The Process of Designing Our Farmhouse Kitchen – Some Questions I Asked Myself And Where I Chose “Style Over Practicality”

You probably have ever pressured about your kitchen design and wish to nail the coveted “practicality versus fashion” system, then this put up is for you (and know that you simply aren’t alone). In my current e book (which you must decide up in case you are transforming) I speak about asking your self these questions earlier than tackling a kitchen design, so I figured as we speak I’d reply them myself. I kinda want I had completed this earlier than, hilariously, as a result of doing so I spotted some issues about us…right here we go.

How A lot Do You Really Cook dinner? And What Do You Make The Most?

This query is to principally assist you determine how excessive a precedence various things in your kitchen needs to be with regard to area, storage, format, and materials selections. An enormous prepare dinner or a giant baker requires extra facilities, extra easy-to-access serving items, extra pots and pans, more durable working (or very particular) surfaces, and for large entertainers, you may want full double ovens, a pace oven, and a bigger 36″ fridge, for example. When you prepare dinner as soon as every week then you definitely don’t want a 48″ vary and don’t must stress about how far-off your pantry is out of your counter. What you don’t wish to occur (which nonetheless would possibly) is to undergo a kitchen renovation and understand that it’s not working for the way usually and what you prepare dinner. An ideal train is to undergo a mean week (with a associate if they’re concerned) and actually discover what you NEED or higher but WILL USE FREQUENTLY versus what you simply need. Take into consideration how usually you reached for one thing and the place you wished one thing had been. Right here it’s for us:

1. We make salads most days for lunch (thus the bigger 30″ fridge column) filled with tons of recent produce. A whole lot of washing and chopping is concerned. For that reason, we thought of the place the sink was in relation to the place I might wish to chop, and the way shut the compost is. It’s not ironclad, I don’t HAVE to cut my veggies there but it surely was good to consider a day in my life and the way I wish to use the area. (I additionally don’t know the place I’m going to wish to be on this kitchen at completely different occasions of the day as a result of I haven’t lived there, which is an obstacle for certain).
2. I prepare dinner a simple meal most likely 3-4 nights every week. Often involving quite a lot of chopping and stirring, then a extra kid-friendly aspect for them. We’re huge seasonal grillers so we’ll seemingly prepare dinner on the bbq a few nights every week (which doesn’t exist but as a result of we don’t know the place we’ll wish to be grilling).
3. We hardly ever bake (as of now). Not as a result of it’s not fantastic to have baked items, I’m simply not good at “science” or “particulars”, and I’m SO MESSY/clumsy (making cookies with the youngsters is at all times a catastrophe), and if I’m being trustworthy I don’t need baked items round each day. If you’re a giant baker you’ll need a marble island, and nicely, I don’t know what else you want as a result of I’m not a giant baker :). As I write this all of it feels so dumb and customary sense, but it surely’s not I promise. You see all these kitchens in magazines and also you would possibly simply say “let’s do this” but it surely may not be for you.

I may even say that Brian and I don’t want a brilliant space-efficient kitchen for loopy quick meals. I truly don’t assume that the majority households ought to prioritize this a lot. The mountain home has the fridge off to the aspect (so we may have a prettier format) and it has by no means as soon as bothered us. These format requirements (just like the triangle) are sometimes not that huge of a deal. I’ve put a fridge within the pantry earlier than and it by no means as soon as bothered the household. It’s actually 3 extra toes, two steps, that’s it.

Do You Entertain A Lot?

Sure and No. The one time we entertain is when now we have daytime out of doors informal household events – i.e. Easter and the 4th of July. We should not have massive formal dinner events and I’m unsure we ever will. I get internet hosting anxiousness in the case of sit-down meals (except you’re a very, very shut pal) however now we have buddies with youngsters over ALL THE TIME and I “make meals” or we grill. I’m a homebody and like them to return to me and love nothing greater than my shut buddies sitting on the island, sipping some wine with me whereas I throw collectively a soup. Hardly ever are there a number of programs. It’s extra about informal gatherings with easy-to-make snacks and meals. This implies we don’t want issues like warming drawers, a 60″ vary with completely different fancy tops, or a prep sink (one sink is sufficient). We may deprioritize that stuff in favor of different issues.

When you entertain so much you would possibly wish to be close to everybody else so that you don’t really feel unnoticed of the celebration (me!) so an open idea kitchen would possibly swimsuit you higher. Or possibly you want quiet cooking time with a pal and wish to shut off the seen mess (additionally me?) so nobody can see. There are execs and cons to each, clearly.

Are There Usually A number of Cooks In The Kitchen?

OMG LOOK AT THOSE BABIES!! I don’t know the reply to this! I take pleasure in being within the kitchen greater than Brian and I prepare dinner with an apron, mocktail (or wine), and music – prefer it’s 1950. However he is much better at it than I’m and does all of the grilling or joins me. Throughout lockdown, we might have our pod neighbor household over on Saturday nights. We took them “world wide” (Lake Arrowhead has no delicacies besides “American” and pizza) so Brian and I might do 3-4 dishes from a particular nation (Vietnam, Argentina, China) simply to have a unique taste profile for our bored little tastebuds. It was SO MUCH FUN. We additionally had quite a lot of time on our arms on the weekends within the winter. Since then we haven’t actually invited buddies over to our rental home, so I’m unsure how our entertaining fashion will change with regard to us truly cooking actual meals collectively. Why does this matter? Properly, technically you would possibly want more room if there are two individuals and you may want it to be a extra open idea. You may want the range burners extra unfold out, for example, or devoted prep area for every individual. Throughout these enjoyable quarantined nights we realized that we wished that our island didn’t have a sink within the center in order that we had more room to unfold out and never simply every have 24″ on both aspect. Not a giant deal, however once more going by the motions of every week or two of your habits will assist you to make some choices that solely you possibly can reply. You probably have a smaller kitchen with lower than 36″ clearance between counters, then stagger your main cooking areas – sink and range so that you aren’t in one another’s manner the entire time. Additionally let me be clear, bumping bums along with your associate whereas making do-it-yourself bolognese can be an lovely flirty method to begin a date night time at house…

Do You Have Children? Or Are you Planning On Having Children Right here?

Okay. This includes far more follow-up questions and in case you have numerous youngsters then these will likely be apparent to you, however should you don’t then that is what you could contemplate:

1. Put devoted child stuff low to allow them to attain it themselves (each meals, snacks, and plates/cups).
2. Frozen meals is our pal – ample freezer area (or a storage freezer) will prevent many nights. You may’t hoard recent produce like you possibly can frozen greens, so don’t deprioritize the freezer. Our freezer in Lake Arrowhead is smaller than we’d like and so for the farm, now we have a 30″ huge fridge and a 24″ freezer column. When you go a lot larger than that and issues can get misplaced simply, btw.
3. Until you possibly can deal with quite a lot of upkeep or love patina (age), then actually contemplate your island supplies. Actual stone will not be for all of us and THAT’S OK. Quartz is nice, and a few porcelains are so fairly lately that even I’m fooled! Painted wooden can chip, whereas stained wooden will dent (which is much less noticeable). You may see under what we selected and why, however don’t let that have an effect on you – it is a strictly private resolution. Here’s a put up to assist information you.
4. Take into consideration dumb stuff like measurement and site of cereal field heights (enable not less than 16″ on these reachable cabinets), ample Tupperware storage (ooh, attractive), and once more straightforward to entry bowls, plates, and flatware. Make your life simpler and put them in decrease drawers, not higher cupboards.

Now we have two youngsters (virtually 7 and 9!!) and that’s it, however since we each make money working from home (and don’t get quite a lot of takeout) it simply seems like our kitchen will get a lot use, and a lot put on and tear. See under for what sensible issues we sacrificed within the identify of favor.

Will Your Island Be Used For Consuming?

For us, solely typically. This looks like a dumb query, however I see so many islands with both no overhang or solely 2 counter stools on the finish, choosing storage. We went by this subject after we selected our classic furnishings island (no overhang but). However To ensure that individuals to collect round an island comfortably, you need a respectable overhang (14″ not less than). We’re huge on nightly dinners collectively, so no, we gained’t be consuming on the island as a result of all of us dealing with the identical manner will not be our choice (the individuals on the ends by no means see one another!). Brian likes to really feel like he’s at a diner counter always so he’ll eat there for lunch (I’ll be within the sunroom) and I might think about some breakfasts, as the youngsters eat a lot sooner than us, however not at night time. Thus our cute 4-6 individual homework space/household nook within the nook (actually hoping that works as deliberate). Bear in mind now we have the sunroom as a eating room however for on a regular basis nights this will likely be our consuming nook.

ALSO, if 4 persons are going to be consuming at your island you seemingly don’t need a sink or vary on it. Preserve it clear for serving. Our island on the mountain home is solely for hanging out whereas cooking, possibly having chips and guac, however not truly eating. There are lots of occasions when somebody has been sitting there and I’ve splashed them with rogue dishwater (by chance). So should you plan on consuming meals there then take into consideration not placing a sink or range and conserving it clear.

How Clear Do You Like Your Counter tops? I.e. How A lot Visible “Stuff” Can You Deal with?

Little or no for us. You is perhaps shocked to know that I don’t love quite a lot of stuff on my counters on a day-to-day foundation. Now we have a tray of on a regular basis spices, a wood bowl for onions/garlic, a basil plant, and a butter dish (we like room temp butter), however in any other case, I need all of it hidden. If you’re like me then contemplate an equipment storage (for a toaster, microwave, espresso maker, blender) or construct these issues into your pantry (like we’re). Our kitchen in LA was so pretty, but it surely was on the smaller aspect and we needed to have our espresso maker on the counter and it was simply so messy each single day.

However I need artwork in my kitchen, fairly oils and spices, which is why now we have two cabinets flanking the vary (which you’ll see subsequent week). I simply need them off the counter if that makes any sense. We’re going to use your vertical area for these “moments”.

The place We Selected Practicality OR NOT

That is the largest query that all of us ANGUISH over in the case of the kitchen. This didn’t use to be a factor – kitchens had been at finest utilitarian and heat, not the design heart of the house. It’s like we’ve all been poisoned by seeing too many stunning kitchens on the market and now having a boring one seems like a missed alternative. And it’s if I’m being trustworthy. However it’s such a private resolution as you’re the just one utilizing it. So we selected our trendy moments fastidiously, weighed the professionals and cons endlessly and I hope we made the precise choices. However to be trustworthy this kitchen may not be as sensible as this mountain home. I believe it’s simply simpler to make a extra modern kitchen extra sensible than one that’s designed to be extra charming and old-world.

Let’s be clear, we might hardly ever if ever, select a component that’s ugly and sensible. There are simply too many nice choices on the market which might be each.

The place we selected fashion over practicality:

1. Counter tops – After months of indecisions (and beginning with quartz), I simply wished actual stone on this home. I like our quartz in our Nineteen Seventies modern mountain home (above), however for an older, traditional house we personally had been prepared to sacrifice some practicality for the natural sample. We determined to solely put it on the perimeter counters and we’re snug with it getting older. I hope.
2. Classic Island – Now, this does have quite a lot of functioning drawers so it’s sensible in that sense (versus a freestanding desk or only a shelf). The highest of the desk is wooden and lovely and we didn’t wish to cowl it, however I’m fairly involved about the way it’s going to age and what our put on and tear will do to it…and so is Brian. We’re including an overhang to it to match the wooden, however does that imply our buddies have to make use of coasters?!!!! Or will it’s sealed in order that it may be completely wipeable? If that’s the case, will it’s shiny? The piece itself will likely be value it, I KNOW IT, however I’ve issues about how the highest goes to age and if we must always preserve it. Perhaps that’s one thing I’d truly love to do? Pay attention, if it bugs us we’ll put marble on high of it. The rationale that we didn’t do this now was as a result of there have been no extra slabs left (and not using a huge brown streak within the center). However we will at all times put the honed granite on high if this wooden drives us nuts.
3. The Unlacquered Brass Taps – We went with sensible aged brass or polished nickel for the remainder of the home, each different lavatory or mudroom, however for this kitchen, this attractive kitchen, I actually actually wished patinated brass. Sure I must use the precise cleaning soap and polish or it is going to tarnish and finally have to get replaced (see this put up the place I demystify the unlacquered brass) however I really feel assured this will likely be value it.

The place we selected Practicality over Model:

1. Cupboard Format and Materials – Not everybody agrees with this philosophy however I’d reasonably have stained wooden which may dent than painted which may chip. We went with painted within the pantry however we hope that stained wooden cabinetry within the kitchen gained’t present the wear and tear and tear as a lot. We obsessed over the cabinetry format and performance with Distinctive Kitchen & Baths so we really feel very set that now we have what we’d like (and a few cute drawers blended in :)).
2. Lighting – Now we have 4 sources (sconces, artwork lights, pendants, and recessed), however the hardest one to place in stylistically had been the recessed lights. They only aren’t my favourite in older houses, however now we have realized like the remainder of you that kitchens and baths have to be nicely lit merely for utility.
3. We selected home windows over higher cupboards (as a result of now we have the space for storing within the pantry and the basement) and are placing electrical into the island for retailers.

So these are among the concerns we utilized to our kitchen design format and in case you are additionally renovating I hope these questions assist you to too. Keep tuned for the complete design plan coming subsequent week. xx

Opener Picture Credit score: Picture By Sara Ligorria-Tramp | From: It’s Lastly Right here: The Reveal Of The Mountain Home Kitchen

The put up The Technique of Designing Our Farmhouse Kitchen – Some Questions I Requested Myself And The place I Selected “Model Over Practicality” appeared first on Emily Henderson.