It's a glorious moment when a Chicago kitchen design comes to fruition. The completed project pictures rival those displayed on Houzz and other interior design websites.

After that, though, it becomes a real kitchen - your kitchen. That means among the glitz and glamor, there are sensible things to keep in mind when designing your showpiece.

Sensibility Trumps Looks in a Timeless Chicago Kitchen Design

If you consider the sensible above and beyond aesthetics, we promise that looks will follow. The following ideas form the backbone of a well-designed and functional kitchen.

Designing For the Daily Routine

Imagine if someone observed your movement around the kitchen via GPS tracker and satellite image, what would they see? Would that little dot look like a pin ball, bouncing frenetically hither and yon? Or, would the dot move in a more fluid and graceful motion? A sensible kitchen design is all about optimizing the homeowner's movements for a more efficient experience.

Think about how you use your kitchen during each part of the weekday and weekend. Write it down. What things do you like/love? What things make you crazy or seem wasted? Bring this information to your kitchen design-build team and they'll put it to use.

Place Lighting Accordingly

Once your Chicago kitchen design is sketched out, specifically aligned with your daily routine, the lighting plan can follow. Now you'll know exactly where to place task lighting for food prep and cooking, where the undercabinet lighting makes the most sense, where the decorative suspended lighting fixtures should go, and so on.

Customize Storage

The next sensible design move is to customize kitchen storage. This goes beyond the fancy pull-out shelves and organized spice racks (all of which we recommend). It also considers what should go where in the kitchen. For example, pots/pan drawers or racks should be located close to the oven and stove top. If you install a coffee or breakfast bar, you'll want a cupboard close by for mugs, stirring spoons and other hot drink accouterment.

The more precise you get about "how" the kitchen is used, the more streamlined storage areas will be, placing what you need, where you'll need it - eliminating unnecessary back-and-forthing.

Prioritize Energy Efficiency

One of the most sensible things you can do is to build a kitchen that will last the lifetime of your home, and that is as energy efficient as possible - both of which will save you thousands of dollars over your home's lifetime. From LED lighting to energy-efficient appliances, a little extra spent now will more than pay for itself down the road.

Make it Maintenance-Free

Nothing's actually maintenance-free, but when you put sensibility above first-choice aesthetics, you'll wind up with non-porous surfaces that are ultra-durable, minimal grout lines and sturdy cabinetry that can handle the rigors of daily kitchen wear-and-tear. Keep cleaning and maintenance in mind when choosing kitchen selections to minimize work and prioritize fun.

Visit us here at Kitchens & Baths Unlimited for a Chicago kitchen design that's both sensible and stunning.