There are few things more fun and exciting for a homeowner than undertaking a large-scale remodeling project. Kitchen remodeling holds a special place in many people’s hearts, so read on for some great ideas on how you can design this crucial space in your home.
Traditional cultural influences of the mine
Several popular kitchen remodeling trends of the past few years hark back to older decorating eras. Ornate French designs filled with grand stone archways, wide-open windows, detailed facades, and floral prints all offer plenty of kitchen ideas. The traditional English mansion replaces ornate French styling with a stately look that incorporates high ceilings, dropped chandeliers, glass-enclosed cabinets, and bright, open layouts.
Perhaps the most commonly seen traditional-influenced design scheme of the last decade has been the Farmhouse-style kitchen. These kitchens are largely based on the use of wood, metal and stone. They often feature a combination of heavy stone (like granite) and wood countertops, burnished metal accents, and appliances like refrigerators that are hidden behind vintage wood paneling. Unlike French and English influences, traditional Farmhouse-style cooking exudes warmth.
Wear colors!
Most kitchen designs work with a very limited flooring. But when coming up with kitchen remodeling ideas, it’s important to remember that there’s nothing forcing you to stick with beiges, browns, blacks, and whites.
Incorporating slightly neutral colors (like burnt reds that look like browns and ultra-dark blues that might as well be black) is a good start, but there’s nothing to stop you from going further. Light blues and greens, bright reds, oranges and yellows, accents of purple on your trim… all of these colors can easily find their place in a well-planned kitchen remodeling project.
You don’t have to make your kitchen look like a kid’s playhouse, but you don’t need to be puritanical about your designs, either.
Open your kitchen plans
If you have the space, or if you can create the space, then you should consider working with an open kitchen layout.
Instead of hiding your kitchen in the corner of your house, tear down the walls and free up your space. Many open kitchen designs blend directly into the living room or dining room, making cooking a much more social experience. For the most part, open kitchen designs feature a counter or island that helps provide a little separation between the two adjoining rooms and provide a space for others to sit and socialize with you while you cook.
While most chefs and cooks appreciate the respite that open kitchen remodel ideas provide, they are ideal for entertaining and house parties.
Consider sustainable kitchen ideas
There are many ways that you can use your remodeling project as a way to help reduce your environmental impact.
For starters, you can use sustainably harvested wood for your cabinets, counters, and flooring. Bamboo is an increasingly popular and viable eco-friendly alternative to the old wood that many designs traditionally use.
The biggest gain you can incorporate into your designs is energy efficient appliances. An energy efficient refrigerator will not only help the environment, but it is also known to reduce your energy bills to a fraction of your previous costs! Who knew that remodeling could actually save you money?