Not every kitchen is right for everyone. Perhaps my kitchen faucet wouldn’t fit your kitchen, and vice versa. With different ages, lifestyles, family sizes and social obligations, the tastes in kitchen designs are as varied as the folks with kitchens.

So with that said, what is the perfect kitchen? The answer is simple: It depends who you are.

If you’re young and single, you probably live in an urban setting (also called a “walkable city”), so your kitchen might be more on the small side. You value space and storage, which means not too much counter clutter.

Young adults tend to like lots of "stuff" in their kitchens, but are also very progressive when it comes to being eco-friendly.

You also tend to be eco-minded with your recycling and ask for it by name when outfitting your home, like recycled glass countertops and recycled copper kitchen sinks.

Refrigerator space may come at a premium, so you look for something to squeeze into a tight area without sacrificing interior storage space.

Many of us fall into the middle category of life: in their 30s and 40s and raising a family. We live in two-income households, maintain a hectic schedule and need a kitchen that’s as flexible and hard working as we are.

If you're married with children, your kitchen is probably busy, but very kid-friendly, very accessible

Our fridge is opened and closed often (and probably left open more than we want), so it needs to be efficient and have drawers and features at child-friendly levels.

This group might feel like it’s always cooking and cleaning up after meals, so the surfaces we use should be durable and resilient. Laminate countertops are ideal for families. In fact, Consumer Reports found that laminate “is better than stone at resisting impacts” in their testing.

If your children are grown and out of the house, you probably don’t need dozens of gadgets for dozens of tasks. Baby boomers have unique needs, and their kitchens express the essentials.

Empty nesters have unique needs in their kitchens: low maintenance and accessible.

The most popular items in your refrigerator will probably be right around eye level. A French door fridge helps you keep your favorite foods most accessible—not too high and not too low.

Low maintenance is music to your ears, and quartz countertops are certainly a solid option. They’re beautiful, quite resistant to heat, abrasions and stains, and don’t have to be sealed.

So whether you find yourself fitting squarely into one of these categories or you share qualities with all of them, creating the right kitchen space is purely a personal choice. But don’t forget to have fun doing it.

Until next time, Happy Home Improving!

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