If you’re renovating your kitchen, the sky’s the limit when it comes to the special features and new appliances you can incorporate into your design. The limitless options available to homeowners, however, can be a blessing and a curse. Make the wrong choices, and you’ll end up with an expensive new kitchen that doesn’t function optimally for you and your family.
The home design experts at Martha Stewart weighed in with the kitchen features that most enhance your kitchen’s effectiveness, not to mention improve your home’s value. Consider including the following items to enhance workflow in your kitchen:Â Â
- A kitchen island. Not only does a kitchen island add an eye-catching design element to your kitchen, it provides additional counter space for meal prep, entertaining or casual dining. Many of today’s kitchen islands go the extra mile to house an additional stove or sink. With an island, you boost your kitchen’s design and functionality.
- A pantry for occasional pieces. Do you keep your fine china and crystal hidden away in a china cabinet or in a box in the attic? Design experts say it’s time to put it out on display, and start using it more often. So when redoing your kitchen, consider a pantry with open shelving where you can show off and have easy access to your good dishes, silverware and crystal. This will encourage you to use and enjoy these items more often as opposed to saving them for just once or twice a year.
- Smart appliances. Smart technology is the wave of the future for home design, so make sure your new kitchen incorporates a couple of smart appliances, whether it’s something small like a smart composter or a big splurge like a smart oven. This technology will not only streamline functionality in your kitchen, it will add appeal for future buyers whenever the time comes to sell.
- Pull-out drawers. This life-changing addition to your kitchen puts an end to hard-to-reach dishes, utensils and dry goods. Pull-out drawers, much like those you’d have in a bureau, put all your frequently used items within easy reach as opposed to high above you in upper cabinets. This design feature is also a big plus for making your kitchen more accessible while aging.
- Outlets in counters. Instead of cluttering your attractive new backsplash with too many outlets, opt for outlets that are built into counters instead. These are easily accessible and help maintain the overall design quality of your kitchen.
- A walk-in pantry. Most know the convenience of a walk-in closet in the bedroom, but imagine the possibilities of a walk-in pantry in the kitchen. This addition to your kitchen renovation will add a host of storage possibilities and conveniences, not to mention great value. It’s also a feature that will never get dated and always have purpose.
