The kitchen is the focus of activity in your home, from hectic breakfasts before leaving the house, to family feasts to having a cup of coffee with friends.
Whether you’re designing a new kitchen or remodeling an existing one, there are plenty of choices to be made to ensure it is functional, attractive, and easy to maintain.
How to Design an Easy-to-Clean Kitchen
The kitchen should be a place you love being in whether you're cooking, cleaning, dining, or entertaining, and a thoughtful kitchen design may help you accomplish exactly that. With a little forethought, you can design a space that allows you to spend less time cleaning and more time enjoying it. Here are 4 ways to do so:
#1 Focus on Smooth Surfaces
To accommodate all the cooking, eating, and general activity that will happen in your kitchen, choose materials that are both durable and easy to clean. Materials such as stainless steel, quartz, and marble for your smooth surfaces will make cleanup a breeze.
When choosing your backsplash, avoid styles like mosaic or subway tiles, which are difficult to clean due to their numerous grout lines. Instead, choose full-sheet materials such as tempered glass or back-painted glass, or even large-format quartz or stone slabs that completely remove grout lines.
#2 Avoid Open Shelving
When attractively arranged, open shelving can be appealing, but it can be a high-maintenance design choice if you have to move dishes, recipe books, and decorative objects every time you need to dust. Instead, consider flat-surface wall cabinets for a fuss-free kitchen design.
It can also be tempting to adorn your cabinets with beautiful moldings and intricate details, but for a simpler-to-clean kitchen, choose flat-front cabinets, where all you'll need is a damp cloth to clean the smooth surface area.
#3 Be Choosy About Paint
If you've ever bought paint, you're aware that it comes in a variety of sheens, with matte and eggshell paint having the lowest sheen and high-gloss paint having the highest sheen. However, their appearance isn't the only thing that distinguishes them.
The higher the paint gloss, the longer the paint will last. Durable paint is also considerably easier to clean and is a ‘must’ for easy-to-clean design.
#4 Make Flooring Manageable
Choosing your kitchen flooring based on your aesthetics is important, but don’t overlook its level of maintenance when making your selection. The kitchen has a lot of foot traffic, and it's just as crucial to choose the correct material when trying to accomplish low-level maintenance.
You want washing the floor to be as simple as cleaning the counter and that necessitates the use of certain materials that are both durable and easy to work with. Consider materials such as engineered wood or vinyl, and be aware that grout lines can be challenging to keep clean over time. Fewer seams and gaps mean less dirt and particles can collect.
Helping You Design your Dream Kitchen
When it comes to building your dream kitchen, every element must be considered. If you have luxury in mind, one of your top concerns should be making it easy to maintain.
Many homeowners don't think about the practical aspects of their design decisions, and as a result, they end up with a kitchen that is difficult to clean. It’s helpful to utilize the expertise of experienced professionals to bring aesthetics and practically together.
At Ryan A. Jones and Associates, we have over 20 years of high-end construction and design experience. Contact us today to learn how we can bring your dream kitchen to life.