Renovating your kitchen can be an intimidating project. There are so many options available, and the cost implications for each decision can have a major impact. Ultimately all of your decisions need to work together as one cohesive design.
1. Where should you begin?
- Start by determining what you like…what is your preference…what is your style?
- Looking through magazines and getting ideas from sites like Houzz.com are great ways to help you identify your style. As you identify the various photos that you like, your design preference will emerge.
- It is also important to take into consideration the existing style of your home and your current furnishings.
Now that you have an idea of your preferred design style, what’s next?
2. The foundation and anchor of kitchen design is the cabinetry.
- Do you like natural wood finishes or do you prefer a painted finish? Once you have determined painted or stained finish, you must decide on door style.
- Do you want traditional, contemporary, or something in between… again, referring to the existing style of your home and furnishings will guide you in this selection.
3. The next selection is the countertops.
- In today’s kitchens, most people are using natural or manufactured stone products.
- Natural stone will provide a greater choice for variation and interest in color and veining, while quartz products are more consistent in color, veining and require little to no maintenance.
- The question to ask yourself here is, how much prominence you want the countertop to have in the design of the kitchen? Do you want the counters or the cabinets to be the first thing your eye is drawn to?
Assuming that you were able to choose your cabinets and counters, you should feel a sense of accomplishment… the toughest decisions are over. The following options are accessories, like adding jewelry to your outfit.
4. The first jewel is the backsplash.
- If your design style is more contemporary, you may want to consider glass tile….or more linear pattern.
- A more traditional style might choose a standard 3×6 ceramic tile in a subway pattern.
- Make sure your backsplash choice compliments the countertop selection you made. Be sure to pay close attention to the color tones of your selections.
5. And finally, the flooring.
- Remember that your floor probably has more surface area than any other aspect of your kitchen; but you do not want to draw attention to the floor. Choose colors and patterns that blend with the other components of your kitchen.
- Most people are more concerned with durability and maintenance when it comes to flooring
- Should you go with wood, tile, a composite…each material will have benefits and liabilities.
There you have it. Hopefully you feel empowered to begin the journey of designing the kitchen of your dreams.
