Style meets function in a balanced cooking space

Kitchen designer Jaclyn Van Maurik shares tips on how to create a balanced cooking space.

Today, many are looking to create a contemporary style of kitchen with sleek surfaces and well-honed finishes. Yet, without the high functionality of smart storage, your modern kitchen could soon turn into a cluttered frustrating mess. Consider these tips when designing a contemporary kitchen look.

Light and airy with maximized storage

Clean and simple is the cornerstone for contemporary design, which is why we like to suggest that our clients look at simple cabinetry with clean lines and then add texture and warmth with hits of colour throughout the space. We often use contrasting coloured materials under islands to achieve that hit of colour. Not only does a large island function as a major storage component in a kitchen, but it also acts as a focal point for the kitchen space.

Appliance garages are a great way to store small, yet bulky appliances like mixers, blenders and food processors. Tucked away, they remain accessible, yet out of sight.

The popular butler’s pantry is another added storage area, particularly when it extends out of the kitchen and into the hallway. This extra space is ideal for storing additional appliances, drinking glasses and bar stock. Consider tall pantry towers with shelves, pullout baskets and shallow drawers within your kitchen renovation plans.

Smart storage means less bulk and clutter

Smart storage also means that bulky, built-in appliances seamlessly merge with pantry cabinets and other millwork to maximize space. To maximize area, place all appliances on one wall.

Many of our clients want a dedicated coffee area. But between appliances, cups, etc., they take up a lot of surface space. Add in a smart-storage coffee nook with contemporary, swing-out cabinet doors that fold away to maintain clean lines.

Finally, consider where you will have your garbage area. We often move garbage and recycling bins off the kitchen floor and into large lower cabinet drawers to now reduce visual clutter.

Extend cabinets to the ceiling

Large cabinets not only look stylish in a contemporary kitchen but also double as extra storage. Consider having in your kitchen renovation tall upper cabinets that extend to the ceiling with no “dust collecting” gaps between the cabinets and ceiling. We design most cabinets to the ceiling, which adds loads of extra storage to the average-sized kitchen. If you are leery about being able to reach those heights, consider adding a modern hook or sliding ladder to reach top shelves.

Having the right design team will ensure that all the details are cohesive while giving you a kitchen with enough storage. Choose a design plan first that offers you streamlined surfaces, functionality and efficiency. After all, you want your kitchen not only to look stylish but to also be truly functional, a space you want to spend time cooking and entertaining in for years to come.