Kitchen Design Ideas

The look and feel

A kitchen is not just a lifestyle or an investment, in its simplest terms it’s the room that is the heart of every home. It is a necessity to be happy not only with its functionality but its aesthetic, its look, its appearance, the whole picture it paints in the home.

A great part of this look regards cabinetry, and with so many kitchen design ideas, getting this part of the plan right is crucial. Choosing the right cabinetry has to not only fit in with a person’s taste but the material and finish is just as important. With the choice on offer today, it’s easy to break away from the traditional or modern look, designers can have it all.

Painted or pre-bought cabinetry can fulfill all kitchen design ideas, transforming any home into a futuristic and functional area to not only cook and eat, but also to entertain, socialise or even work. Alternatively, it’s possible to take a step back into a simpler time, where the multipurpose use of a modern kitchen can seamlessly couple together the look and feel of kitchen with the style from a bygone age, far more cooking-focussed and practical.

Kitchen worktops galore

Nowadays there are a vast array of materials for kitchen worktops, designs and colours to choose from, ranging from traditional wood and linoleum to metals, marble and a number of varieties of stone. It’s hard to focus kitchen design ideas into one vision with such a choice but narrowing the options down can be easy, knowing the pros and cons for each material.

Traditional timber fits the bill in so many ways, tactile, tough, stunning and available in a range of colours, textures, styles and types of wood. However, the care that needs to be made around wood means that it can be more hassle than heavenly, worrying about stains, scratches and heat damage, especially when considering children or if the kitchen is home to a lot of entertaining. Laminate offers a budgeted alternative to wood, and even stone, but the difference in texture, quality and robustness cannot be imitated.

The beauty of marble and limestone is very attractive for kitchen worktops. The classical look has been appealing for over two millennia but marble is susceptible to staining, chipping and even breaking off, whilst porous limestone can find itself home to bacteria and also liquid can seep through.

Copper and steel have a unique and attractive industrial look, giving a clean, lustrous finish, which has led to a growth in popularity for these materials. Unfortunately, the scratching and dinting of these surfaces can be a major drawback.

The designers’ choice for modern kitchen worktops is quartz. Coming in a variety of colours and patterns, it does not provide a home for bacteria like granite and is as resilient a surface available. Kitchen design ideas using this material include a contrasting of different patterns with waterfall edges. Furthermore, Quartz’s resistance to heat makes it an ideal countertop for UK kitchens.

Decision time

The choice of kitchen is unique as the people it’s for, it needs to cater not only to food, but to the wants, lifestyle and even the personality of an individual. The best way to do this is to assess what isn’t working in the current kitchen; whether it is the storage; if there needs to be an extra sink; if there are all the required appliances or even a drastic new design. Remember, kitchen design ideas can give a flawless-looking kitchen but if it is not practical to the user’s needs, it will be there for years.