How To Choose a Style For Your New Kitchen

With the overwhelming array of products, materials, finishes, appliances and accessories available to choose from, when you’re contemplating a kitchen renovation or planning a new home in a house or condo that is just being built, how do you decide on an aesthetic direction without getting off track?

A good place to start, is to consider the existing architectural style of your home and whether or not you like it and want to complement it. If you are moving into a loft with exposed ductwork, 10’ high windows and ceilings and polished concrete floors, you may want to take your style cue from the space itself. If you want to work toward changing the style of the interior and you’re starting with the kitchen, you have to develop a clear stylistic concept to work toward for the entire home so when you’re done, the kitchen doesn’t seem like a fish out of water.

Before approaching a professional to help you design a kitchen for your personal aesthetic and work habits, make a list of how you want to use your kitchen, how you cook, how you shop, and what kind of work space and storage needs you crave. Practicality is key in any phase of the planning process, so when it comes to materials, you should be clear about what you like versus what you can tolerate. Buy a stack of kitchen design magazines and maybe one or two books so you can familiarize yourself with current trends in style, material and color. You may not find one whole kitchen that you like but will probably find bits and pieces in each photo that you’re attracted to. Mark them with a sticky note with a quick reminder to yourself about what appeals to you in each photo. Your interior designer can then help you distill all the elements and create a room that appeals to your personal taste.

In the planning stage, being honest about your preferences is vital for your ultimate satisfaction. If you gravitate to the idea of the contemporary, urban sophistication of stainless steel counter tops, you must be willing to accept that when they are new, every scratch will be distinctly visible and finger prints will be obviously noticeable. But over time with regular use and cleaning, stainless steel will dull down and acquire a patina of scratches which actually creates a softness to the look of the finish. However, this kind of beauty is in the eye of the beholder. If you think every scratch will upset you terribly, then your designer can help you find an alternate countertop material that will give you the sleek quality of stainless steel with a finish that won’t send you searching for a headache remedy.

When planning your new kitchen, the most important thing to remember when trying to determine what kind of style and materials you would like to live with, whether you like a white glossy kitchen, hand painted or stained wood kitchen or one with abundant color, pick materials and colors that you will be happy living with. Kitchen design is as much a victim of fashion trends as clothing, so nothing will stay in style forever, but expect a kitchen style trend to have a life span of about 10-15 years. At which time you may be ready to move or renovate again!

Was this helpful? 0 0 Comments

You're reading How To Choose a Style For Your New Kitchen.