The restaurant scene serves as a bountiful source of inspiration for residential kitchens. Bring professional functionality and restaurant-inspired design to your clients’ spaces with these easily borrowed moves.
Create a Secondary Chef’s Kitchen
For avid entertainers, separate the social area of the kitchen, where guests tend to congregate, from the task-related zones. Replicating the front-of-house/back-of-house structure of a restaurant hides the chaotic inner workings from partygoers. A chef’s kitchen keeps food prep and cooking out of sight and serves as a holding area for prepared dishes. It offers a behind-the-scenes spot for stacking dirty dishes until clean-up time too.
Establish Practical Prep Surfaces
Every commercial-style kitchen needs durable work surfaces. Stainless steel countertops can be found in many restaurant kitchens, given that they’re non-porous and bacteria-resistant. A butcher-block top is great for chopping and can break up a sea of stainless steel; it does, however, require regular upkeep. For the pastry chef, consider a cool-to-the-touch, Parisian-inspired marble surface, perfect for rolling out pie crust.
Add Accessible Storage
Professional kitchens run with precision, so cooking apparatus needs to be at the ready. A hanging rack puts pots and pans within easy reach. Likewise, a wall-mounted utensil rail with hooks keeps spoons and other tools handy. Open shelves underneath the island make the ideal home for mixing bowls, stock pots, and Dutch ovens. Commercial metal shelving can provide extra storage; opt for a unit on wheels for convenient mobility.
Specify Industrial-Style Appliances
A commercial-style range, along with a powerful ventilation hood, serves as the focal point of a chef-worthy kitchen. These ranges offer superior performance and deliver restaurant-quality meals. They also feature bold styling, often combining a stainless-steel finish with robust hardware. Many models boast pedestal feet as well. For an industrial vibe and ergonomic access, select a French-door wall oven. And any busy kitchen will benefit from double dishwashers.
Inject Commercial-Chic Design Elements
To enhance the professional-kitchen aesthetic, add one or more of these components to your plan:
- Stainless steel or white subway-tile backsplash
- Chalkboard-painted wall for sharing menus and more
- Steel-framed glass door to separate the main and secondary kitchens
- Industrial-style pendants over the island
These strategies will make any home chef or consummate entertainer feel like a pro! A Friedman’s expert can help you select appliances to complete your restaurant-inspired designs.