The kitchen is the heart of your home and working on a good foundation when planning your new kitchen is critical, whatever the size of your budget. In this blog I’ve put together some key elements to consider when making your design choices. I suggest that tackling the remodelling of a kitchen should always follow the same process and adopt the same design principles. The key steps are Inspiration, Aesthetics, Function and Planning.
Inspiration
The first important step is choosing the style of your kitchen.
I suggest gathering images for inspiration and use these images to guide the look you want to achieve and stay true to it until the end of the project. I recommend saving ten pictures of kitchens you love and then working out which elements you like in each image as the platform for what follows. You then need to make sure your kitchen style flows with the rest of the house. For example, it is common to see an ultra-modern kitchen design in a traditional home and quite often it can be hard to make this design flow with the rest of the house. In my experience, it usually feels disjointed. If you are set on making opposing styles work and are installing a modern kitchen in a period property, I would recommend introducing traditional light fittings and marble to give it a classic twist.
Aesthetics and Colour choice
Always choose a palette that fits the space. Three colours are the rule, two main colours and one accent. Think about how they blend with nearby rooms and consider that too many colours can be overwhelming. If you opt for an all-white kitchen, remember to add lots and lots of texture such as white herringbone tiles and white textured wood. If there is no contrast with textures or colour then your kitchen risks looking boring, adding brass handles can help warm up the design while adding contrast.
If you like grey then you can easily warm it up with brass. I like both polished and antique brass but this will be decided by the style you have chosen.
Kitchens are notoriously expensive and to achieve the “wow” factor, be bold and take calculated risks. Try not to ask people what they think unless it’s an interior designer. Stay true to what you love and don’t do it half-heartedly. If you like red then go for it. If you love pink, add pink but just remember the three colour rule. You might add red and white as your main colours and brass as your accent colour. Metal is also considered a colour, but if you add pale oak floor I would think of these as the same colour, so they count as one. Contrast always makes things pop more.
Function and Planning strategy
Budgets. Know where to splurge and where not to. Handles can make a kitchen but shop around as you don’t always need to go crazy. If you want to splurge then I love Armac Martin and Joseph Giles handles and have used them on several of my projects in the past. You also need to understand the timings, terminology and materials. Do your homework as it will help when you start talking to trades. Weave back and forth through the design, double-checking your finishes and choices.
Start with a rough floor plan then consider your lighting requirements. This is so important as lighting can make the room pop and creates an atmosphere. Consider lighting inside a cupboard, lighting under your units or adding wall lights to add character to match the chosen kitchen style.
As to flooring, I like tiles and as I have a dog it’s easy to mop and works functionally. I also like the softness of wood, so would consider using this on kitchen units and furniture. Apart from the aesthetics, you also need to consider the equipment you will need, like special ovens, microwave, ice maker and whether you want to cook with gas or electric. Electric ovens now clean themselves, so this could be an important factor in choosing appliances!
Tricks that always work!
Always, always make the cabinetry higher, ideally up to the ceiling height. Taller is always better and scaling up makes a huge difference. Cabinetry looks personalised and customised when it reaches the ceiling. Smaller is cheaper, but size is something you don’t want to scrimp on as it will make your kitchen feel, bigger and grander. Tiling to the bottom of the cabinets is also a good way to add drama and impact. If something looks as if it lacks scale on your plans, then scale up.
As mentioned before height works, especially if it draws your eye upward. Large pendants are always good over an island as a way of catching the eye.
New builds are an excellent example of how to get this wrong. They usually take kitchens or bookcases to door height highlighting lower ceilings making the room feel smaller. By taking your cabinets to ceiling height you are tricking the eye by making it think the room is taller than it is. Another look I love is shelving over doorways.
The main takeaway is that bigger and taller will always look grander.
Mixing it up!
Have fun. Not everything needs to match. Handles could be different on the kitchen island and your wall units. You can mix brushed metals and mix shiny together, but never mix both shiny and polished. Antique brushed brass with matt black works well.
Painting the upper and lower units in different colours also works well. Mix your textures too. An all-white kitchen with a wooden slatted ceiling breaks the white up.
Key points to remember, height, drama, contrast and scale up!
Finally, think beauty first, then functionality and finally add your accessories to personalise the kitchen. Consider adding artwork to shelves or artfully positioning good quality wooden chopping boards. Greenery is always important, fresh or faux.
Too many times, I have gone into a home where the kitchen has been designed by an “off the shelf” kitchen company and it looks exactly that, exhibiting no individuality or character. So, my final tip is to think about what you want and demand it. After all, your kitchen is at the heart of your home. Make sure it reflects your personality as much as the rest of your home.
Have fun! Louise
