The post and beam kitchens of today are as unique as the owners who design them. While I often write about decor styles and color schemes, today’s post will not focus on either of those things. My intention here is to get you to see past the decorating style to the semantics, if you will; to think about the function of the space and the features which might best suit your needs. I’ve chosen five vastly different kitchens to aid your thinking and start those creative juices flowing.
1. The Open Floor Plan 
This concept is excellent for those who like to be involved in the activity of the entire house while in the kitchen. No walls or break-fronts to impede from interacting with whatever might be going on in other areas of the house. This is an excellent floor plan for making smaller homes look larger or for second homes where there are often guests visiting or spending an extended period of time with the homeowners.
2. The Breakfast Nook 
The breakfast nook is one of those spaces you’ll find reasons to use over and over again. Not only is it a great place for a morning cup of coffee, it may also be used as an informal dining room, a place to get together with a small group of friends for lunch or a cup of tea, or an area where the kids can sit and do their homework under the watchful eye of parents. NOTE: I included a picture of the kitchen as well, so you would have a more complete idea of the layout.
3. The Compact Kitchen 
This small kitchen design is perfect either for an empty-nest couple, a single person, or as a vacation home where food prep is often more a necessity than a luxury. It tucks efficiently into a corner while maintaining all the necessities for meal preparation, plus a convenient eat-at bar for a quick bite to eat or lining up the kids as they scramble in for lunch.
4. Sufficient Storage Space 
The thing that caught my eye right away about this kitchen was the attention paid to providing accessible storage space. While not a large kitchen, it makes excellent use of the moderately sized space it fills with storage fit into every available area. My favorite feature is the “turning nothing into something” area between the farmer’s sink and the double drawer dishwasher. Look closely and you’ll see a wonderful area designed specifically for long flat items such as cookie sheets, cutting boards and extra oven racks to slide in neatly out of sight, yet easily accessed when needed.
5. The “Cooking Is A Family Affair” Kitchen 
This kitchen is for the family, or family and friends, who love to cook together. If your clan’s idea of holidays or special occasions spent together is synonymous with many of you in the kitchen cooking and baking, this is definitely the kitchen for you. From the professional grade, over-size range to the water spigot built-in over it, everything you need is right here. This kitchen can easily accommodate four to five people creating culinary delights at the same time. “Paging Martha Stuart…”
I hope this list has inspired you to begin planning your own perfect post and beam kitchen. If so, please visit www.yankeebarnhomes.com to see more ideas.
Love this kitchen
Love this kitchen