Today, the kitchen tends to be the central focus of many custom home designs, but that was not always the case. This is especially true when discussing those cookie-cutter homes from decades ago. Those kitchens were often big enough for a kitchen table, cooking equipment, shelves, and not much more. Today, they tend to be the showcase room of the home and the center of entertainment.
The Basics Still Hold True
While the evolution of the kitchen has changed, they all still have essential components to them. For instance, the “triangle” is still very important in kitchen design if you want it to be functional for cooking. The most basic kitchen will still contain the following:
- Warm and cold storage (fridge and cabinets)
- Clean and dirty components (sink, cabinets, and drawers)
- Working and eating stations (countertops, oven, and tables)
These aspects of the kitchen have not changed in more than a century, and they will not change anytime soon. What has changed, however, is how the kitchen is no longer the room that is tucked into the back of the house in a traditional design. Today, most homes have an open design, and the kitchen is one of the first rooms people see when they walk into the home. It has become the entertainment hub of the household. But even then, there are still different types of kitchens from which to choose.
The Social-Entertaining Kitchen
For those who like to entertain, the kitchen is often given the best location in terms of design and access. The kitchen opens into other parts of the home, sometimes outside, to a deck or patio area. This type of kitchen will also generally feature a long countertop with plenty of seating for guests.
The Working Kitchen
These kitchens tend to be more industrial, with a clean, white or stainless steel look. They are not necessarily tucked away, but they do not have the full access that a social kitchen would have. These kitchens will still feature a long countertop for the family to eat their meals if they so desire, but this is a statement, letting everyone who walks through the home know that you are serious about your cooking.
The Chef’s Kitchen
The chef’s kitchen is more or less a mix of the two, with a lot more focus on the cooking stations and equipment being used. The kitchen will be seriously oversized to allow several people to cook comfortably behind the line simultaneously. It may also have two larger countertops instead of the traditional one, and those counters are likely to feature working sinks and possibly even an additional stovetop station.
The key, however, is the equipment, as you will literally have restaurant-style equipment in the home, such as a sub-zero refrigerator and freezer, gas range, grill or griddle, multiple ovens, including a convection oven, warming drawers, and just about every cooking gadget known to man.
The nature of these kitchens makes them the home’s focal point, so the home is also used to entertain after the meal is cooked. After all, the chef wants to show off his space after having created an amazing gourmet meal for their friends.
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