Which Comes First, The Kitchen or the House?
by Shad Johnsen, CKD
As featured in “Southern Utah Homeowners’ Magazine” May 2006
Homeowner’s question is “When is the best time to start working on the kitchen design?”. This question usually comes from homeowner’s in various stages of the new construction process. I have had this question from as early as three years prior to breaking ground, to the house is painted, and doors and trim are done.
Considering that a home purchase is usually the largest purchase in a person’s lifetime, and that the kitchen is the most important element in the home; not to mention the most expensive, then I usually recommend to begin as early as possible.
Countless times clients have returned to their architect, after consulting with me on their kitchen parameters, to make changes to walls, window, and doors. Many of these clients have mentioned later that they were so glad that we caught the recommended changes at that stage.
Have you ever heard of designing a house around a kitchen? If you haven’t, you will. When the kitchen is the most important room in the home, it is very natural to begin the complete home design process by finalizing on a kitchen plan first, then working out the following items because of their communication with the kitchen:
1. Bring Home the Groceries: The garage placement is important because of the travel distance for groceries. It also is very common for the kids to come home from school through the garage to the kitchen for afternoon snacks. The kitchen accumulates the most garbage in the home, so the shorter the disposal distance the better.
2. Heat it Up: I don’t know many people who like to dine in the heat. Because many homes are now designed with the dining room (space) adjacent to the kitchen, some forget the affect that cooking will have on the comfort level of the dining space. Remember good (and effective) ventilation in the kitchen can help with this.
3. Washing Clothes and Dishes: During a recent kitchen design workshop, the topic of laundry room location compared to kitchen location came up. One of the builders in attendance suggested that it was more important to have the laundry room closer to the bedrooms than the kitchen. Two of the women immediately emphasized that the laundry room and kitchen work hand in hand during the typical household chores and routines. This is probably why you see laundry units being built into kitchens in Europe concealed behind cabinetry.
4. A Real Fashion Statement: Unlike the the old hidden away kitchens of the 50’s, Many homeowners prefer their kitchen to be visible from the entryway, because they want their kitchen furniture to be noticed by their guests as an important statement of their tastes and style.
5. Makin’ it Great: The great room couldn’t be a great room if the kitchen was not included. It becomes the anchor to the dining room, living room, and more. The flow of air, noise, and smells all are things to consider when planning the kitchen and great room.
Do what works best for your project. Just don’t forget that changing the kitchen in advance, is mostly a change in ink on paper. Waiting until after the project is done is a whole different scenario. That is what keeps me in business!