When you imagine your dream kitchen, what do you see? For many of us, it is a beautiful and functional room that allows us to cook and enjoy homemade meals with the family. But, that isn’t the reality for everyone!
If take-out and dining out on the town are more your style or you simply have no interest in the amount of work it takes to plan, prep, and prepare a meal, it can be a challenge to figure out exactly how you want your new kitchen to look—let alone which features you need to include!
While some standard, basic features are smart to have installed in your home’s kitchen, that doesn’t mean that the room needs to be a typically laid-out space that you’ll never end up using. There are plenty of ways to think outside the box when it comes to fun, unique, and innovative kitchen ideas that have little to do with actual cooking, and we’ve put together a few of our favorites to inspire you to transform your unused kitchen into a room that works for your lifestyle.
BRING A TOUCH OF TUSCANY TO YOUR HOME
Does a perfect evening for you involve curling up in a comfortable spot and sipping a glass of wine? Whether you’re a wine connoisseur or are just starting a collection of fine vintages, your kitchen is the ideal place for showcasing your passion! Consider installing a temperature-regulated wine cellar right in your kitchen, investing in some beautiful wine racks and displays, and decorating the space to make it a place that you can kick back and enjoy a glass of wine after a long day.
GET YOUR FAVORITE COFFEE WITHOUT THE HASSLE
Eating out is one thing, but nothing beats having your favorite coffee drink ready for you as you roll out of bed in the morning. Take the effort out of your daily routine by turning your kitchen into a unique coffee bar. There are several impressive coffee stations available on the market today that can make everything from a single, perfect mug to an amazing espresso—saving you from having to leave the house before enjoying your first cup of coffee for the day.
REDISCOVER YOUR PASSIONS
While cooking may not be on your list of favorite hobbies, chances are that there is something that you are passionate about—so let your kitchen reflect that! If reading and literature are your things, consider turning a wall of your kitchen into a library and adding a cozy reading nook in the corner of the room. If you love to garden, plants typically thrive in the sunlit space of a kitchen and having a sink and fridge nearby can make growing your favorite flowers even easier. Whatever you love to do, take your kitchen and make it work for you so that you can get the most out of every inch of your home.
GET CREATIVE WITH THE BASICS
Whether you cook or not, the truth is, everyone, needs to eat—so, it is smart to have some basics on hand when considering a new kitchen design. However, that doesn’t mean that they need to take up the whole room! Instead of a full-size fridge, you can add fridge and freezer drawers that are useful and inconspicuous. If you don’t have a need for a standard oven, you can incorporate a cooktop into your kitchen design and use a countertop convection oven for heating food.
Every kitchen is as unique as the people that live in the home, and this important space should be useful and match your lifestyle, aesthetic, and household needs—even if that doesn’t involve cooking! By incorporating what you love around the standard, basic kitchen necessities, you can achieve the perfect balance of functionality and personalized appeal in your home’s new kitchen.
