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BobVila.com > Channels > Kitchen Design > All Articles > Affordable Kitchens that Work
Affordable Kitchens that Work
Three modest homes show how kitchen and dining areas become living space, where daily activities are central and more family-friendly than in a traditional layout.
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Good kitchen design includes plenty of work and storage space, like this practical center island with cabinets below.
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Contemporary house designs feature open layouts with rooms that read into one another, without being strictly defined by function. The kitchen is central to family activity, a hub where daily activities overlap and flow across kitchen, family, and dining space. Dining rooms often double as family rooms or play spaces, where toys and youngsters can be kept close to the main activities of the home.
Good Kitchen Space
A well-designed kitchen layout means function and flow. Layout works together with appliance placement to create a comfortable, workable environment. Good design dictates that the refrigerator be near work space and food preparation counters, and sinks be placed next to dishwashers for easy loading. Stoves want workspace and handy storage for cooking accessories, cupboards for pots and pans, and drawers for utensils.
Floorplan #1: The Jacobsons
The sleek urban look of these kitchen appliances gives a professional air to Kelli Jacobson’s kitchen.
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The way a family cooks and lives will determine their appliance needs and finishes. Kelli Jacobson loves to cook and entertain, so her layout, appliances, and finishes all enhance how she lives in her Cape Cod-style home. “I like how everything’s open,” Jacobson says. “I love the layout because it goes right from the living room to the dining room to the kitchen.” In Jacobson’s house, the kitchen is the cook’s domain, so her appliance choices and finishes reflect her love of cooking. “I’m really into cooking, so I chose stainless steel for a more modern, professional look,” she says of the Kenmore refrigerator, stove, and dishwasher she selected. The moveable center island opens to provide extra space for stool seating and storage. The island and counters are grey, while the cabinets are a frosted, light wood, with the stainless steel finish to pull it all together.
Floorplan #2: The Thompsons
The finishes in this open kitchen are warm but bright. The appliances are placed for workability with plenty of counter space and easy access from sink to dishwasher.
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The Thompsons own a Colonial home, a layout that lets family space flow while keeping public space separate from the mess of busy lives. With small children and lots of toys, it works best for their family to use the dining room as a playroom adjacent to the kitchen, while the living room remains a public entry space. “I do like the fact that you have more of a welcome area–no toys–with more of a playroom off to the side,” Ann Thompson says. She opted for clean, simple lines in the kitchen. The cupboards are maple with a warm, autumn finish. “It’s light, it brightens up the room,” Thompson says of the cabinet color. “They have clean straight lines, but aren’t modern,” she says of the design. Overall, the feeling is warm, neat, and clean. The appliances are all white from the Kenmore side-by-side refrigerator and freezer, to the stove and dishwasher. This light, open feeling continues throughout the family spaces, which include the kitchen, dining room, breakfast area, and first-floor laundry. “The layout is good for entertaining,” Thompson says, and the openness gives a big, airy feel to their family space. Having the dining room separated from the living room lets this family put a playroom out of sight while putting their best face forward for company.
Floorplan #3: The Browns
Kimberly Brown’s open layout features beadboard cabinets, easygoing finishes, and a kitchen island for extra counter and storage space.
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The beauty of a ranch layout is that it keeps family and public space together. Kimberly Brown, the homeowner and mother of a toddler, also likes the openness of her layout. The 440-square-foot dining room and kitchen area lets Brown keep an eye on her daughter while living and working in the house. Her finishes are relaxed yet sophisticated, with maple beadboard cupboards and soapstone-colored laminate counters. Her appliances are black, which complements the counters and provides an easy-to-clean, kid-friendly finish. The black Kenmore refrigerator, stove, and dishwasher unify the design scheme and give a sleek look to this open kitchen.
Task-Centered Thinking
All three home plans feature first-floor laundry rooms that are made modern with a Whirlpool side-by-side, heavy-duty washer-dryer combo. These energy-saving front-loaders are built to handle large loads, but work in small spaces like the closeted laundry area in Brown’s ranch-style home. Putting them on the first floor, in the center of family activity, makes the whole process more efficient and family-friendly, according to all of these homeowners. “I’m really looking forward to the first-floor laundry,” says Thompson. All agree, family-friendly layouts, open space, and good task allocation make these small homes work.
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