Design Basics with DKOR: Kitchen Dimensions and Materials

Did you know the kitchen is one of the most technical and often the most expensive rooms in a home? It also happens to be where our clients spend much of their time together, whether cooking for each other or entertaining guests. Having designed countless kitchens in all different styles, we know exactly what is needed to create a space that feels warm and welcoming. From the layout to the dimensions to the materials, our interior design team is here to guide you through the design basics of designing your dream kitchen.

The Most Important Kitchen Dimensions

There are a few basic dimensions we recommend using when designing a kitchen. Where possible, consulting a design professional to help fine-tune the details is always ideal. But if you’re managing the design yourself, here are some key measurements to keep in mind:

As a quick reference, check out our Pinterest account, where our ID Tips | Our DKOR Tips board has some great graphics with kitchen measurements. They will help you picture these dimensions in your space.

Designer Tip: Bar stools can be tricky! When selecting your stools, be mindful of your measurements as counters often come in non-standard heights. If you’re unsure whether a standard stool will fit properly, we recommend an adjustable-height stool. This helps you avoid the hassle of returns and potential delays in your project timeline!

Kitchen Materials: The Basics

The materials you use will 100% set the overall look of your kitchen. They can give your space a rustic, minimalist, traditional, or modern twist, allowing you to express your personal tastes.

Popular Cabinetry Materials

You’ll use your kitchen cabinets every single day so it’s worth giving them a lot of attention. Cabinetry isn’t just about storage, it’s a really important element in your kitchen when it comes to style. Your cabinets can either stand out with a bold color or material or blend in with other appliances, like your refrigerator and range hood. Cabinet materials also need to withstand the heavy demands of a busy kitchen while aging gracefully over time. Choosing the right materials makes all the difference.

MDF Core + Laminate Finish

When it comes to cabinetry, it’s rare these days to find a kitchen made entirely from solid wood. Most modern kitchens use modular carcasses built from materials like particleboard or MDF (Medium Density Fibreboard), finished with a durable layer of laminate. MDF is especially popular because it’s more stable in environments where heat and humidity vary, helping to minimize the risk of warping that can sometimes happen with natural wood.

Two types of laminate cabinet finishes:

• Thermal wrap: This is a vinyl material that’s heat-pressed onto an MDF core, creating a seamless, smooth, and durable surface.
• Painted finish: This involves painting directly onto an MDF or wood surface, which provides a more custom, upscale look with endless color options and the ability to refinish later. While beautiful, painted finishes are delicate. If you decide to have a custom-painted kitchen, be sure to get extra paint as it wears over time.

Designer Tip: When selecting laminate, many people overlook whether the grain or pattern runs continuously across the cabinet fronts. Opting for a horizontal grain direction helps create a more seamless look throughout your kitchen!

Real Wood

Of course, real wood is also an option for cabinetry. While wood is prized for its beauty, the trouble with real wood cabinets is that they are easily scratched and difficult to repair. When wood cabinets scratch, you have to match the stain exactly. This can be a bit tricky, which is why we suggest that the real wood paneling have a bit of texture to better camouflage when there are any nicks or dings in the future.

Popular Cabinet Door Finishes

When it comes time to decide the cabinet door finishes for your kitchen, it’s one of those design details that can shape the overall look and mood of your space. Beyond just color, the finish you choose is a factor in the durability of your cabinet doors.

Two of the most popular finishes for doors are wood veneers and solid colors. Lately, we’re seeing a lot of bleached or ashy woods with textures. At DKOR, we like to mix the woods and solid color doors in one space, and even play with matte and glossy finishes. This adds contrast and interest. Take a look at the examples below:

Popular Countertop Materials

Countertops are one of those elements that instantly give a kitchen a luxe feel. Whether you’re dreaming of beautiful natural stone like marble or quartzite, or something a little more low-key, we’ll help you find a material to match your style. Of course, in addition to looking beautiful, it’s also important to choose a material that will stand up to the daily demands of cooking in your space.

Manmade

• Quartz: Non-porous, easy to clean, and it comes in tons of colors and patterns. Quartz is great if you want something low-maintenance but still stylish. We recommend using Caesarstone.
• Porcelain Slabs: These have become really popular over the last few years. They’re heat, stain, and scratch-resistant, and come in a large variety of colors and designs. We recommend Cosentino.
• Laminate: The most budget-friendly option on the list. Laminate has improved a lot and now comes in so many finishes, including ones that mimic wood or stone.

Designer Tip: In terms of upcoming trends, we are seeing less and less of the cool Calacatta marble finish and more warmer beige hues being used instead.

Natural

• Quartzite: One of the strongest natural stones you can pick. It’s super tough, and the natural veining is gorgeous. As for colors, the trend with stone countertops is to go a little bolder than before. Forget the classic clean white marble, go for drama!
• Marble: Still beautiful, but not as common in kitchens these days because it is porous and can stain pretty easily. We usually recommend using it in smaller, lower-traffic spots like a bar area or bathroom vanity, rather than for your main countertops in the kitchen.
• Wood: Wood countertops bring warmth and character, especially in rustic, farmhouse, or transitional kitchens. They do need a little extra care and maintenance.
• Agate: We’ve been seeing more of this material pop up lately. It’s bold, dramatic, and definitely makes a statement. However, it’s not exactly budget-friendly.

Optional Countertop Extensions

When our clients need more dining space or want to create a casual eating area, we often recommend countertop extensions. For example, we designed this Miami kitchen with a counter extension, which was perfect for our clients who wanted to gather casually in their kitchen for meals.

Dramatic Waterfall Countertops

Waterfall countertops are one of those design features that instantly make a kitchen feel more luxurious. Instead of stopping at the edge of the counter, the material, be it quartz or a natural stone, continues down the sides to the floor.

Popular Backsplash Materials

Your backsplash is a small area that can pack a big punch! You can bring in color, texture, and personality with your choice of backsplash material. Or, you can keep it sleek and simple to blend in with the rest of the materials in your kitchen.

Mosaics are a favorite choice, with options in glass, ceramic, porcelain, metal, and even wood. You can go bold with color, keep it neutral, or play with patterns. If you love a clean look, we recommend using the same material for your backsplash as your countertop to create a wrapped effect.

In general, mosaics will give your kitchen a transitional feel. At DKOR, many of our clients lean towards contemporary designs, so we often recommend sleek backsplashes made from stone slabs or wood panels. With fewer seams, these options create a more modern look for the space.

In this residential project, we used a backsplash made of quartz slabs from Compaq.

Large lacquered panels with a glossy finish.

Popular Flooring Materials

Flooring might not be the first thing you think about when designing a kitchen, but it makes a big difference. Since kitchens get a lot of foot traffic and frequently face spills and messes, it’s important to choose something that’s durable, easy to clean, and safe to walk on, especially if you’re often cooking or entertaining.

The right flooring also ties the whole look together and adds to the comfort if you’re spending long hours in the kitchen. From a design perspective, it’s one of those foundational choices that really sets the tone for the rest of the space. Here are some popular flooring materials you can select:

Options for Flooring Materials

• Porcelain or Ceramic Tile: A classic choice for kitchens that is durable, water-resistant, easy to clean, and available in many colors, patterns, and even wood and stone looks.
• Luxury Vinyl Plank or Tile: A popular, budget-friendly option that’s waterproof, scratch-resistant, and realistic-looking, especially in wood or stone finishes. It’s softer and warmer underfoot than tile. The beautiful flooring in the Fort Lauderdale home pictured above is wood tile.
• Hardwood: Timeless hardwood brings not only a natural but also an inviting feel to a kitchen. While it requires a bit more care, modern sealants and finishes have made it a much more kitchen-friendly choice than it used to be.
• Engineered Wood: A great alternative to solid hardwood, engineered wood has a real wood top layer with a stable core underneath. It’s also better at handling humidity and temperature changes than real wood.
• Natural Stone: Natural stone floors are beautiful and luxurious, but can require sealing and a little more maintenance. Be sure to ask the vendor about porosity when purchasing natural stone, as some stones are more porous than others. In high-traffic areas, very porous stone is not ideal.
• Concrete: This isn’t our favorite because concrete floors generally don’t age as well and can tend to crack over time.

Popular Hood Materials

Don’t forget about your appliances, like your hood! It’s often overlooked, but you can even be creative with your range hood. While many kitchens stick with the standard stainless steel hood, we design custom hood covers that make your kitchen feel more cohesive and personalized.

For example, we typically prefer to wrap a hood in wood or other materials to blend them into the kitchen design. Extending the hood upward helps give it proper scale and presence on the wall, making it feel balanced with the rest of the space. You can also have it seamlessly extend into the cabinetry for a clean, built-in look. Other options for hood materials include stone or quartz, or you can wrap the hood in brass or copper.

Finally, don’t forget the little details. For example, we love to personalize a kitchen’s appliances to make our clients happy. Just a small touch, like how we added a beverage refrigerator to the kitchen pictured above, can really make the room feel more customized.

Custom handles or pulls on the cabinets are another nice touch. Nowadays, we see a trend towards colorful metal finishes (such as brass, matte black, and bronze) versus the typical chrome finish. Don’t forget your toe kick color; do you want it to blend or contrast with the cabinetry? We have done both in the past, it’s all about what you want to accent!

Designing Your Perfect Kitchen

In addition to all the ideas above, we’ll mention that in general, we tend to choose a more neutral color palette and material selection rather than a bold one, because we want this space to last. Your kitchen should feel timeless and yet, still personalized with materials that suit your tastes.

If you’re ready to turn your kitchen into a standout feature of your home, our interior design team is here to help. Get in touch to learn how our services can bring your vision to life.

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