Your kitchen is the heart of your home. It’s where you make the food that you need to live, the treasure trove of snacks, and all around it’s one of the places we spend the most time in. Every year there’s massive innovation in kitchen design, from high-end finishes becoming more affordable to technological breakthroughs, there’s an almost constant influx of fantastic ideas to add to your home.
You might be wondering, “What do I choose, what would a designer start with?” I’ve got you covered with 7 design essentials for a modern kitchen.
Resin Flooring.
Flooring choices can make or break your kitchen. The last thing you want is to install a porous surface that’ll just soak up all the things that happen in a kitchen. Making the right choices in kitchen design literally starts from the ground up.
Kitchen flooring should be waterproof and stain resistant. Designers have been opting for resin flooring which offers both and it’s a great sound absorber for those kitchen parties, bonus! Resin floors are easy to clean and resilient, they add longevity so your kitchen will last a lifetime.
Minimalist design is having a field day thanks to advancements in resin floors. With a sleek, one surface look, you can even match any color combination with this man-made material. It’s slip resistant, so as you’re aging gracefully in your forever home, you’ll have less to worry about.
Smart Kitchens.
I’m talking beyond a tablet showing off your security system – boooring – I’m going bigger. Samsung offers a massive collection of high-tech kitchen options that feature high connectivity and giant displays. Technology isn’t just for gaming systems in your living room, amp up your kitchen with a cool gadget.
Some of their fridges offer built in memo boards via a tablet interface. At over 20 inches of screen, they’re bigger than TVs that I’ve had! Staying in touch and on top of a big family is made easy with features like this. They can even replace your grocery list and calendars thanks to these built in devices.
With their line of stoves and dishwashers also featuring an abundance of tech, it’s easy to see how you can exceed a smaller budget here. This must have feature definitely comes at a price, but it’s well worth it.
Efficient Fixtures.
Kitchen faucets are no longer stationary protrusions from your countertop. Your options are extensive, with the likes of a chilled sparkling water tap or a gorgeous pot-filler – a flexible and extendable faucet that can be conveniently moved to fill a larger, heavy pot – you can find almost any feature.
Fixtures come in stunning options, too, from brushed gold to matte black, so that you can match any style you’re aiming for. The key here is to target your exact lifestyle, a motion sensor faucet is amazing for the at-home chef, or the busy family. Multipurpose and more convenient.
Your kitchen fixtures should make your life easier, providing you your preferred drinking water or even soap, they can really impact your workspace. Consider getting the trifecta of kitchen design, a pot-filler style faucet, a chilled and filtered water tap, and a touch free soap dispenser that is always handy and never moves.
Designer Range Hoods.
Does your dream kitchen have a luxurious stovetop? Then it deserves a designer range hood, too. Often an afterthought that becomes a huge eye-sore, you have to think about your range hood early on. There’s no place for a clunky out of place range hood in a modern kitchen.
Take this a step further into the ultra-modern lifestyle and you’ve got the most enviable of kitchen features: a retractable downdraft vent. Popping up from your counter for as long as you need it, these offer the least visual impact for the wow factor of a truly open kitchen design.
Drawers on drawers.
While not a new concept, drawers are turning around how designers approach kitchen design with their innate practicality. By making everything in your lower cupboards more accessible, you no longer have to struggle to get to those items at the back of your cupboard
Feature more drawers in your kitchen to have a home that lasts through the stages of life. By making your lower cabinets massively more accessible, organizing your kitchen is super easy. You can even section off areas of your kitchen based on your family’s daily routine. A coffee station will all the fixings kept below, a baking area where you can roll out the dough, or even a more adult oriented beverage area, don’t hold back.
Wider Pathways.
When it comes to kitchens, the bigger is often the better. That goes indefinitely with your kitchen pathways. Designers opt for at least a 42-inch-wide pathway, but you can take it a step further to ultra-wide 48-inch pathways.
Space is the ultimate luxury, being able to actually get around your open dishwasher might seem like a luxury to an apartment dweller, but it can be your reality. If you and your spouse love cooking together, wider pathways are a must.
Pick the ONE.
Wild tile, ornate hardware, and colorful kitchen cabinets can be great alone, but will be overwhelming when combined all at once. Avoid a kitchen that’s so busy you can’t focus on one thing. Modern interior designers are selecting pieces that skillfully draw the eye without feeling crowded.
Pick a single focal point to really, truly, emphasize and you’ll never be happier. If you found the perfect marble counter slab, make sure your counters really stand out with impeccable lighting. Consider mood lighting or a multi switch so that you can keep whatever you choose in focus even out of use.
With all the offerings for a modern kitchen, it’s easy to feel like you’re in over your head but there’s no need to panic. If you stick to my advice, you’ll have the kitchen of your dreams. It’ll be the perfect centerpiece to your home and last through a lifetime of memories.
