All about Kitchens with Margaret Macdonald

Another great event at SOFA....

Last week I, along with many others in the design & decorating business attended a seminar by Margaret MacDonald all about  "What makes a Great Kitchen" from a  functional design perspective.  Margaret is a name known as a Kitchen Designer for the past 18 years and has worked with some of the top kitchen & bath manufacturers.

I have written about the types of kitchens we want, however this seminar went deeper into the framework of designing a great kitchen.  So many tips on the key elements of great design were shared, but keeping function and safety in the forefront were extremely important.  One can have a 'pretty or beautiful' kitchen, but if it doesn't function properly or there are safety hazards then it is not a great kitchen.  You must adhere to building code at all times.  This is something designers and decorators who are experienced in kitchen design will know and this is why it is important to work with one.  Margaret gave us a refresher on this by showing photos of the 'blunders' that can occur. We also took a step down memory lane to kitchens of the past and saw how far we have come to today's fabulous kitchens. What a great way to either learn or be reminded of the importance of the design process.

Thanks to SOFA, www.visitsofa.com and AGA/Marvel, www.agamarvel.com who co-sponsored the event.

Below are a few examples of well designed kitchens and not so well designed.  It is not always possible to have the 'perfect' kitchen layout depending on your space restrictions, however keeping a few safety and functional tips in mind will help with the overall success of a kitchen design.

The kitchen below is very nice, however the wooden

columns sitting directly on the counter and beside the

cook top are not to code and could be a safety hazard 

as well as they cut off easy access to the counter beside

This kitchen has the required space beside the

cook top.  The dishwasher are located across

from each other however it appears there is

enough room to open both within the space,            

especially with the over being higher off the

ground but it could be a little problematic if both

were being opened at the same time.

This kitchen has ample counter space on each

side of the range and the cabinetry does not 

go down to the counter, thus meeting code and

still looking beautiful