Design Your Dream Kitchen

Presented by Cathy Briskorn & The Master Builders AssociationMaster Builders Association, NKBA, Remodeler Council of MBA

Dream about …

The Way You Want to Live The kitchen is the new family room – the

true heart of the home

Making the Kitchen Work Who uses it? How do you use it? When do you use it? What do you do there? Kids? Pets? Entertaining? Do you need two dining tables?

Going beyond the triangle

Create zones: food prep, baking, canning, beverage service, etc.

Before: Kitchen had a small island with a cooktop, minimal counter space, and no room for the family

to gather

My Office

After: Large island with counter space for the entire family to eat, socialize, make pizza, or play

games

Before: Kitchen had cramped work spaces and didn’t maximize the natural

light

After: Opened up the wall to the large windows to maximize light and traffic flow

Before: A pantry

After: A bar with prep sink and

beverage fridge for entertaining

Client wanted a large working island

Island includes main sink, prep sink, and cooktop

And ample room for multiple people to work

Before: Limited workspace for the master chef of the house

After: Larger island with a cooktop … and room for an audience, so the chef can share his expertise

Everything within reach

Plan dish storage so you can empty the dishwasher without taking any steps

Put cooking utensils, spices, oils, etc. close to range

Make it easy to put away groceries

Too many cooks in the kitchen

Before: Kitchen didn’t accommodate two cooks … or the fact that they like to entertain

After: Multiple work stations easily accommodate two people

The entire space is utilized to enhance their lifestyle

… including a bar area for entertaining

The ideal island

What will you use the island for?

• Ample counter space for baking and prep work• Room for family to eat or for kids to do homework• Wood countertop to make it feel more like a table

Maximizing pantry space

• Room for food items, baking supplies, and kids’ crafts

• Less time shopping and more time with the kids

It doesn’t need to be a walk-in pantry to store a lot

Before: The walk-in pantry cramped the work space

After: Room to work, and still plenty of storage

There’s even a hidden coffee station and shelves for display

Tip #1

Start with a Blank Slate Make a priority list Forget what’s in the kitchen now Sketch out the measurements on a blank

sheet of paper Remember that walls can be moved or

opened up

Before: Clients wanted to make

the kitchen more central to the

home, without the wasted space of the hallway and

the long walk from the entry to the

kitchen

Entry

Hallway

Dining Room

Laundry Room

Tabl

e

Family Room

After: All communal rooms now stem off the

kitchen

The new plan eliminates the

hallway and opens up the kitchen to the entry, creating room

for an island and enhancing flow for

parties and gatherings

Dining Room

Family Room

Table

Entry

After: The view into the kitchen from the entry, with the long hallway eliminated

After: Looking into the kitchen from the dining room

Before: Separate dining room, small island, oversized pantry

After: Expand the kitchen into the dining room, create more entertaining space, add cabinets in place of pantry

Tip #2

Take a Test Ride

Tape off an area to show the new floor plan

Trying it out

Use boxes for a new island or cabinets so you have to actually walk around them

Do normal activities to see how the new floor plan will work

Think about where you’ll set your grocery bags or other items when you walk into the kitchen

Consider all activities and go through the actual motions to ensure the new kitchen will function the way you expect it to

Tip #3

Focus on One One focal point keeps the room balanced Select what you want to be the biggest

focus of the room Make sure it’s the only one

• The range with dramatic hood is the focal point

• Ornate stucco hood, side spice pullouts and onyx mosaic backsplash all help balance the

scale of the 30” range

It needs to relate to the scale of the room

Before: No real focal point

After: The range is the focal point

Before: The island was the focal point

After: Another range as the focal point

Before: The window was the focal point … and it looked directly into the neighbor’s house

After: The window has been removed,

and the French-style range is the focal

point

Before: The refrigerator was the focal point

After: The island is the focal point

Before: The posts were the focal point

After: The pendant lights are the focal point

Tip #4

Think about …

Above & Below Don’t forget about the floor and ceiling

Raise the ceiling

Before: Low ceiling

After: Raised cathedral ceiling

Highlight interesting features

Before: Interesting ceiling beams weren’t emphasized

After: Added detailing draws the eye upward

Change the floor

Before

After: Inset tile so we didn’t

have to fill in the wood

where the peninsula was

removed

Floor transitions link old and new

Tip #5

Maximize Your Work Surface

Before

After: Island was lowered to

be all counter height, with

curves instead of sharp

angles

A large flat island can be ideal for prepping, serving, and socializing

Move the microwave

Before: Microwave took up valuable counter space

After: Incorporated microwave with

wall ovens to increase counter

space

Another solution: Put a microwave shelf in a pantry cabinet, or in upper cabinets

Even more solutions: Under-counter microwaves or microwave drawers, and “speed ovens”

Tip #6

Light it Up! The importance of lighting cannot be emphasized

enough Natural light General lighting Task lighting Ambient lighting

New windows and rain-sensing skylights open up the nook

After: New window offers more light on the dark side

of the house

Before: Taped off the new window

After: A sunny new expansion lightens

up the whole kitchen

Before: The kitchen was small and dark

After: A large window, a glass door, and a skylight all bring in natural light

Don’t skimp on overhead lighting

Add task lighting as needed

Consider multiple lighting options, and put everything on dimmers

Natural light, overhead light, task light, and ambient light all work together or separately

Use glass shelves to light up glass-front cabinets

Outdoor kitchens can use the same lighting techniques

Tip #7

Make It Personal You should walk into your kitchen and

know it’s yours

Have fun with the backsplash

Slate and glass mosaic

Slate, glass, and metal

mosaic

Glass mosaic

Glass subway tile and mosaic

Custom tile mural

Custom stainless steel art

Add a dramatic countertop

Reflect your own sense of style

You can make amazing transformations

From this …

… to this!

Making the kitchen work

Dream About the Way you Want To Live

Who uses it? How do you use it? When do you use it? What do you do there? Kids? Pets? Entertaining? Do you need two dining tables?

Tips

• Start with a Blank Slate• Take a Test Ride• Focus on One•Above & Below• Maximize Work Surface• Light It Up!• Make It Personal

Thank you!

Q & A