Planning a Kitchen? Address Your Appliances First - Here's Why....

If you are planning a new kitchen, your appliances should be some of the first items to consider.

There is so much to choose at so many various price points these days with lots of information to digest, starting here is good to help you get your mind and your budget around what you want.

When I’ve visited with the people at Thermador at KBIS in past years, they have stressed the question that they want to ask their customers, “Do you cook?”

It’s an important question to help direct you to the type of appliances that might be best for you. If you take an honest look at how you work in your kitchen and how you spend your time there, you might find that you use parts of your kitchen more or some less than others.

This is an advantage with induction cooktops, they don’t heat up anywhere but where the pot or pan touches the surface. The heat is super even too, which is fabulous in a cooking surface. Monogram showroom, Chicago | carlaaston.com

I visited a very high end, luxury kitchen design company in the last year and they said that they don’t want their clients to really get fixed on appliances before they come to see them. They said that often, their clients may not cook much, but the house is at a value level that needs a gourmet kitchen with a certain high level of appliances.

I totally understand that. You don’t want a 5 million dollar house with a microwave, dishwasher and undercounter fridge, if that is all the homeowner themselves would use. :-) I imagine that the chef that comes to cook for parties would like some nice appliances to work with!

The architectural space may also dictates the kind of appliances you may be able to have, so it isn’t really all about what you personally want all the time.

Loved this 24” range from Smeg seen as a new intro last year at KBIS. Luxury quality in a small package. Can’t wait to see what is coming out this year.

I do think that you can do your homework and research different brands and really examine your style of cooking. It does help to be prepared and to have an idea of cost associated with what you might want. (Most times people are rather shocked at what their choice of appliances cost.)

Considering appliances early in the project is important.

Appliances are important to think about first, because the cabinetry and all the other beautiful surfaces are designed around these important pieces.

Wall ovens that open with doors, like these from Thermador, may be useful for those with disabilities in a wheelchair or those that do lots of baking. carlaaston.com

I want my clients to go shopping on their own and learn all they can about the appliances they want in their new kitchens. I want them to evaluate their cooking habits, what they like to eat and drink, and then, of course, we can find the appliances that will best serve that lifestyle. Once they have their wish list of appliances, we can plan them into the space or in fact, plan the space around them.

For example, I designed this kitchen for a homeowner who really didn’t cook that much. Although they wanted to remodel the kitchen to be open to the rest of the space and to the view beyond, they didn’t need a big gas range or want to focus on the “cooking” aspect of the kitchen.

A minimal cooktop was needed in this kitchen, as the homeowner didn’t cook that much. An electric glass cooktop was used with a downdraft for a minimal look. Designer: Carla Aston, Photo: Miro Dvorscak

If they had wanted a big gas range, I likely would have located it on the back wall of the kitchen where the custom designed “hutch” was built. Instead, we did an electric glass cooktop w/downdraft that blends in beautifully with the soapstone counter and is a minimal look.

The attention is now focused on what the homeowner loved and wanted to showcase, her collection of dishes and the cottage/farmhouse/country style she enjoyed so much.

In this next kitchen remodel, we had exactly the opposite scenario. This homeowner loved to cook and specifically wanted a Wolf cooktop. We expanded this cooking area, relocating the room’s return air and pushing the oven stack down the wall. We were then able to give the Wolf some visual breathing room with the area surrounding it.

A focal point hood wall was designed to make the cooking experience more useful and pleasurable for this homeowner with her new Wolf cooktop. Designer: Carla Aston, Photographer: Miro Dvorscak

The curvy hood and custom tiles imported from Portugal feature that cooking area and highlight the homeowner’s love for cooking. It became the the focal point of the room.

A Kitchen Appliance I Had to Have in My New Kitchen

The #1 reason I decided to remodel my kitchen about 7 years ago was because of an appliance.

And my teeth.

You see, I’m an ice-cruncher. I’m that annoying person that you hear at work in the next cubicle crunching on their ice! It’s a bad habit I’ve tried to break, my dentist has gotten on me about it.

Wouldn’t you know it, she’s an ice cruncher too. :-) And she shared with me, the investment she made in her kitchen and I just about died. I made the same purchase! The Nug from Scotsman.

It makes the most wonderful soft nugget ice you can possibly imagine. I adore it and although pricey, it was entirely worth the investment. I first learned of it when remodeling a client’s kitchen and it was top priority on her list too.

While I was balking at moving forward with our kitchen remodel (I see the mess and fuss my clients deal with while remodeling and know it all too well). I was on the verge of just pulling the plug so as not to be bothered when my husband said, “I’ll buy you that ice machine you want.” Okay! I was ready to remodel!

Now, my favorite want is not the same as someone else’s. You may want a huge galley sink, an induction cooking surface, a sous vide or a high power burner for wok cooking. Whatever your personal needs and desires, consider them carefully and prioritize.

Ilve range with center, high power burner for wok cooking. KBIS 2022 | carlaaston.com

A sous vide is built in to an SKS Appliances range. Seen at Westedge Design Fair | carlaaston.com

Just remember not to get carried away. You still have cabinets, countertops, lighting, backsplash, etc. to choose. It’s easy to want all the latest and greatest tools and devices but it can add up fast.

I’ve been to homes where the kitchens were so full of appliances that there wasn’t much cabinet space. Seriously! :-)

So, take an honest look at your needs now, your future needs, and plan accordingly. Until then, check out some amazing appliances in your local showrooms and in your friends’ homes.

There is so much information out there today, you’re bound to be able to access everything you need to make some smart decisions on one of the most expensive investments in your kitchen, your appliances.

I have blogposts about some appliance brands that I have seen and experienced in person with deep dive trips to their best showrooms in the US. Check out some of those experiences in these posts, below.

Designing a kitchen can be challenging, but once you come to terms with the expense and the trouble, if remodeling, it is so worth it.

My kitchen is so easy to live in and I’m thrilled to have a place I’m proud of and enjoy being in. We cook more, keep it tidier, and take great pleasure in the special features I incorporated into the design. My mantra, “design influences behavior”, has played it itself out in my own kitchen.

I’m heading back to KBIS this year at the end of January. I’ll be posting my takeaways right here when I get back!

KBIS 2023 at end of January will be a great show!

Until then, I have more insights and info on appliances at the links below.

This blogpost was thoughtfully written by me, Carla Aston, and not by AI, ghostwriters, or guest posters.