Capable Kitchens

From holidays to birthday parties to regular old family dinners, it all starts in the kitchen. Give some love back to the hardest working room in the home with these simple tips.

COOL, CLEAN, AND DECLUTTERED COUNTERS

A cluttered eyesore of a countertop not only looks bad, it feels bad. And it will get in the way of anything and everything you try and get done in the kitchen.

1. Make use of baskets, bins, and anything else to store often-used culinary tools, like cutting boards and measuring cups.
2. Store effectively. More often than not a cluttered kitchen starts with inefficient organization in your cabinets, drawers, and pantries.
3. And to make the most of your easy-access storage, go bold and turn it into a visual statement piece with bright colors and interesting materials.

KEEP YOUR FRIENDS CLOSE AND YOUR CLEANING SUPPLIES CLOSER

A dirty kitchen will drive you up the wall, and make cooking meals that much more difficult.

1. Lessen the dread of the once-a-month deep clean by regularly cleaning on a smaller scale.
2. Create a designated space to store the essentials, and you’ll never have an excuse to put it off.
3. Five or ten minutes of extra work will extend the lives of appliances, utensils, pots, and pans, and keep your kitchen looking superb.

ACHIEVE HARMONY THROUGH DECORATION

A little decorative planning will allow you to experience the benefits of an open-concept home in full.

1. Keep it thematically consistent. If the kitchen floor is a light hardwood, don’t go with dark, heavy, carpeting in the great room.
2. Match throw pillows on the great room couch to the cloth napkins on the kitchen snack bar, or wooden bar stools to the stain of the coffee table.
3. Create a harmonious environment by matching color palettes in your kitchen, great room, and any other room included in the open-concept area.

So make sure your favorite memories start in a kitchen you can be proud of. A kitchen that’s well-organized, clean, and coordinates with the rest of your home. Need more inspiration? Check out any of our model homes or floor plans for open-concept, kitchens with plenty of storage and counter space.