If you're designing a new home, or are just planning an update to your current home's kitchen, you want to ensure you take extra time when creating this space. A home's kitchen needs to be very attractive and welcoming, but also very functional for food prep, storage, entertaining, and the like. To ensure no detail is overlooked in the process, note a few mistakes that many homeowners make when designing a new kitchen so you can then avoid them yourself, and be happy with your new kitchen for many years to come.
All white
White cabinets and walls are very neutral and can make a kitchen look bright and clean, which is why white is a favourite colour for small kitchens that might look a bit claustrophobic with darker colours. However, white can also seem cold and impersonal, and downright boring! Spruce up the space with some colour; this might mean black appliances, a floor tile with a colourful design or pattern, or a backsplash in a fun and bright colour.
Open shelving
Open shelving can make a kitchen seem larger and less closed-in, but this also means having your items on display, which can be very unattractive! You might opt for one or two open shelving areas in the kitchen, to show off your best dishware or glassware, and keep standard cupboards for the rest of your items.
Another good compromise is to use frosted glass door fronts for one or all of your cabinets, as the frosted glass will reflect light and make the kitchen seem brighter, while still obscuring the view of items being stored in that cabinet. A plain glass with grilles, meaning wood pieces that create the look of sections or that run in an X shape, can also mean a more open look and feel, while still obscuring an unattractive view behind the cabinet doors.
Surface materials
Consider how the surface materials you choose for your kitchen will complement each other, or if they might outright clash. As an example, timber-look tiles in a light oak style can seem very rustic, and Mediterranean-style tiles for the backslash may then clash with the floor. A copper hood over the stove might clash with stainless steel appliances, whereas white ceramic appliances may clash with a stainless steel sink. Be sure all the kitchen's surface materials and styles work well together when planning your kitchen, rather than choosing each material separately and not considering how they'll look when placed together in the kitchen.
For more information, contact a kitchen design expert.
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