Kitchen Elimination Challenge: What Don't You Need?

You are remodeling your kitchen and the world is your oyster. You could pick any features, layout, and materials you wanted. 

But you've decided to keep it simple. Maybe the previous kitchen was too busy. Maybe you're perfecting the golden triangle ratio. Or perhaps you're envisioning a perfectly ergonomic kitchen with the fewest tools and motions per recipe.

It's the kitchen elimination challenge. Instead of asking yourself what you'd add to the kitchen, challenge yourself to see what you would take away. What does your kitchen have right now that you don't need? What trends can you do without? What features could be simplified into something cleaner and more useful?

The Second Stacking Oven

If you're remodeling your kitchen and removing old appliances, consider saying goodbye to that second oven. Unless you run a catering company from home or regularly cook feasts for the extended family, most people don't need two ovens. One oven at just the right height is much more enjoyable and functional for a one-chef kitchen.

The Dusty Upper Cabinet Space

Do you need dusty upper storage above the cabinets? Neither does anyone else. That dusty upper cabinet space is the number-one most removed feature in modern kitchen design. Instead, have your carpenters build the cabinets up to the ceiling or simply install a spacer to close the gap neatly where bugs and dust can't make a home.

The Swinging Pasta Arm Faucet

Do you have a pasta arm faucet near your stove? Would you rather not? Pasta arms were a gourmet fad for a few years that have since dropped back out of fashion. While pot filler faucets for the kitchen sink are still popular, most people don't need a special pot filler tap just for the stove area - and it often serves just to get dirty and get in the way.

Have your kitchen renovators remove the fixture and close your backsplash over the space.

An Awkwardly Placed Island

Not all kitchen islands are fantastic. If you are constantly hip-slamming the island or feeling crowded when traversing your golden triangle (fridge, stove, sink), then the island might not be built right for your kitchen. Maybe you want a smaller island, an off-center island, or a split island. Or perhaps your kitchen would be better off with a sidebar instead.

The Hanging Glassware

Some kitchens have an overhang display for bar glassware or pots & pans. This may be to your liking, but then again it might not. If you don't like hanging pans and regularly bump your head on glassware, you can have that entire hanging rack removed. It may look elegant when staging the house, but it doesn't need to stay if the hanging style doesn't work with your cooking style.

Endless Stacked Drawers

Ever find yourself in a horror movie of opening endless drawers - looking for the right utensil? This is common in older kitchens where vertically stacked drawers is the primary organization available. 

have those tedious and rumbling drawers replaced with kitchen organizer designs, open cabinets, or better drawers. Save yourself the rummaging and use your cabinet space in a way you'll enjoy more.

The Uncomfortably Hung Cabinet Doors

Likewise, there's no need to put up with cabinet doors that don't open the way you like. You can have the hinges switched to reverse the swing or remove and replace the cabinet doors entirely. Opt for sliding doors, vertical cabinet doors, curtains, or no cabinet doors at all for elegant open shelving.

What would you remove from your kitchen if you could? This is a great inspiration to help you imagine a simple and beautiful kitchen renovation design. Contact us today to start planning your kitchen redesign project.