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Low-Maintenance Kitchen Design Tips

Don’t have time to clean your kitchen every day? Want a stress-free kitchen that is easy to maintain? We don’t blame you! Most modern-day adults are strapped for time, and the last thing they want to do is deal with a messy kitchen. These low-maintenance kitchen design tips will help you craft the perfect kitchen for your lifestyle and availability.

Avoid Light Colored Grout on Your Floors and Backsplash

Tile grout is porous, which makes it prone to staining. If you have lighter grout, those stains are more likely to show up. Even with routine cleaning, you’ll likely have spots on your floor or backsplash that look discolored over time.

If you opt for a darker grout color, you can camouflage some of that staining and keep your kitchen looking clean. You could also seal your grout, but that may lead to grout cracking and water damage over time.

Note that if you use darker grout with light tile, the individual tiles on your floor or backsplash will stand out a bit more. Any time you have contrasting grout lines, you’re going to draw more attention to the individual tiles. If you have dark tile with dark grout, the backsplash will look more like a large slab. Either effect could be desirable, depending on your overall kitchen design.

Choose Stained Wood Instead of Painted Cabinets (Especially White)

White cabinets are beautiful, but they’re far from low-maintenance. White highlights fingerprints and smudges, which can be particularly frustrating if you have children. This can happen with nearly any solid paint color because it doesn’t have color variation like stained wood. The veins in the wood help mask those little fingerprints so they don’t drive you crazy in between cleaning.

You can still achieve the effect of a light, bright kitchen with a light stain color or whitewash. The visible wood grain will reduce the appearance of fingerprints, thus making the cabinets look cleaner.

Prioritize Function over Aesthetics in Your Kitchen Design

A functional kitchen is a low-maintenance kitchen. Plain and simple. If it adequately fits your lifestyle and personal needs, your kitchen is doing to maintain itself. If you’re struggling with your current kitchen layout, it may be time to upgrade to a new one. At minimum, you should consider getting new cabinets that best meet your needs and spatial availability.

A good kitchen designer can turn a functional kitchen into a beautiful one, but that function has to come first. Don’t sacrifice the storage or prep space you need just to achieve a certain look. You’ll end up regretting it when you see your chaotic, not-so-pretty kitchen.

Minimize Countertop Clutter without Sacrificing Function

You may have certain countertop appliances that need to stay out for daily use. That is perfectly fine, and once again, function matters! Nevertheless, you should try to keep countertop clutter to a minimum. Store fruits in a basket, and dedicate a drawer to your coffee pods. The less you have on your counters, the less you have to move around when you clean.

Clean in Short Bursts That Fit into Any Schedule

Routine cleaning doesn’t have to take hours out of your life. In fact, you might be surprised by what you can accomplish in ten minutes. Try to make a habit of doing short cleaning bursts whenever you can. Something as simple as wiping down your countertops while your food microwaves could make your kitchen much easier to manage.

If you’d like a new kitchen design focused on low-maintenance, reach out to O’Hanlon Kitchens. One of our professional designers can create a custom kitchen that works perfectly for you.

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