Your kitchen is the heart of your home. It’s where you and your family come together to prepare and eat meals and celebrate life’s little victories when they arrive in the mail. You deserve a center that is versatile, practical and above all, stylish.
Trends come and go, but some upgrades add timeless elegance. Here’s how to design a kitchen that’s always in style — it’ll quickly become your favorite room in the house.
1. Upgrade Your Appliances
Your kitchen ultimately is a functional space. You need the best tools to prepare your masterpieces. Investing in top-quality appliances makes meal preparation easier and adds to your property value.
What should you seek? Since 2011, manufacturers have designed their products with their Energy Star certification in mind, meaning that today’s models can save you more on utility bills than before. If your home’s resale value is on your mind, seek the most sustainable models you can find, as many of today’s buyers demand eco-friendly features.
When it comes to appearance, keep the future in mind. Go wild with retro 70s color if you plan to remain in your home for the next ten years. However, if you prefer something more timeless, seek out neutral colors or stainless steel. It’s a toss-up when it comes to things like refrigerator ice and water dispensers. Some homebuyers love them, while others find the maintenance isn’t worth the hassle.
2. Choose Quality Wood and Fixtures
Think about your countertops and cabinetry for a moment. It’s relatively simple to create a box out of wood. What makes it special and timeless is the attention to detail the manufacturer paid in finishing the product. While this step is necessary for preventing warping, it also impacts overall quality.
You have multiple wood choices for your cabinetry. Look for manufacturers that choose sustainable suppliers for their hardwoods and softwoods to decrease your impact on the planet. Nearly any wood type can create a timeless, quality look for your kitchen if utilized correctly.
You might want to seek custom pieces to create a look you won’t see in any other home. This investment in cabinetry means your kitchen will have a timeless, unique finish for many years rather than being a room you need to renovate as trends come and go.
Pay extra attention to your hardware. The right knobs and hinges add an elegant touch to your cabinetry while protecting the wood from the oils residing on fingertips that can lead to discoloration over time.
3. Maximize Use of Space
You don’t have to be a gourmet chef to appreciate a roomy kitchen. It’s much easier preparing Thanksgiving dinner when you don’t have to fear an accidental hip-bump from your partner as you bend over the oven resulting in burns.
What if your room is tiny and knocking out a wall isn’t in your foreseeable future? You might need to get creative, exploring solutions such as going vertical. For example, a hanging pot rack over your stove or island saves tons of cabinet space and imparts a rustic elegance.
You can also consider solutions like magnetic knife bars and under-the-cabinet hangers for stemware. That bowl of fresh fruit looks equally yummy hanging in a crocheted hammock — look for one that folds into a reusable bag you can take to the farmer’s market with you to increase your ecological footprint.
4. Light It Up
It’s challenging to read a recipe in the dark. Fortunately, you have multiple ways to illuminate your kitchen, many of which don’t cost much cash at all.
For example, you can find inexpensive under-the-counter lighting at nearly any home improvement store. For best results, choose plug-in versions over battery-operated ones. If you opt for LED bulbs, they won’t impact your utility bills much, and you won’t need to replace them as often.
When it comes to your overheads, please ditch the fluorescent bars. Yes, they are bright — but they leave much to be desired in terms of aesthetics. Instead, opt for attractive track lighting. These impart a timeless look while allowing you to direct illumination only where you need it the most.
5. Make Wise Flooring Choices
You probably don’t want to carpet your kitchen — think of the stains. Should you go with tile, laminate or Pergo? Your options depend both on your aesthetic taste and your comfort level.
Tile is your longest-lasting choice, as vinyl and laminate floors tend to wear over time. However, if you spend long hours on your feet whipping up culinary masterpieces, you could find this unforgiving choice painful on your knees or back. You can still select longevity by adding a couple of comfort mats to stand on while you perform your wizardry.
Laminate floors often offer more in terms of give, making them more comfortable for standing for extended periods. If you choose vinyl, you may wish to add a layer of padding beneath.
A third and surprisingly easy choice for some homeowners is hardwood. Genuine hardwood can last for generations. Some lucky folks have torn up their vinyl flooring and discovered this stuff underneath — all they needed to do was add the requisite elbow grease to refinish the surface.
Design a Kitchen That’s Always in Style With These Tips
You probably spend more of your waking hours in your kitchen than in any other room of your home. Design one that’s always in style with these five tips.
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