Design Ideas for Kitchen Spaces

No matter how you slice it or dice it, the kitchen is the hub of the house. Here, seven different ways to think differently about the most used room of the family home.

Banquet Seating For clients who want a kitchen that would make Emeril jealous, consider adding banquet seating near a large peninsula or island. Plush seating can serve as an extra storage container for items such as tablecloths and napkins.

All Angles Covered
Dramatic angles, sharply contrasting colors and materials and focused lighting ensure that cooking a meal is never drudgery.
 

Stairway to HeavenA rolling library ladder makes reaching the uppermost cabinets near the 12-foot ceiling a cinch. Cookbooks are always within reach in the corner shelves.

 Arm the Perimeter
The perimeter of this modern kitchen offers a variety of stations, a necessity in busy households: a baking zone; a prep area with second sink; a staging site where dishes are garnished; a family breakfast spot with coffee-maker and self-serve cereal station; a children's snack bar; and storage.
 

Made of Steel
Stainless steel appliances are perfect for the chef looking for a professional-style kitchen layout at home. Frameless cherry cabinets warm up the cool stainless steel.
 

Island Living The thick wood block of this kitchen's vegetable prep station can stand up to any knife-wielding chef. Expansive countertops make cooking a dream.

Double Duty
When building a family-friendly kitchen space, consider accessibility not only for adults but for children as well. Dual appliances, drawer dishwashers and a multi-level kitchen island offer kitchen dwellers of any height accessibility to the room's offerings. </OLI>