One of the buzz words you'll notice in articles about kitchen design is gourmet. In fact, we've even written about the steps required to implement your own gourmet kitchen design. While it's true that a gourmet kitchen is built using innovative - and often high-end - fixtures and finishes, they aren't the only prerequisites.

In fact, the most notable feature in any Chicago gourmet kitchen design should be function. This is because cooking is the primary focus for homeowners interested in this type of kitchen. Creative cooks need a space in which they can move freely and efficiently as they create their mealtime and/or pastry masterpieces.

Another focus: entertaining. Most people who love to cook love to watch others enjoy their cooking, and that means the inclusion of additional upgrades and spaces that are geared for their guests' enjoyment.

Practical Gourmet Kitchen Considerations For the Creative Cook

For this reason, design features that may seem superfluous in a normal kitchen will be completely practical in a gourmet kitchen design. Examples include things like:

Unique Workstations. Most cooks enjoy having social help in the kitchen, especially when children or grandchildren are in the picture. For this reason, tailored work stations of varying heights can ensure everyone has a comfortable place to prepare the meal. A lowered countertop or two, end-of-cabinet oven installation and baking stations are simple design adjustments that make the kitchen more accessible to all.

Customized Sinks. Your kitchen sink is more than just a repository for dirty dishes and servingware, it's also the space where you rinse vegetables and fruits, where you quickly discard food trimmings and wash your hands between recipe steps. The sink is a smart area to customize, using things like touch-faucets (that don't require handles) and built-in cutting boards or colanders, that will transform the sink into a multi-purpose workstation.

Countertop Focus. That aforementioned sink will also help to maximize countertop surface space, which is integral to food prep. Kitchen islands, peninsulas and wrap-around countertops can all help to make sure you have enough surface space to prep your dishes. Smart storage solutions also free up countertop space, keeping them free of small appliances.

Re-Think the Triangle. Unless you designed you own kitchen, odds are your kitchen subscribes to the work triangle concept. A creative Chicago gourmet kitchen design may adhere to this principle, or it may just as likely veer a bit to incorporate a layout or appliance placement that makes more sense for the way your creative cook uses the kitchen space.

Extra, Integrated Appliances. As mentioned above, entertaining is often a subset of gourmet cooking. Thus, creative cooks may choose to have extra appliances - like wine cabinets, warming drawers, an extra dishwasher and/or an espresso bar - included in their Kitchen design. The flip-side of that is the numerous appliance faces that will be on display. Thus, you may opt to integrate some of the appliances with matching cabinet panels to compensate.

Brainstorm more creative, Chicago gourmet kitchen design ideas at Kitchens & Baths Unlimited.