Did you know that the design of your kitchen can actually help you to stick to your diet? In his book Slim by Design, eating behavior expert Brian Wansink explains how thoughtful kitchen design actually prompts you to snack less and spend more time making healthy meals. And the best part? When your kitchen is designed to facilitate a healthy lifestyle, you can fall into healthier habits without even realizing it. And it only takes one remodel of your kitchen to reap the benefits of a healthy lifestyle every day. As with all remodelling jobs, we heavily advise that you have an Emergency Plumber on call just incase anything goes wrong.
Here are a few tips from Wansink’s book that you may want to incorporate into your kitchen remodel.
Choose the Right Color
According to a Houzz survey, nearly 75% of Americans prefer a white kitchen. It’s easy to see why this trend is so popular; a stark white kitchen naturally looks brighter and cleaner. However, it also stimulates your appetite and prompts you to subconsciously snack.
On the other end of the spectrum are dark and moody colors. A black, forest green or magenta kitchen with low lighting may look moody and enchanting, but it will also encourage you to spend more time lingering in the kitchen. Diners tend to spend about 9 extra minutes lingering when in a dark setting. This is why restaurants often use dark colors, low lighting, and subtle music to encourage patrons to stay longer. And the longer you linger, the more likely you are to help yourself to another serving.
So, what color is the right color? Wansink recommends anything in between white and dark colors, such as gold, green, blue, tan, and earth tones. However, this decision is completely up to you. If you wanted a darker theme in your kitchen, you could easily brighten it up with one of these Internal Glazed doors which allow sunlight to flow into the room, brightening it up. Whilst Wansink’s own kitchen is pumpkin-colored, it’s up to you which color you decorate your kitchen.
Design a Kitchen Fit for a Chef
You don’t need a giant oven or high-end cooking appliances, but having a kitchen with a layout that is convenient for cooking will encourage you to eat out less and make home-cooked meals more.
First, consider the amount of space in your kitchen. Is there enough room for you and a helper to make a meal together? If the answer is no, then you may want to consider adopting an open floor plan and getting rid of any clutter that doesn’t need to be in the kitchen. My friend told me that she built her kitchen around the best value kitchen faucet to keep practicality at the forefront of her design.
Secondly, consider your kitchen layout. There should be a few designated workstations around the kitchen. You should have a space next to the sink where you can chop freshly-rinsed vegetables. Space on either side of the stove is necessary for placing food after it comes out of the oven or transferring hot food from the stove to serving containers. Finally, look at the location of the three main features of your kitchen: the refrigerator, the sink/dishwasher, and the stove/oven. These are what’s known in the remodeling industry as the “Golden Triangle”. If there’s a kitchen island that you constantly have to walk around to get to these three points in the kitchen, then you’ll find yourself exhausted and ready to order out pretty quickly. But if you have a streamlined work area, you’ll be in the zone and ready to cook. It’s also crucial to buy a good quality kitchen sink that matches your design and layout. I absolutely love Belfast Sinks, and they seem to be coming back in fashion.
Finally, you can install a few easy fixtures that will make cooking so easy you’ll look forward to it! Consider installing a commercial kitchen faucet or a faucet that has a pull-out handle. These types of faucets have much greater reach and flexibility, making it easier to rinse vegetables and making washing dishes less of a chore. Installing recessed lighting under your cabinets makes it a lot easier and safer to chop vegetables and do other food preparation. Knowing you won’t have to squint to see what you’re doing makes you much more likely to want to prepare your own healthy meals, making it easier for you to live a healthy lifestyle.
Bring Back the Dining Room
Dining rooms are beginning to die out as the kitchen increasingly becomes the hub of the family home. However, because everyone tends to hang out in the kitchen, this means that many homeowners have taken pains to make sure that the kitchen is a comfortable place to hang out, adding plush, comfy chairs and even a television. However, that’s a big no-no in Wansink’s book. As we said before, the more time you spend in the kitchen, the more likely you are to snack. A snack every once in awhile isn’t terrible, but snacking continuously every day can be bad for your diet.
Instead of spending lots of time in the kitchen, which facilitates constant grazing, try to have designated mealtimes in the dining room. Knowing exactly what time you are going to eat dinner will help you to hold off on your pre-dinner snacks. Plus, if you get used to eating all your meals in the dining room, you’ll start to view your kitchen as a place to cook food, not to eat food. Plus, a presentable dining room is always a nice thing to have when your in-laws come to visit!
Redesign Your Kitchen with Native Sons, Inc.
Are you ready to create your dream kitchen? How about a luxurious bathroom getaway? Native Sons, Inc. has over 30 years of experience working on thousands of home remodeling projects. With our expert knowledge, attention to detail, and personal customer experience, we hope to be the right remodeling contractors for your project. We are a fully licensed, full-service remodeling company catering to the needs of Maryland homeowners. Contact us by calling (410) 788-5179 or by visiting our Contact Page. Want to see more? Follow us on Facebook for more blog and project updates!