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Country Kitchen Design & DecorKitchen design is one of the most important considerations for any home. Almost everyone spends a large amount of time in the kitchen. Families prepare 2-3 meals each day in this room. Also, in many homes the kitchen is a central or at least focal point in the home. During my childhood, family gatherings always seemed to congregate in the kitchen or dining area. Given the importance of the kitchen in our lives, this page offers some information and tips on kitchen design, layout and décor.
Logically, when man first started constructing structures to live in, the cooking and eating space was usually planned and built first. The rest of the dwelling grew around the kitchen. To conserve effort and expense, the home's heat source and also the place to cook food was centered in the kitchen area. The family naturally congregated near the heat source, thus in the kitchen area. Most homes of today have separate rooms for sleeping, bathing, congregating and dining, but we still have to have a room to prepare food.
If you're building a new home, spend a little extra time planning your kitchen. Try to visualize what its going to look like when finished and how its going to feel when your working in it. If you're handy with a computer, software is available that will allow you draw a plan, then view a virtual picture of it. If you're shopping for an existing home, use these same tools and thoughts when inspecting the kitchen in your prospective home. Make sure it will serve your future needs without much modification. Try for a total room area of around 250-300 square feet, depending on your personal preferences. I feel that any smaller and you would be cramped, any larger and you would be too spread-out. Every kitchen has 4-5 work stations or areas where you spend the majority of your time preparing and cooking food and moving between them. I consider these areas to be: the refrigerator, sink/dishwasher, counter area for prep-work, stove and the oven. In order to keep from wearing yourself out fixing dinner, try to ensure 2-3 normal steps between these stations. This can best be achieved by arranging the areas in a rough triangle. The addition of a center island really enhances this kitchen design, especially if it has a sink and cutting board. Another critical layout consideration is adequate storage in the right place. Generally, I recommend cabinets and counter space on each wall not occupied by other appliances. I guarantee that you'll never have too much cabinet and counter space.
Another layout option to consider, if possible, is kitchen location in respect to other rooms. I prefer a 3-sided kitchen, with one side open for access to an adjoining room, usually the dining area. This configuration also provides improved lighting. Adequate lighting in any kitchen is mandatory, with the best lighting provided by sunlight. In my opinion, the optimum arrangement for food preparing and dining areas also includes the patio or deck area. Picture this: a large sliding glass door between your dining room and deck with an access through or near the dining room to the open side of your kitchen. Whether you are installing appliances in a new or remodeled kitchen or replacing old ones, my advice is to buy the best in modern technology. A key factor in selecting the right appliance is how much you are going to use it. You should always look for appliances that are energy-efficient and easy to clean. Stoves and ovens sold thirty or forty years ago were very capable, but were designed with many edges and crevices that were hard to keep clean. Refrigerators built a few years ago kept food cold and fresh, but also cost more to operate than the ones we have today. With research and careful shopping, you can find modern appliances that will fit in with any country kitchen décor. When planning your new kitchen design, consider the following: A drop-in cook-top and built-in double oven instead of a freestanding stove/oven combination. Incorporate a quality modern microwave oven into the cabinetry near the ovens or cook-top. Ensure your dishwasher is modern and energy-efficient and built-in next to the sink. Room décor normally starts with a theme. Some examples are seaside, oriental, European and rustic or country. Since we are about country living, we'll concentrate on a country-themed kitchen design.
Country kitchen decorating should concentrate on an airy, open look and feel. Keep clutter to a minimum and try to use colors, textures and materials that compliment your home exterior and landscape appearance. Ensure you have plenty of light into your kitchen, preferrably natural light. Use earth-tone colors such as those you might see in nature as a basis. Use plenty of wood such as oak or knotty pine for cabinets and furniture. Cathedral and beamed ceilings in natural wood are perfect for country decorating. Black wrought iron accessories work well with this style of kitchen design. The perfect floor for any country kitchen is tile or stone in earth colors. This type of floor is both attractive and easy to keep clean.
We hope the information on this page gives you some good ideas and advice for your country kitchen design. Now that you have your
country kitchen design in hand, try some of our delicious recipes!
Favorite Recipes from our Country Kitchen
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I recommend cabinets with rollout shelves; you won't be sorry when the cabinet is full of canned goods, and you need the one in back.
