Welcome to Quiet Motion, part 2 of a five-part series on A Quiet Kitchen design.
We demand a lot of our busy, active kitchens: food storage, meal prep, cooking, cleaning, gathering, eating, entertaining, even homework. And storing sooooo much stuff! With today’s open floor plans, what happens in the kitchen is also happening in every living space in the house. For your new kitchen, let’s design a space that can do it all, without the clamor. Leave the noisy world outside and reach for calm in a quiet kitchen design. If you don’t think you’re ready to take this on alone, no problem. A professional UltraCraft kitchen designer near you will be happy to help. They’re the experts!
There are five parts to A Quiet Kitchen: Quiet Look, Quiet Motion, Quiet the Clutter, Quiet Lighting, and Quiet the Noise. In the next few weeks, watch for parts three through five. Read on for Part 2: Quiet Motion. Click here for Part 1: Quiet Look.
Part 2: Quiet Motion
Breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks – creating, consuming, and cleaning – there is always someone in the kitchen. A well-designed work triangle (stove, sink, and fridge) will eliminate most unnecessary steps, but there are more subtle options that will help as well. Here are a few tips to further pare down nonessential motion and movement in your home’s busiest workspace.
Essential Personnel Only
Kitchen islands can add storage and work surfaces, but an island creates a traffic pattern that invites people to travel through the kitchen. In one side and out the other around the island. A peninsula instead creates kind of a cooks “cul-de-sac.” It stops through-traffic and creates a quieter place to work during rush hours. You’ll still have storage, counter space (more, really), and seating to connect with the rest of the family. It doesn’t solve every problem. Your helper will still ask you to step away from the dishes for just a moment so he/she can empty the trash right now. Gridlock!
Clever Cabinet Doors
A typical cabinet door can cause you to take a step back into the flow when you swing it open at your head and shoulders. Consider swing-up, bi-fold, and tambour style doors that open without intruding into the room. Store vinegars, cooking oils, and spices behind pocket doors. The doors store themselves out of the way so you can have ongoing access while cooking. How about no doors at all? Open shelving is handy for items used every day; especially when they’re dressed up in decorative containers. So clever!
Motion-quiet Appliances
Look beyond hulky refrigerators with full-width doors; these are twice as deep when the doors swing open. If a thoughtful snack search through the fridge creates a traffic jam, consider counter-depth versions of side-by-side and quad-door models. The doors are slimmer and don’t swing as far out into the room. Some oven doors open into the workspace, and then slide into the oven out of the way while you balance a bubbling casserole, and compact drawer dishwashers are not a tripping hazard when open. Corners can be tricky. Rely on expert kitchen designers for proper placement of cabinets and appliances in kitchen corners to avoid doors crashing into knobs, pulls, and each other.
There are many moving parts in a kitchen and many ways to quiet the commotion. Whether you are cleaning, cooking, or consuming, you deserve a quiet kitchen.
What are you waiting for? Visit your local UltraCraft designer’s showroom today!
Quiet Motion is just one part of a quiet kitchen design. Watch for our next installment, Part 3: Quiet the Clutter.
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Here we’ll explore current design trends and ideas, look at UltraCraft products in ways they’ve not been presented before, and celebrate spaces created by UltraCraft kitchen and bath designers. We’ll build a reference library of ideas and information to inspire homeowners and professional designers to think outside the cabinet.
We’ll also introduce new products at least twice each year. We’re committed to living on the leading edge of fashion and function, and offering uncompromising quality, fit, and finish. Our in-house designers, engineers, and new-product developers are always searching for and creating better ways to bring you your dream kitchen…or even better than you can dream!
Hey UltraCraft kitchen designers…
Do you have professional-level photography of your outstanding kitchen designs? You can upload them to MasterBrand’s Media Hub and get them the recognition they deserve! Having your images on our Media Hub allows other designers to be inspired by your projects and your photos have the potential of being highlighted in our literature and on our website and social media posts. Other dealers (only those NOT located in your state) would be allowed to use your photos as long as they credit you and your photographer every time they use your image. Please share your pictures. We love your work!
