Ashley Furniture Clearance Sales 70% OFF: Design Tips and Ideas for the Modern Kitchen

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There’s a reason the kitchen is called the heart of the home: It’s where you and your family gather to cook, to eat, to socialize, and, sometimes, just to catch up over a quick snack or a cup of coffee. In many homes, the kitchen has evolved into an all-purpose room, including a dining table, computer desk, entertainment area, even a fireplace.

Today’s kitchens are practical, welcoming, and fun. They feature sophisticated colors and innovative components. They also look more like the rest of the house, complete with furniture-like cabinets, wood flooring, and artwork. The perfect recipe for a beautiful kitchen calls for giving a lot of thought to both the components and the activities that take place in the room, from cooking and cleanup to snacking and socializing. Above all, the perfect kitchen is both comfortable and a pleasure to work in. Here are ten simple elements to consider for your well-planned kitchen.

Style

The design of your kitchen may be classic or contemporary, casual or formal, high-tech or homey—whatever reflects your style preference. Because the cabinets, countertops, and appliances comprise the major components in a kitchen space, you’ll want to decide what your overall style will be before choosing them. If you’re worried about combining looks with practicality, many designs strive to blend traditional looks with modern conveniences. A generously proportioned kitchen with classic materials and up-to-date amenities proves to be both stylish and practical.

Style

The design of your kitchen may be classic or contemporary, casual or formal, high-tech or homey—whatever reflects your style preference. Because the cabinets, countertops, and appliances comprise the major components in a kitchen space, you’ll want to decide what your overall style will be before choosing them. If you’re worried about combining looks with practicality, many designs strive to blend traditional looks with modern conveniences. A generously proportioned kitchen with classic materials and up-to-date amenities proves to be both stylish and practical.

Photo by Leslie Williamson

Photo by 

Leslie Williamson

Originally appeared in Miller House in Columbus, Indiana by Eero Saarinen

Photo details

1 / 10

Layout

Kitchen layout studies in the 1950s introduced the term work triangle, whose three legs connect the refrigerator, sink, and range or cooktop. An efficient work triangle reduces the steps a cook must take during meal preparation and, whenever possible, is notinterrupted by traffic flow. Today, the work triangle is being challenged by other options; nevertheless, it is still a valuable starting pointfor good kitchen design. If your space is small, you might want to consider a one wall kitchen or a galley kitchen. Gaining in popularity are minimalist kitchens, in which obvious kitchen elements such as the refrigerator and upper cabinets are downplayed or tucked out of sight and the kitchen area has the same sensibility as the living space it has merged with. Deluxe kitchens are expansive spaces that often have two or more work zones.

Cabinets

Your first decision is whether to keep your existing cabinets, perhaps refinishing or refacing them, or to replace them. If you replace them, you will need to decide if you want “fitted” or “unfitted”cabinets. A fitted kitchen, the almost universal choice since the mid-20th century, consists of banks of matching upper and lower cabinets with appliances incorporated into them. “Unfitted” kitchens generally have a mix of styles and colors. The cabinets are more furniture-like. Upper cabinets may float singly on the wall or may sit on the countertop like a hutch; shelves may take the place of cabinets. Other decisions include cabinet construction and style and whether you want stock, semi-custom, or custom cabinetry. You’ll also want to decide on the materials and finishes. You can always mix things up, choosing different materials and complementary ones, to bring personal style to your kitchen.