Heart of the HOME

The kitchen is the heart of the home, so its design is essential to both the function and style of your home life. In her new book, The Perfect Kitchen, kitchen designer Barbara Sallick, along with writer Marc Kristal, provides a comprehensive guide to getting the look, feel and function you want in your home through the kitchen design. “The kitchen is by far the most complex room in the home,” Sallick says. “Planning is exponentially more critical, and the price one pays (existentially as well as financially) for not being diligent is infinitely higher.” Here are a few of her key design principles you can use in renovating or designing your own kitchen.

Take these kitchen design principles to heart to get the most functional and stylish space in your home.

START WITH STYLE

But wait—shouldn’t we start with function? Not according to Sallick. “Kitchen style is trickier,” she says. “As the heart of your home, the kitchen touches on realms of memory and intimacy, elements much more challenging to get right than hardware or paint color.” Especially if you’re working with an architect or kitchen designer, they’ll be able to translate your desires into a functional space, but it’s the style that you’ll need to focus on.

“The key lies in picturing it as a room that you have a relationship with,” Sallick says. “Give yourself the time and permission to fantasize about the kitchen experiences that would give you maximum comfort and enjoyment.”Is it having uncluttered countertops without having to take the coffee pot out every time you want to use it, or to be able to reach your higher cabinets without standing on a step ladder?