Have you ever imagined your dream kitchen? What would it look like? How and what would you cook in it? Yes, kitchens are still for cooking, though they are also social hubs in most homes and with the right kitchen design, can sometimes be beautiful show pieces as well. Whatever else happens in your kitchen, its primary function is still food preparation.
Practical Tips
So whether you are a blue ribbon chef or a short order mac and cheese mom, that expensive stove top better boil the water just right. Here are a few practical tips for ergonomic and disaster-free designs. Remember, real cooks need real kitchens!
Countertops
Avoid white marble and white Corian on your counter tops. I wish I had a dollar for all the red wine ringed stains left on these surfaces. More practical, durable, and functional solutions (but still totally beautiful) are composite materials like Icestone or Silestone. If you love granite or cast concrete, just make sure that the surfaces are properly sealed. I had a client in La Jolla who let her architect talk her into a limestone kitchen floor which hadn’t been sealed…and then her granddaughter dropped the bottle of olive oil.
Height
Make sure that all the work surfaces, sinks, and range tops are at the right height for you while in the shoes that you normally wear when you are prepping and cooking food. Sound picky? Not when you are cooking for twenty or even two. It will save you loads at the chiropractor’s office.
Appliances
Put your money into the stove. Don’t waste money on fancy dishwashers, trash compactors, or microwaves. Spend a lifetime of smart money on a Wolf range, and if you can, get a Miele refrigerator. You will kiss them every day.
Pantry
Don’t, and I repeat don’t, trade cabinets for a proper pantry. A cook’s pantry is the equivalent of a good storage closet for mink coats. If it is cork lined and has onion bins and a flour cellar, then you are no longer a cook, you are a chef. The point is that good food is made from well stored stock, and that should be from a walk-in or at least a nicely arranged pantry.
Lighting
Lighting is extremely important in kitchen design. Kitchens need both daytime and nighttime electrical lighting. What you learn with design experience is that these are not the same thing in a truly functional kitchen. Day time lighting can be spot lighted to specific areas that require detailed visual attention, like when you are mixing ingredients for baking. Night time lighting needs to be general, well-spaced, and warm, but at a higher wattage than other areas of the house.
The ideal kitchen is the one that makes you want to cook more; makes you feel comfortable and supported; provides the things needed (easy to reach and easy to clean). Great kitchens are food temples; places for contemplation, conversation, and creativity; a special room where people gather to share moments from the heart.
Sebastopol Living Magazine/ HAVE YOU EVER/ Creative Interior Design Solutions/ July issue 2018
MARTHA CHANNER is co-owner of MC² The Science of Design, an interior design company that specializes in custom design, space planning, and fine art installations to commercial and residential clients in Sebastopol, Healdsburg, Santa Rosa, Sonoma and throughout the San Francisco bay area.. www.mctwodesign.com
Martha received her BFA in painting and printmaking, with a minor in Art history, from Barat College in Illinois and attended The School of the Art Institute of Chicago, where she studied spatial design, sculpture, and paint applications. She is a performance artist, fine art painter, and choreographer, which she incorporates into her large scale installations and exhibitions. Her work is shown nationally in galleries and museums. www.marthachanner.com
