What You Need to Know When Designing a Kitchen

​When designing a kitchen begin with the layout or floorplan, are you able to improve on what you have? The next major factor is your appliances; ranges are extremely popular. Determine if a range works for you and the way you cook or bake. Purchase the best quality you can afford. Good-quality appliances will add value to your home, significantly improve the appearance of your kitchen, and make cooking more enjoyable. Some of the top luxury appliance brands are Wolf, Sub-Zero, Thermador, Miele, Viking, and La Cornue.

To select the style for your kitchen, consider your entire home and architecture, and pull the same style through the home to maintain a cohesive look. A color palette and theme also help guide you when making selections for your kitchen.

My clients love huge kitchen islands. They are the center of the home and serve as a multipurpose surface used for work or homework on a laptop, entertaining, and eating meals. In some cases, it has replaced the kitchen table. Include under-counter seating and access underneath for storage, so no space is wasted. Touch latch doors can be used in place of knobs for a clean, modern look. Lighting is also important. You can place a lovely chandelier or pendants over the island.

The cabinet should go to the ceiling to create a sleeker and custom design. When selecting cabinet door shakers or modern flat panel doors are very popular and work well with many styles. Choosing the cabinet finish or color is a crucial decision for a new kitchen, given the significant cost involved. Consider the style of your home and the interior colors. White is a great choice; it's clean, bright, and timeless. White is classic and timeless, and works well with many home styles, integrating seamlessly into both traditional and modern homes. If white does not suit you, then natural finish quarter-sawn oak is a great choice. If you prefer a specific color, then almost any shade can work; some popular options include blue, black, espresso, and green. If you have high-quality cabinets already but want a new look, consider painting them a color you love that complements your home's color palette.

You can incorporate features into your design, such as a custom small appliance cabinet or display cabinet that resembles a furniture piece. This will add a functional and unique feature to your kitchen.

A well-designed range hood is essential and can be a focal point; some are made from materials such as cast stone, plaster, tile, stainless steel, copper, and wood. There are many to choose from, select or design a grand hood to create the central focal point of the kitchen.

For countertops, we love quartz because it resembles Carrara or Calcutta marble but will not stain or etch. So, we can achieve the sleek, elegant European look of marble with added durability.

Flooring plank tiles that resemble wood are more durable than wood and offer the classic wood look that many love. Top-quality LVP (Luxury Vinyl Plank) also resembles hardwood but is highly durable and resistant to spills and scratches.