Kitchen Views' Blog

The most important part of any home design project is in the planning stage. While it is next to impossible to foresee every nuance or challenge that may arise in designing in a kitchen, it is possible to be well-prepared. You should have a solid plan in place with which to arm yourself when the multitude of options begin to overwhelm you.

There are so many places to look now for kitchen design inspiration. There are always the traditional avenues like design magazines that you can pick up at a newsstand or at a local design showroom. Oftentimes, the best inspiration doesn’t even come from actual kitchens, but from seemingly disparate things like pieces of antique furniture or from the surrounding geography.

It has been suggested many times that it’s best to keep a sort of “idea book” whether it’s in a folder on your computer or in a physical notebook. If you’re more of the web savvy type, many design idea websites actually let you save pictures that interest you to a sort of online idea book. Two great places we recommend for inspiration are Houzz (a favorite of our designers) or the ever-growing Pinterest. Those two sites in particular make it particularly easy to categorize and segment a sort of idea scrapbook that you can peruse whenever you like, especially Pinterest which allows you to get ideas for just about anything at all.

What is even more important than the inspiration for the overall design, however, is understanding how your kitchen will be used every day by everyone. It’s important to consider universal design elements that work for anyone, while also leaving enough room for unique touches that give the space personality. Also, considerations must be made for the workflow of individuals using the space, as well as having the proper storage space to make sure that everything you may need will be easily available. This planning will keep future clutter to a minimum, if not completely non-existent.

The next step is to look at “before” and “after” photos of various kitchens and see what sort of improvements other people have made. This will provide ideas that you may be able to incorporate into your own design. You can also look at online sources for kitchens that you like, while taking into consideration the many styles, materials, colors, features, and specialty storage options available on the market today. After gathering all of these ideas, it is then that you can go to a kitchen design professional to lay out just what will work for not only for you and your budget, but your home for years to come.

Kitchen Views
www.kitchenviews.com