The Ultimate Guide to Creating a Beautiful Kitchen

The kitchen is the heart of the home for a lot of people. Even if you don't enjoy cooking, you probably spend plenty of time in there, perhaps with your family. If you have a breakfast table or a kitchen-diner, you eat in there and socialize in there too. While some people don't care much about their kitchen, for others it's important that it's a central part of their home. Is a decent kitchen one of the things at the top of your list when you move home? Perhaps you need space for all your appliances and some clever storage. When your kitchen isn't perfect, you don't have to move house. Redesigning it can give you a fresh new space that you love.

Consider the Space

Before you redecorate your kitchen, it's worth having a look at the space. Is it a bit smaller and darker than you would like? If it is, you could think about the possibility of extending it. Two options are to knock through a wall inside or to extend your home at the back or side of your house. If you wanted to remove a wall, you don't necessarily have to take out the whole thing. You could create a space in the wall to look through, perhaps into your dining room. It will let light travel through too. Even though it won't make the room bigger, it will make it appear larger.

Start with Floors and Walls

Once your kitchen is the size and shape you want it, you could start by thinking about the floors and walls. Many kitchens don't have the best decoration for a practical room. There are some things that will make it much easier to keep the kitchen clean and hygienic. For example, having stone or tile floors and a tiled backsplash on the wall makes it easier to wipe up spills. Some kitchens have cheap flooring in vinyl or other materials. Your floor might not have the quality look you want. There are always alternatives to make everything look smarter. However, if you can't afford to do anything too big, a new paint job can do a lot for any room.

Replacing Cabinets

Your kitchen cabinets are a huge part of the room. You can't hide them away, and you have to look at them every day. They also get a lot of use, with doors and drawers being opened and closed all the time. So they need to be both durable and beautiful to form part of a kitchen that you love. You might already like the cabinets you have, or perhaps you want to give them a touch-up. There is always the possibility of painting them or maybe getting new cabinet doors and draws. If you don't want to gut the kitchen and put in new units, this is a cheaper way of freshening everything up.

Of course, if you do want new cabinets, there's lots you can do. Think about the storage you want, instead of just looking at the outside of the cabinets. There are many smart solutions you might want to consider. For example, you could have rotating shelves. So you'll be able to have deep but organized cabinets. It's a good idea to consider what sort of items you need to put away. What's the best way to store saucepans, spices, or bottles of wine?

Choosing New Large Appliances

Other major items to consider include the appliances in your kitchen. The important ones to consider are your oven and your refrigerator. You might also have a dishwasher, which is essential for anyone who doesn't enjoy washing by hand. It can be difficult choosing these items because they are often expensive. You want them to last for years and to work well across their lifetime.

There are lots of choices you need to make about functionality too. For example, you could choose a conventional oven or a fan over. When you select a cooktop, there are several types you can consider. It could be electric, gas, or an induction top. More people are now choosing to have an induction stovetop. They can be more efficient and more responsive than other types. However, it also means you can only use special pans. Before you decide whether an induction stove is right, read some tips on buying an induction cookware set. You might end up having to spend more money on your pots and pans in the future.

Of course, the appearance of your appliances matters too. You should consider whether you're looking for something modern or if you want traditional. You can find some vintage-style ovens and fridges with a look from the 1850s or the 1950s. If you want to choose a modern style, chrome is often a popular choice. It looks clean and stylish, and will go with most color schemes too.

Smaller Appliances

If you enjoy having lots of smaller appliances, you might think about making them all match. It's obviously easiest if you stick to chrome, or perhaps black or white. However, you can get many small appliances in a range of colors to brighten up your kitchen. You don't have to have everything the same shade. So matching up colors can be easier than you might think. For example, you can get a toaster, microwave, coffee maker and stand mixer in various shades of red. When you're looking at small appliances, you should think about where to put them. Is there space for them to be out all the time, or do you have a convenient cabinet to put them away?

The Frills

Most people don't want their kitchen too cluttered, but there are always accessories you can add. Some of them can be practical, like an egg timer or a small herb garden on the windowsill. You could add a kitchen clock and also choose things like utensil pots and spice racks that are decorative and useful.

A new kitchen could refresh your home, especially if you love cooking or baking. Perhaps it will inspire you to redesign the rest of your house too.