5 Updates That Will Change the Way You Enjoy Your Kitchen

Was your kitchen built in the 1970s or 1980s? Maybe even earlier? Then you might be familiar with a small floor plan, poor lighting, and the closed-off, compartment-like design of decades past. And you’re not alone.

When visiting clients in areas around Pensacola, Navarre, or Fort Walton, my husband Steve and I see many houses from these eras — and the kitchens are high on their list of remodeling priorities.

In many cases, we have room to play with the floor plan and can even double the amount of kitchen space available by borrowing from unused formal spaces, like the dining room. In others, we have a limited footprint in which to work. But that doesn’t mean a fresh, livable kitchen is impossible — we simply have to get creative!

Today I want to share the 5 design updates we see and make most often for clients seeking kitchens designed for 21st century living. Better yet, I can’t wait to show you how these updates are changing the way we live, enjoy, and entertain in our homes.

Are you ready to see what a fresh design can do for you? Come take a look…

1. Opening up the kitchen

No matter what the rest of your house looks like, it seems that everyone wants to congregate in the kitchen these days. It has become a place to be social and entertain… and if you have an older kitchen, you’ve probably felt the strain of too many hands in the kitchen, or too few.

The solution? Open it up.

Taking down visually oppressive walls will make your kitchen look brighter and larger, whether you have room to borrow from formal spaces or not. You’ll have more flow, freer conversation, and the cook won’t be isolated anymore. 

This will make your kitchen a much more enjoyable place to live, create, and entertain family and friends. I bet you or the chef in your family (*cough* Steve) will be grateful!

2. Opting for large kitchen islands instead of breakfast tables

In the last several years, families have been gathering and entertaining more informally than in decades past. Long gone are the days when the whole family convened in the dining room precisely on the hour to “break their fasts.” (Funny to imagine though, isn’t it?)

Enter, the kitchen island. The island provides a place to work, to eat, and to display significant items. It can even be a focal point in many cases. An eye-catching countertop material makes a statement and inspires the kitchen’s entire design.

Don’t have an island in your home? Been dreaming of one? Trust me, it’ll change the way you live.

3. Installing cabinets that go to the ceiling

Another feature of modern day kitchens is much smarter space planning. That’s not to say that your existing space is poorly planned; it probably worked for the decade in which it was built. But nowadays, it no longer makes sense to trap the cook in the kitchen with wrap-around counters. Or have cabinetry that hangs nearly a foot below the ceiling collecting dust bunnies.

Part of our role in redesigning kitchens is planning a space that flows well and enables greater efficiency in your existing routine and in the ways you dream of using it.

A big example of this is taking your cabinets all the way to the crown/ceiling. This maximizes storage space (who doesn’t want that?), eliminates the need for regular dusting, and actually makes your kitchen appear taller. The good news? You can still store your collectables or holiday items in the top level of shelving.

Another example of smart space planning is grouping your most used appliances together for ease of use. And speaking of appliances…

4. Swapping out old appliances for specialized ones

This one is a very popular topic in the home industry right now… specialized appliances are bursting onto the scene with no signs of stopping. Why? They simply make sense.

We’ve helped many of our clients update their cooking “equipment” with specialty appliances or appliances that offer multiple applications, such as a convection microwave. Other current favorites include larger ranges, steam ovens, and convection ovens.

I’ll dive into some of the newer and more exciting options in another blog post, but for now, it’s enough to know that these appliances make cooking and entertaining much more enjoyable – and are well worth the investment.

5. Creating more functional storage

Storage doesn’t sound exciting, but if you’ve been living in a small kitchen for the last several years, you’ve probably experienced feelings of stress, frustration, and restriction from simply not having enough space. Been there.

Or maybe you do have storage space, but it’s not as functional as you might like it to be. Old kitchens are notorious for storage solutions that send you grabbing blindly in the back of drawers and cabinets. 

Luckily, we have some solutions I think you’ll be happy to see…

• Our cabinets and pantries have roll-out drawers, so you can see everything and easily access what you need. 

• Pots are stored in deep drawers under or near the range so you don’t have to sprint across the kitchen to grab them. 

• Trash cans are replaced with pull-out cabinetry that hides the trash, yet puts the trash nearer the sink and dishwasher.

Sounds like a much more peaceful, smooth way of living, don’t you think?

How we help bring your kitchen dreams to life

Making your life easier and more enjoyable at home is one of the biggest reasons Steve and I combined our two businesses into one so many years ago. 

With Steve as the GC, we can address the possibilities of opening up walls, moving plumbing, and adding better electrical. We can plan a space that functions well for the life you have, and more importantly, the life you want to have. 

With my interior design background, we can also create a design concept (think colors, cabinetry, countertops, lighting, window treatments) that works well with the rest of the home and makes you feel exactly how you want to feel in your kitchen — relaxed, energized, inspired, you name it.

So if you’ve been feeling down in a small, dark kitchen lately, I invite you to contact us. We’d love to help you see what’s possible and take the next toward bringing it to life.

Warmly,

Sarah