Consumers Crave Large Functional Kitchen Designs

One home design trend that keeps growing and growing is consumers desire for a large, efficient kitchen space. If you're building a new home, you can easily have your house plan modified to create a kitchen that includes all the design elements and products you crave.

According to our designers, the kitchen has become the new living space. Clearly the kitchen has become a new living space. It's expanding in both size and comfort to accommodate daily living and entertaining. Consumers are paying close attention to design details and product selection.

Consumers are looking for house plans that have large kitchens and open floor plans. The kitchen is the hub of family activity, whether it's doing homework at the kitchen island, sitting down for a casual dinner at the breakfast nook, creating a family meal or preparing for a large party. Be sure to match your appliances with your needs and lifestyle. For example, if you have a large family or entertain frequently, you'll want to be sure that your appliances are large enough to handle the task. Make sure your blueprints are modified to feature the dimensions of all your appliances and cabinetry.

The popularity of kitchen islands and other work zones within the kitchen is also growing, as are the addition of under-counter refrigerator drawers, under-counter wine refrigerators and warming drawers to create a more custom space.

Convenience is a key ingredient to a well designed and functional kitchen space, which is why consumers are looking for appliances that can cut down on the amount of time spent cooking and cleaning. For example, the induction cooktop saves time by bringing water to a boil faster than gas or electric cooktops and it saves clean-up time after dinner because spills won't cook onto the stovetop. Induction cooking is also growing in popularity with consumers because of its energy efficiency.

Energy-efficient appliances, water-saving faucets, eco-friendly flooring, low-voc paints and ENERGY STAR® windows, are among the many green features available to consumers craving a sustainable home.

Another easy way to save money on utilities is by using lighting creatively. Layering light and adding decorative task or accent lighting in the kitchen is a great way to highlight design features without spending extra money.

Whether it's highlighting design elements with light, adding custom workspaces or creating comfortable living spaces within the kitchen, homeowners are looking to make the kitchen their own.