4 Things Designers Notice First in a Kitchen

During design consultations, experienced interior designers tend to point out things like issues with the existing kitchen design — not to disparage the kitchen, but to identify issues that may need to be fixed when it’s time to redesign your kitchen. In today’s post, Envy Home Services shares a look at some of these things.

1. Lighting. Lighting is probably the thing that would be immediately noticeable, even to non-designers. A basic kitchen lighting plan should have at least the three key types: ambient lighting, task lighting and accent lighting. The lighting fixtures should also look like they were carefully curated instead of being a random selection of pendant lights, lamps and sconces.

2. Flow and Layout. Kitchens are all about efficiency, which makes layout the most important element of good kitchen design. Designers often would walk around an existing kitchen and simulate movement from one workspace to another, including how many steps it would take and how much effort is needed when turning. A good designer may propose to move certain workspaces around to ensure efficient movement.

3. Color Palette. The choice of colors is often left to the homeowner’s taste and style, but designers will be quick to point out if a color palette works or not. It’s not uncommon for some people to insist on a particular set of colors because it’s a trend, or because it’s a favorite color, or because of some deeper meaning, but kitchens are more of a functional space. Certain colors can cause visual fatigue and clutter, or even work against the lighting plan. This is why designers use visual guides, like color sketches and virtualization software, to give their clients a more accurate representation of what the kitchen would look like.

4. Storage Clutter. Clutter is more than just an eyesore — it can impede your movement, or even be a hazard for anyone in the kitchen. Pots and pans that are improperly stored in an overhead open shelf is a risk for a head injury. Unsupervised children could grab appliances and knives left on the countertop. A good designer should be able to incorporate the presence of clutter in their cabinet and storage designs.

Planning a kitchen remodel? Give our team at Envy Home Services a call at (888) 847-7954 to get started! You can also fill out our contact form to schedule a consultation.