7 Genius Kitchen Features
Kitchen renovations are a serious commitment of time, money, and patience. If you’re considering upgrading your outdated, inefficient kitchen or are in the midst of a down-to-the-stud renovation, now is the time to decide what design features will make your life easier. After all, you don’t want or get a re-do anytime soon.
Would an appliance garage clear a cluttered countertop, or would a beverage station come in handy? To narrow down the top features you should consider adding to your kitchen, we tapped Ami McKay, president and principal designer of Vancouver-based PURE Design: Interior Design, Build, & Shoppe Read on for her seven smart suggestions.
A Hidden Pantry
As anyone who has ever been knocked in the head from falling, cluttered cans jammed into limited cabinet space knows, a kitchen pantry is the ultimate practical extravagance. Even better? A hidden pantry incorporated into your millwork, so it blends into your kitchen design.
“A hidden pantry is like a luxurious secret only the homeowners know about,” McKay says. “To be able to walk into a space that is lined with shelves and storage for all of your food goods is so incredibly helpful.”
Organize your pantry in whatever way suits you for ease and efficiency, McKay says, and if you have the square footage to spare, include a countertop and a sink.
A Beverage Station
No matter what you prefer to sip on, you won’t regret adding a beverage station to your kitchen. It creates an out-of-the-way space for guests to help themselves without bumping elbows in the main cooking area, and it leaves more room in your fridge for food storage. Plus, a beverage station makes it extra easy to see at a glance what you’re running low on, so next time you swing by the grocery store you can re-up your LaCroix collection.
Depending on the size of your beverage station, McKay recommends including an ice maker, fridge drawer, sink, wine fridge, blender, coffee machine, and storage.
“It is so convenient to have all of your beverages in one area for the family to make drinks and coffee out of the main traffic area,” says McKay.
An Appliance Garage
The smaller your kitchen, the more you should consider adding an appliance garage to your renovation plans. It’s an innovative storage solution, McKay says, that removes the clutter from your counters and provides a home for all of your appliances, such as your blender, toaster, microwave, soda stream, and mixers.
“These can be custom-made for your needs and you can choose a lifting garage door, a swing door, or a pocket door in a tight corner or under a cabinet,” McKay says.
A Touch-Activated Faucet
One minute you’re handling raw chicken, and the next, you need to run water. We’ve all been through that conundrum. Never touch your faucet with dirty hands again—one of McKay’s favorite small (but mighty) conveniences is a touch-activated faucet.
“Just tap with your wrist if your hands are messy or full, and voila!” she says. Another bonus: since they can automatically turn off after a few seconds, smart faucets can help conserve water and energy, saving you money over time.
A Dual Dishwasher or Oven
Double the dishwashers, double the fun. If you have space to spare, McKay suggests adding more of what you use the most. Perhaps that’s an oven, or maybe that’s an additional dishwasher.
“Do you cook for many and often wish you had more oven space?” McKay asks. “Dual dishwashers also help so much for cleaning up after these large dinners or for every day, as you can have a clean one waiting to be unloaded and a dirty one for stacking.”
A Pot Filler
Sometimes the small details make the biggest impact. One example? A pasta arm—a pot filler with foldable swing arms—says McKay. It’s a clever addition to your range area that will spare you (and your arm muscles) from carrying heavy pots across your kitchen.
A pasta arm requires some plumbing though, so while you’re renovating is the time to add one. Just think: you’ll have an additional excuse to perfect your cacio e pepe recipe.
Warming Drawers
Warming drawers aren’t just for The Great British Baking Show contestants. Whether you’re an avid bread baker or not, McKay proposes adding a warming drawer to your kitchen design. A warming drawer is also helpful if you often host multi-course dinner parties or Thanksgiving, as it gives you a place to keep dishes warm until it’s time to eat. Bon appétit, indeed.
** This article was originally published by The Spruce. CLICK HERE to view the full article.