Have the Kitchen of Your Dreams!

Photo taken from Ocean Home The Elizabeth

At Ocean Homes, we are firm believers that the kitchen is the heart of the home. In the kitchen, families break bread, laugh about life, frustrate over homework, and enjoy quiet moments together. Life happens in the kitchen – it’s the one place in a home where everyone comes together to enjoy one and others’ company. 

As the kitchen is the heart of the home, we at Ocean Homes pride ourselves on crafting functional and aesthetic kitchens. We believe that everyone should feel at home in a house’s kitchen. 

As a specialty builder, we pride ourselves on designing livable spaces that fit our clients’ lifestyles. We want you to make the most of your family time together.  To make the most of your time spent with those you love, we thought we share a few of our tips for designing the kitchen of your dreams.

Our Ocean Homes Tips For Designing The Kitchen of Your Dreams:

Set a Budget – Like any project, developing a workable budget is paramount to the success of your kitchen upgrade. It’s easy to go a little overboard when renovating or designing your kitchen. At Ocean Homes, we recommend all our clients set a firm budget for their kitchen to work within. As a specialty builder, we will then do our part in designing a kitchen that fits your budget and exceeds your expectations.  

Consider Adding a Butler Pantry – If you’ve never had a butler pantry, you’re missing out! A butler pantry or serving pantry is a generous storage and assembly space between the kitchen and the dining room. If you like to host dinner parties, a butler pantry is a fantastic tool for helping you pull off the perfect soiree (while hiding the mess). At Ocean Homes, we like to store our good dinner wear, wine glasses, and bar fridge in our butler pantries. 

Opt To Have A Sliding Door to Your Back Yard Close To The Kitchen – For the family that likes to live outdoors as much as possible, we recommend building a kitchen with easy access to your outdoor living space. Our go-to is a clean sliding door with a transparent screen. (That way, whoever is working in the kitchen can still be part of the party.) An easy transition from indoor to outdoor living will entice you and your family to make the most out of your outdoor living space.  

Install a Wine Fridge -  wine, beer, and pop cans can take up a lot of space in your everyday fridge. Keep your kitchen fridge for food and invest in a different beer and wine fridge. If you have a butler pantry, we recommend installing the bevy fridge in the butler pantry to keep it out of sight.  

Think Clean – Like a little black dress, a clean, well-designed kitchen is always in style. Help keep your kitchen in vogue and opt for clean white cabinets, stainless steel appliances, and a dark granite countertop. As the kitchen is the most lived-in room of any home, we recommend avoiding design trends instead stick to a clean and functional aesthetic. 

Remember Your Kitchen Triangles – At Ocean Homes, we’re big fans of functional (yet aesthetic) kitchens. We try to incorporate the kitchen triangle philosophy into our design. A kitchen triangle is an economical way to help you save time and energy while preparing meals. Ideally, there is an invisible triangle between your fridge, sink, and stove (the three most used elements of your kitchen). When we design kitchens, we recommend our clients consider a kitchen triangle to help them enjoy long-term kitchen functionality. 
Have a Purpose For Your Kitchen Island -  When it comes to a kitchen island, we at Ocean Homes want you to think “function before design.” A kitchen island can either be a valuable prep space or a waste of space. If you’re going to use your island for dinner prep and eating, add a dishwasher and a sink to the island so you can easily wash veggies and clean up post-meal.  

Design Landing Space Around Appliances – Ever try cooking in a cramped corner? It’s hardly our idea of fun. For a relaxed cooking experience, a little extra landing space near frequently used appliances is a must. The extra landing space will give you room to temporarily place your cooking gadgets or work in progress. At Ocean Homes, we recommend that our clients plan for 30 cm of counter space on either side of the range, refrigerator, and kitchen sink.  

Invest in Multiple Appliances – If your home is home to a busy family, we at Ocean Homes recommend doubling up on essential kitchen appliances such as a second oven, microwave, or kitchen sink. Having “extra” devices will help keep the family snackers out of the kitchen while you’re preparing meals.   
Install a Pot Filler – At Ocean Homes, one of our absolute favorite life hacks is the instant pot filler faucet over the stove. Instilling a pot with hot water on the stove saves valuable time during family rush hour. 

Think of Your Kitchen as The Family Command Center– As every busy parent can attest, the kitchen is the heart of the home. It’s the one room that is used daily by every family member. Make your kitchen work for you and set up a family communication center in your kitchen. Install a message board to share important dates and memos in a high vis location with your family. We recommend assigning each family member with their own post-it or sharpie color. 

Now that you have our tips for transforming your kitchen into the kitchen of your dreams, we hope our tips help you and your family make the most of mealtime in the heart of your house. 

And when you’re ready for a custom-built home or professional kitchen reno, let us know – we’d love to design your family’s dream house.