A bright, contemporary kitchen area designed by Holly Hall, hpd architecture + interiors
Updated March 20, 2018
One of the first conversations we will have with you when you decide to remodel your kitchen is to learn about how you will use the space. It all boils down (pardon the pun) to your kitchen personality.
Do you enjoy people and make socializing the highlight of the meal, or are you a foodie and enjoy exploring flavors and techniques, no matter how many or few are seated at the table? Once we get a sense of how you want your kitchen to function then we can start designing. More than likely, you identify with more than one of the personality categories below, and we hope that you do.
By remodeling your kitchen, customizing, and fine-tuning the layout, appliance selections, storage, seating, and lighting to fit your unique needs, your ideal kitchen will be an enjoyable, one-of-a-kind, beautiful space.
Read below to find your kitchen personality and then let your creative juices flow (yes, pun intended).
Entertainer
You enjoy having friends and family over for dinner and you have the tools to make a great party. There are beer mugs chilling in the freezer and an assortment of glasses to serve any type of wine from your collection. You have a favorite serving platter and extra sets of silverware available to accommodate a large dinner party. Out of all of the personality types you are the most likely to own (and use) napkin rings.
Your ideal kitchen is efficiently laid out to aid in easy food preparation. There is a separate drink station to keep your guests hydrated but out of the way of the cook. And while there is a comfortable place for friends to sit or stand and converse while you are cooking, the messier areas are out of view from the dining area. You make use of appliances like warming drawers and ice makers. If you prefer more formal entertaining, then you have a butler’s pantry and special storage for china, crystal, and silver serving pieces.
Foodie
Your favorite past time is collecting and trying gourmet recipes, and you love to linger in the exotic mushroom aisle at Whole Foods Market. The Food Network cooking shows have almost filled up your DVR. Gadgets and cookbooks outnumber the bottles of wine in your collection. You think about food and the art of cooking more often than the other kitchen personalities.
A kitchen designed for a Foodie will have a large refrigerator to hold the fruit, veggies, fresh fish and meat that’s intended for new recipes this week. You might want a large island and prep space to prepare the new dishes you are trying. Your pantry is well organized and you have extra storage for additional appliances and kitchen tools.
Baker
You love the smell of fresh-baked bread and smile when you think of your favorite oven mitt holding a warm tray of cookies straight from the oven. Your happy place is in front of your canisters of flour and sugar. You have plenty of wide mouth drinking glasses with room to dunk cookies in milk.
When you remodel your kitchen, it will have custom built-in bins to hold the frequently-used dry goods. Your spatulas and measuring cups are within easy reach and there is plenty of counter space to roll out the dough. Your cook top may be modest, but the ovens (at least 2 of them) are the heart of the kitchen. Specific storage is important, including room for cookie sheets, cake pans, and mixing bowls, not to mention cookie presses and rolls of parchment paper. There’s also an easy to reach cookbook rack to hold your volumes of family recipes.
Life with kids is busy. Let your kitchen work for you. Farmhouse Kitchen designed by Laura Davis, hpd architecture + interiors.
Family Cook
You are the quintessential multi-tasker. Between shuttling kids to soccer practice and ballet class, you still manage to help with homework and get little tummies fed. There are likely a variety of work, school, and sports calendars and phone lists posted on your refrigerator or bulletin board. Your kitchen functions as command central.
A breakfast table or eat-in island is within five paces of the cereal stash. Your large refrigerator offers easy access to snacks and drinks without imposing traffic patterns where you are trying to make dinner. There are multiple work zones for prep, cooking, and cleanup so that family members can participate. Your cabinets are equipped with pull-out shelves in the under-counter cabinets, so no more lost Tupperware lids.
Griller
You pride yourself on your ability to cook anything over an open fire. Cooking outside makes you feel alive. You have assembled a collection of grilling baskets, marinade brushes, tongs and skewers. Seasonings and meat rubs in bulk from the local warehouse food store are a staple in the pantry. You do not tolerate generic brand aluminum foil.
If you remodel your kitchen, you must have direct access to the grilling patio. You have a large butcher block cutting surface, a professional knife storage system and diamond knife sharpening stone. Counter space is used to prepare the kabobs, but you don’t need a large kitchen because most of your socializing will be going on outside around the grill. You might even prefer an outdoor kitchen, with seating area, fire pit, and built-in speakers for music.
Does your current kitchen not quite match up to your kitchen personality? Let us help you remodel your kitchen and we’ll get your personality and your kitchen in perfect alignment. Visit our Kitchen Portfolio page to view photos of completed projects.
