5 Tips For Creating Your Dream Kitchen
Written by Leila Pierce
The kitchen can be one of the most exciting rooms to renovate in your home. It is the central hub of the home – the room that brings people together. It is where we spend a lot of our time, from brewing coffee in the morning to cooking dinner for our family in the evening. As exciting as renovating your kitchen can be, it can also feel like a daunting task if you don’t know where to start. We want to help make that process easier with our top 5 tips for creating your dream kitchen.
The first step with any project is to decide the mood and style of the space. Think about how you want the space to feel and what you want to convey to visitors. Each part of the house is an extension of the homeowners’ personality. The style of the kitchen should reflect that personality, as well as be consistent throughout the house.
Mom & Daughter Duo Kim Pierce and Leila Pierce
Tip #1 - Mood/Style
Decide on the overall mood you are trying to create in the space. When you walk into your new kitchen, how do you want to feel? Do you want a relaxing neutral space or pops of exciting color? Do you want a warm traditional feel or a more simple, modern space? Once you determine how you want to feel in your space, then the process of picking out cabinets, paint color, hardware, etc. becomes a whole lot easier.
Tip #2 - Layout
Thinking about the overall flow in the layout is key to a functional kitchen. Not only should the kitchen convey the intended mood, it should also be functional. A good layout will allow time spent in the kitchen to be more efficient and enjoyable. In general, most efficient kitchen workspaces work in a triangular pattern to cut down on the amount of walking from one area to the other. Consider a triangular pattern such as: refrigerator is located on one corner of the kitchen, the stove on the opposite corner, open counter workspace between the two, as well as the sink. If an island is part of the desired plan, it can contain the sink and/or stove and both still remain within the triangular pattern. As that layout is considered and designed, the overall layout for cabinets and their contents can be created.
Tip #3 - Cabinets and Hardware -
Once the mood and style is established and the layout is designed, the next step is deciding on cabinets. Keep in mind the overall mood/style you have chosen for the space. Are traditional cabinets going to continue to convey the style? Contemporary cabinets with a sleek, low profile look? Arts and Craft with more details? Or the warm tones of wood in a more traditional kitchen?
Tip #4 - Countertops
The next step is deciding on countertops. With so many types of natural stone, butcher block, laminate, or manmade stone to choose from, it can be difficult to choose the right corresponding countertop. Think about creating a contrast between your countertops and cabinets. Pair darker cabinets with a lighter countertop. Contrast adds interest to your kitchen and allows the eye to take in the whole space as one. Another approach would be to highlight the cabinets you’ve chosen and choose a countertop that blends into the overall picture.
Another aspect to consider when picking out your countertop is your backsplash. Do you want the backsplash to be a continuation of the countertop and extend up the wall to create your backsplash? Do you want a complimentary tile on your backsplash that enhances the countertop you’ve chosen, or would you rather paint your backsplash?
Tip #5 - Paint and Hardware
In this final step, consider once more the desired style you’ve chosen for your kitchen. At this point, there usually is a natural progression of colors, tones, and textures that can help when deciding on wall paint colors and hardware. You can draw from a particular color in your countertop to coordinate paint color, or maybe you’ve chosen a color throughout your home as your canvas to add color and texture and you continue that color in the kitchen.
When choosing hardware, you want it to be functional and in line with the overall style you created in the kitchen, and most importantly, in line with the style of cabinets you’ve chosen. For example, Arts and Craft style cabinets lean toward dark bronze to complete the look. Contemporary cabinets work well with polished nickel.
These tips can be taken in a different order. If you find a gorgeous, marble countertop you want to create your whole kitchen around, start there and work from that point. You may have seen a cabinet you just have to have. Let it be your starting point. Let the process evolve and develop as you combine different textures, colors, and features.
LK Interiors is a mother-daughter team based in Asheville, NC. Our mission is to help you enjoy your home, it's as simple as that. From design consultations, renovations, and new construction projects, we are here to assist you from start to finish.
LK Interiors
Kim Pierce and Leila Pierce
https://www.lkinteriorsavl.com/
828-772-7318