ADD STYLE TO YOUR KITCHEN

ADD A DASH OF SPICE & STYLE TO YOUR KITCHEN

In today’s homes, kitchens serve a multitude of purposes beyond being a space to whip up a meal. They’re the heart of your home; the command center; the family gathering spot. So it’s no wonder why kitchens are where homeowners invest their renovation budget and why homebuyers pay a premium for an updated look. And savvy design professionals agree, spicing up your kitchen with stylish, timeless and natural materials is a recipe for success.

Laying it out

Planning a new or remodeled kitchen can be an exciting, yet overwhelming time. Making the process less stressful boils down to ensuring the layout meets your needs. When starting a project, if you hire a designer its important that they get to know you and how you will be using the kitchen they design. If an architect is involved, they should also work hand-inhand with them so that any overarching architectural vision they may have is included in the interior design as well. Nowadays, homeowners are mostly looking for open concept floor plans with kitchens that open up to living and dining rooms. And because there’s less available wall space, there are fewer upper cabinets. To compensate, modern kitchen layouts feature expansive islands with seating and storage, a pantry for canned and dry goods, and a butler pantry to hide away less frequently used items. Once the layout is determined, then we get to work on selecting building products and finishes. While there is a wide range of products to choose from, popular styles focus on fine materials and classic design elements. Being near the beach, its natural to gravitate toward light and natural materials - and products like real wood are just more beautiful. A wood like cypress is stable and durable with unique charm.

Deciding on cabinets

When it comes to choosing cabinetry, it doesn’t take long to notice the difference between cabinetry that’s built with solid wood and what you can find at the big box stores. Most homeowners value the natural character and quality of solid wood cabinets. Selecting a finish can be tricky, because trends can come and go. Painted cabinets seem to be all the rage these days, but a natural wood finish is tasteful and timeless. The look of the cabinets will dictate the style, weather its modern farm, rustic style or classic each has a distinct look and feel.

Finding a designer and architect:

If you decide to do your kitchen DYI we recommend hiring a designer who can help with the look, style and space you have to work with. If your making structural changes to your kitchen then you’ll need an architect. The Central Coast is full of talented designers and architects for more information visit www.coastalhomeandgarden.com