-pans rollout near your oven, installing a lazy Susan in a corner cabinet, and putting a spice pullout next to your cooking space.”
Before making any of these suggested changes, it’s smart to consult with an experienced kitchen designer and think thoughtfully about how ever yone in the household moves about and use the kitchen.
“Imagine how you’ll use that remodeled kitchen for cooking, enter taining, doing homework, having breakfast, sorting the mail, and feeding the dog,” Robertson said. “A kitchen needs to be designed as a space where real life happens, not an imaginary space where life is perfect.”