As a Realtor, one of my favorite things about the business is previewing homes that have just been listed for sale…especially when they are grand homes. But truthfully, with homes of this scale, I want to see the kitchen.
The Ultimate Gourmet Kitchen
The kitchen is the quintessential gathering place in every home and most families spend more time there than in any other room in the house. In fact, the Electrolux Appliance Group, maker of Frigidaire Appliances, did a study that showed families spent over 175 hours in the kitchen in a given month compared to 31 hours in the living room. This study was done in 2001 so you can only imagine that the amount of time has increased with families staying home more in recent years.
That got me thinking about designing the ultimate gourmet kitchen. Because it is the most used room in the home, it seems to me that it should be the one room where you try to have everything you want and where you want it. With that in mind, here is my ideal kitchen.
Cooking Area. First, and foremost, is the cooking area. This area is so important in helping the “family chef” function properly. So many homes have the stove top range built into the countertops with the oven built into a wall across the room. This never makes any sense to me. Ideally, the stove top range and oven are together as one big unit as Viking does with its enormous ranges. Most of them have six gas burners and a convection oven or two below the stovetop. If it is necessary to have wall mounted ovens, it would be perfect to have double ovens installed next to the stove top instead of across the kitchen. Additionally, counter space on each side of the range is very convenient so that there is room to work.
Counter Space. While we are on the subject of counter space, it is my opinion, and probably that of anyone who is in the kitchen most of those 175 hours, that there is never enough counter space. Truth be known, there is usually plenty of space in a gourmet kitchen but the key is in the layout. It is important to have ample workspace around the major areas of the kitchen including the cooking and clean up areas. In terms of the countertops themselves, the types of stone used to make the counter tops bring the kitchen to life and give the look of the kitchen its zing. Granite, limestone, slate and other natural stones show provide such intricate detail and look so good.
Cabinets. From there, we look upward to the next part of the kitchen of which we always want more….cabinets!! Cabinets come in so many designs and finishes with small details down to the knobs or handles and need to be placed strategically with easy access from all vantage points. There should be cabinets above the dishwasher for the easiest unloading of the dishwasher (which everyone hates to do); some to the left and right of the stove top and oven for easy access to pots and pans; an area for quick retrieval of spices and herbs; around the island (if you have one) for more storage; and, generally all around the kitchen so that you can simply put stuff away.
Kitchen Island. One of the most important parts of the kitchen, and a great way to have more counter space is to have an island in the kitchen. The island is a very functional part of the kitchen and must be practical and good looking. It is a gathering place, work place, eating area and an excellent place for storage with cabinets and shelves for cookbooks. In many larger, luxury homes, designers even create the “double island” where they have two different sized islands pushed together to create a new look. Some even have different stone for the countertops. This is an amazing look and so useful.
Kitchen Lighting. Lighting is a fixture that many forget about until the kitchen is nearing completion. Such an essential item to a well-designed kitchen, lighting must be placed in the appropriate areas as a spotlight and still be decorative and eye catching. Many gourmet kitchens feature different styles of lighting that have different purposes yet coordinate well with each other for its decorative appeal.
Appliances. The most crucial elements of the kitchen are the appliances. While they need to be strategically placed for easy access to one another (i.e. the stove top and the ovens side by side or together as one appliance), their placement also needs to flow throughout the kitchen and not looked globbed together in one place. The nicest gourmet kitchens feature stainless steel appliances like Viking appliances, Sub Zero/Wolf, and even the high end appliances from more well-known brands like GE and Whirlpool.
Individuality
Kitchens designs are as individual as fingerprints. What works for one person may not work for another. The main ideas here are what I want in my ideal gourmet kitchen and where I want them. Anyone who spends anytime in a kitchen has the same general ideas but may have different ideas as to their style and layout. For most of us though, the trick is to figure out a way to get this kitchen in our dreams to become a reality.
About the Author: Paula Henry of Sycamore Group Associates provides Carmel real estate services and information about Carmel Indiana Homes for Sale to those people
searching Carmel Neighborhoods to buy or sell their home.
