Designing and building a custom home has its pros and cons for sure, but one of the greatest pros is designing your floor plan! This means designing the heart of your home — your kitchen — just the way you want! Of course, it takes a great, experienced design/build team to turn your dream into reality! It’s also beneficial to hire an experienced team who knows what works and what doesn’t. Here are some tips to consider when designing a kitchen for your custom home:

Lighting is oh-so important!

Lighting is important in every room of a house, but even more important in a kitchen. Besides the obvious reason for food preparation, the lighting in your kitchen can be used to set the mood you desire for all the occasions you’ll host in your home! Be sure to take into account the light sources you will have in your kitchen: natural light, task lighting, ambient lighting, accent lighting, and decorating lighting. The more light sources you have, the more you’ll love your kitchen!

Appliances make our lives easier, right???

They should! But believe it or not, some appliances just give us more of a headache than anything else! Be sure to research the brands you’re wanting to use in your home. Check out reviews ahead of time. Don’t allow your builder to choose for you. Kitchens are personal spaces and all of us use our appliances in different ways. Just because you’re building a luxury home doesn’t mean you have to purchase smart appliances. Some people are overwhelmed by the touch screens, wifi, and companion apps, and we get it! Why purchase something you’ll never use? Instead, speak with your design/build team about options you know you’ll need! Do you need gas? Are you a chef needing a high powered ventilation system? Maybe you’re looking to build an “Aging in Place” home and you want appliances that are stylish yet make fit the AIP criteria. Consider your lifestyle and what brings you the most joy in utilizing your kitchen appliances.

Plumbing fixtures can comfortable!

Yes, that’s right — I said it! They can be comfortable (and uncomfortable). I know I just mentioned smart appliances above, so if you’re not a fan of smart appliances, you may not want Voice IQ Technology for your plumbing. However, Voice IQ technology can be a HUGE help in the kitchen. With this technology, you’re able to turn you water off and on with voice activation. It’s like having an extra hand in the kitchen. While you’re at your prep station chopping veggies, you can warm your water with a simple command! Maybe that sounds a little silly to some, but this technology can also come with the wave sensor, so if you’re not a fan of speaking to your faucet, you can simply wave your hand below the faucet to activate the water rather than getting your messy hands all over your handles! The technology goes further with specific volume water dispensing, but I’ll just leave you here with that. The point is that plumbing is so much more than it was 10 years ago. Your plumbing fixtures can actually be the extra hands in the kitchen in 2023, and that’s something to be excited about!!! Right???

Cabinetry is EVERYTHING in a kitchen!

Well — lighting is probably the most important, but let me tell ya — cabinetry is right up there with lighting! If you don’t have cabinetry that hits the mark aesthetically AND functions the way you need, you may find yourself wanting to leave your kitchen as fast as possible each day, and that’s no way to live. Lean on your experienced design/builder team to guide you in creating a layout of cabinetry that makes the most sense for your home and your lifestyle. If you’ve got a smaller square footage layout for your house, and you don’t have as much pantry as you’d like, design cabinets that look like cupboards — creating deeper storage than your standard cabinet. Storage and usability are key in your kitchen design. Add drawers! In my book — this goes for ALL homes we design! No one likes to have to dig behind items in lower cabinetry. We love the accessibility drawers provide! And finally, don’t settle for paint colors that go against the aesthetic you’re trying to create. We’ll have more on cabinetry in future posts, so stay tuned!