How to turn your dream kitchen into a reality

By Kirsty Harrison

A kitchen is more than a place for food. It’s a room for conversing, gathering and creativity. Hands down, a kitchen is the hub for all things, which is why creating a practical and a functional kitchen with a designer-look can complement your home immensely.

 

From cooking up a storm to socializing with family, your kitchen is the ultimate multitasking space, so it’s important to get the design just right. Your project can be as simple as replacing cabinet doors and handles or installing a new counter top with a modern sink and backsplash.

 

Before you dive into your new kitchen project,there is a list of things you need to avoidto create a practical and an elegant looking kitchen, which will save you time, money and stress.

 

Here are some tips to help you before you start.

Set your budget

Before you start picking your cabinets or counter top options, you need to know what your budget is. All of your plans for your new kitchen are going to naturally be constrained by how much money you can put into it.

Put together a list you like to have in your kitchen

Do some research of kitchen designs, and get an idea on how you like your future kitchen.

What type of cabinets, color schemes, fixtures counter tops, sink and more.

Make a floor plan

A floor plan provides you with a bird’s eye view of your kitchen space. More so than just looking at your kitchen itself, it breaks the space down into its component parts—dimensions and all—so that when you’re determining things like cabinet configurations and appliance sizes you know what will fit and where.

 

As one of the central elements in forming a cohesive look, cabinets set the tone for your kitchen.

Select classic, monochrome shades, such as black or grey, for modern, minimalist designs.

Raw or lightly stained timber cabinets represent a more urban style, while white or cream doors with molding add a distinct country element to a kitchen.Handles are important details and can both reinforce a style and add extra character.

Choose a cabinet manufacturer

Kitchens are the focal point of a home, and cabinets are the focal point of a kitchen. For that reason, it makes sense to start with your cabinets early on. And because manufacturers vary in price, style, and sizing of their inventory, it can help you narrow down your options to settle on a specific manufacturer first and then limit yourself to what they offer.

Choose your counter tops

Choosing the right material for the Counter top will determine the final look of the room, as it is one of the most dominant visual features. A monochromatic counter top is a good base to start with, allowing you to add statement pieces later to introduce more character. Granite counter tops bring class and style, and you can achieve the same look with quartz .Timber is a good choice if you’re wanting a rustic feel, while stainless steel offers contemporary chic.

Choosing your sink

Your kitchen sink is probably not the place where you’d choose to spend your time, but it’s a necessity—and having the right one can make all those minutes spent scrubbing and rinsing easier and more efficient. Learn about the different materials, types of sinks, and factors to consider as you discover how to select a kitchen sink that fits your needs.

Choosing appliances

The appliances that you choose are the next big feature to tackle after your cabinets and counter tops. It’s a good idea to go with the same manufacturer and style for all of your appliances.

Planning storage

A good way to begin is to realize that the easiest places to reach are the ones that should store the most frequently used kitchen tools.

The first shelf of the upper wall cabinets should be the one to hold the items used every day. The second shelf should hold intermittently used items, and the top shelf should hold rarely used items. The base cabinetry is the reverse: the top shelf is for most frequently used items, and the bottom shelf is for the items that see less use.

Planning kitchen lighting

When planning the lighting for a kitchen, think of it like adding ingredients to a meal: Start with task lighting – ask yourself what you do in this space, and where you need focused beams of light to help you accomplish that. Next, add accent lighting for visual interest, and finally general lighting to create the right mood, ambiance and overall aesthetic.

 

You don’t need to be a seasoned design professional in order to know how to design a kitchen. By following the steps above, you should be able to come up with a stunning and cohesive kitchen design that’s in budget and suited to your needs. Good Luck!