As everyone knows, kitchens are a major function of every household. From making a large dinner for family and friends to whipping up fresh cookies to deliver to your neighbors, there’s a lot one can do, experience, and learn in the kitchen. Since we deem the kitchen such an important place, it’s no wonder that we often spend the most time and money remodeling it over the years.

Sometimes it seems that no matter how much time you spend designing your kitchen space, there’s always something to improve whether it be more modern appliances or new cabinetry. But apart from following the latest kitchen trends and doing what everyone else is doing to their own kitchen, it’s important to make your kitchen stand out from the rest.

Likely, the following six things are missing in your kitchen design but would all be great additions:

1 - Garage door-styled windows

Letting the natural sounds, smells, sights, and sensations enter your kitchen on a brisk morning is incredibly peaceful. With garage door-styled windows that roll up, letting nature into your kitchen is quicker and easier. Roll-up windows also add special charm to your space considering most kitchen designs feature traditional windows. Garage-styled windows often also cover more surface area than your average window, easily allowing you to merge your kitchen space with nature even more.

Although garage door-styled windows tend to have more of an industrial or masculine appearance to them, this very appearance can actually be a plus for many kitchens. Balancing between femininity and masculinity in a kitchen is important as many aspects of a kitchen usually lean one way or the other rather than in between.

2 - A fireplace

Nothing says warm and cozy like a fireplace! If we have a fireplace at all in our home, it’s usually in the living room, family room, or the maybe even the dining room. Occasionally, some homes might have a fireplace – real or faux – in their master bedroom or even their bathroom if they want to be extra fancy. But other than these rooms, it’s not common to have a fireplace just anywhere in our homes.

Although the kitchen is usually already warm, that is, if one is currently using the stovetop or oven, there’s something about having a warm fireplace in the kitchen that adds something special. Maybe it’s the flicker of the flames as they dance to and fro, or maybe it’s the sound of the fire crackling. Either way, a fireplace can add uniqueness, instant serenity, and a sensation of togetherness to your kitchen.

3 - A mirror

When we add mirrors to our home, it’s usually in the areas we need it the most. The bathroom of all places tends to be the place that has a mirror pretty much without a doubt. However, we also might add a mirror to our living room or family room, dining room, bedroom, or closet whether it be to fill up space or to provide function. But a mirror in a kitchen? This is virtually unheard of!

But a mirror or appliances/cabinets with mirror-like finishes can do wonders for your kitchen. It can add more light and perceived depth in your space, making it seem as if your kitchen is larger than it really is. Of course, mirrors can also add sheen to your design, especially if it is particularly plain or features too many matte finishes.

4 - A multi-functional island

Most of us who have a kitchen island have one primarily for food prep and for serving food buffet-styled to family and friends. We typically value plenty of island countertop space without cutting too much into the space we have available in our kitchen. But there are some folks who don’t – or rarely – use their kitchen island, especially if they rarely cook or already have plenty of countertop space elsewhere.

If you’re all about function and ensuring every aspect in your design is as well-thought out as possible, you’ll love the idea of having a multi-functional island. Multi-functional islands not only have countertop space to allow you to do your normal kitchen duties (e.g., chopping vegetables, mixing cookie dough) but might also feature built-in appliances (e.g., stovetop), seating for eating, and/or extra storage space (e.g., drawers, shelves, cabinets). This way, you can have your large island while still having significant space for your kitchen supplies alongside other potential functions.

5 - Hidden appliances

In the kitchen, we tend to flaunt our appliances. We always want the most modern refrigerator and the most expensive-looking small appliances. For some people, they like to select appliances that have fun colors like cherry red, yellow, or teal. But hidden appliances offer a different appeal for the kitchen.

By hidden appliances, we’re referring to appliances that are stowed away in appliance cabinets or pantries. Some may find it tacky, but others consider hidden appliances to make their kitchens appear more streamlined and less clustered – especially if they have mix-matched appliances or older appliances.

Even if it’s only some appliances you want to hide like the microwave or your large collection of small, portable appliances, hiding them in a classy way can be a nice way to draw all eyes on your sparkling kitchen countertops or your trendy backsplash. Without appliances out in the open, you can focus on adding color, texture, and décor to your kitchen now that your kitchen is naturally barer.

6 - A complete coffee bar

Probably a majority of us have some sort of coffee maker in our kitchens whether it be a simple $30 one or a high-tech coffee maker with a stainless-steel body, touch-screen system operation, and timer and alert functions. Other than a coffee maker, likely the only things we tend to have next or near the maker might be mugs, a bag of coffee, a container of sugar, and/or a coffee grinder.

But if you really want to go all out with your love for coffee, add a fully-functional coffee bar to your kitchen! A little cozy coffee corner right in your home kitchen can be fun and more personal than just a having a boring coffee maker sit in the corner of your kitchen. Apart from the items mentioned in the latter paragraph, fuel your coffee-making station with stir sticks, napkins, dry toppings (e.g., cinnamon, cocoa powder), and other coffee equipment or stables you might use. Display them on shelves or in cute caddies.

Conclusion

Being such an integral part of our homes, a little kitchen upgrade every now and then typically isn’t frowned upon by most homeowners. In fact, many are generally excited to add something fresh to their kitchen designs. But to really amp up your kitchen, it’s focusing on the things your design is missing, rather than the things in it that should be replaced, that will allow you to make it unique if that’s your goal.

Some things your kitchen might not currently have – but could benefit from – include mirrors, garage door-styled windows, a fireplace, a multi-functional island, hidden appliances, a complete coffee bar.

The latter are things people either typically don’t think about adding to their kitchen or believe would be weird in their kitchen design. Regardless, being bold and trying new things in your kitchen can allow your space to be different from the average kitchen, all while still holding its primary function and beauty.

If you need more interior or exterior design-related tips and tricks, check out the rest of our blog posts .