The kitchen is the heart of any home, and having the right features in your kitchen can make cooking, baking, and entertaining a breeze. Whether you’re building a new home or remodeling your existing kitchen, here are 10 kitchen must-haves that will make your kitchen functional, stylish, and enjoyable.
Ample Counter Space
One of the most important features of any kitchen is ample counter space. You need enough space to prep your food, chop vegetables, and prepare meals. When you are renovating your kitchen, make sure you have enough counter space to accommodate all your kitchen activities. Consider adding a kitchen island or a breakfast bar to increase the counter space. Are you a morning coffee drinker? Add a separate coffee station.
Spacious Cabinets
Kitchen cabinets are essential for storing all your cooking essentials. Make sure your cabinets are spacious enough to accommodate all your kitchen items. While remodeling your kitchen, consider installing cabinets that extend up to the ceiling to maximize storage space. Add deep drawers in your bottom cabinets for storing pots and pans. Don’t forget to add a stowaway place for your trash and recycling containers.
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Efficient Storage Solutions
In addition to spacious cabinets, you need efficient storage solutions that make it easy to access your kitchen items. Consider pull-out shelves, lazy susans, and other storage solutions that make it easy to organize your kitchen. A narrow pullout drawer will hold spices next to the stove. An appliance garage is a great way to free up countertop space while stashing a coffee maker or mixer.
High-Quality Appliances
A kitchen is not complete without high-quality appliances. Invest in appliances that are energy-efficient, durable, and easy to use. Consider appliances like a refrigerator with a built-in water dispenser, a gas cooktop, a double oven, and a dishwasher with multiple wash cycles. The current trend is installing a commercial stove, which has a higher btu than residential models. The chef in your family will thank you.
Adequate Lighting
Good lighting is essential in any kitchen. Make sure your kitchen is well-lit with a combination of ambient, task, and accent lighting. Consider installing under-cabinet lighting to illuminate your workspace and add ambiance to your kitchen. Your kitchen renovation expert can show you options that work for your taste, from farmhouse-style Edison bulbs to modern lighting and chandeliers.
Durable Flooring
Kitchen floors take a lot of wear and tear, so you need flooring that is durable and easy to clean. Consider materials like ceramic tile, hardwood, or luxury vinyl tile that are durable, easy to clean, and look great. There are new flooring materials that can look like hardwood while having the water resistance of ceramic or vinyl flooring. Need advice? Your kitchen renovation specialist will be able to advise you on this “must-have” to make sure you get the right flooring for your needs.
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Convenient Electrical Outlets
Make sure your kitchen has plenty of electrical outlets for all your appliances, gadgets, and chargers. Consider installing electrical outlets on your kitchen island, under cabinets, and in other convenient locations. Your remodel or new build is the perfect time to add outlets. They’re expensive and difficult to install later.
Adequate Ventilation
Cooking can generate a lot of heat and steam, so you need adequate ventilation to keep your kitchen comfortable and healthy. Consider installing a range hood with a powerful fan that vents outside, or a downdraft ventilation system that pulls smoke and steam down through the cooktop. Ventilation is even more important if you’ve decided to upgrade to a commercial stove. Be sure to ask your kitchen builder if you have enough ventilation for your new kitchen.
Stylish Backsplash
A stylish backsplash is not only practical but also adds a decorative element to your kitchen. Consider materials like subway tile, glass, or mosaic tile that are easy to clean and look great.
Faucets
High faucets allow you to easily fill your sink and wash larger pots and pans. Want a second faucet? Consider a pot filler next to your stove so that you can fill up pasta and soup pots without dragging them across the kitchen.
Bonus: Smart Technology
Smart technology can read your recipe to you, program your coffee maker, and more. From listening to music to ordering groceries to dispensing exactly three cups of water, smart technology is here to help. Smart digital scales can help you follow recipes more effectively, while smart timers with voice activation can be used to control things like when to start preheating your oven.
Having the right kitchen features can make cooking, baking, and entertaining a breeze. Remodeling is the perfect time to make your kitchen suit your individual needs. Make sure you invest in features such as ample counter space, spacious cabinets, efficient storage solutions, high-quality appliances, adequate lighting, durable flooring, convenient electrical outlets, adequate ventilation, a stylish backsplash, and comfortable seating to create a functional, stylish, and enjoyable kitchen.
Let Volpe Enterprises help you design your dream kitchen. We have over 50 years of experience and have some of the best warranties in the industry. Take a look at our kitchen renovation portfolio today.
