Favorite Kitchen Features

When we started building a house, I knew I wanted to spend the most money in the kitchen. It is the heart of the home and where we spend the most time. I wanted to do things that would have a big impact and create a bright and open space. I thought I would share some of my favorite kitchen features and trends.

I have to say that one of my favorite kitchen elements is the Cabinets. I feel like they are the first thing that people see and take up the most space (if you’re lucky). I like Shaker style cabinets with clean lines. I know a lot of people can get real fancy and intricate with the detailing on cabinets. I like to just keep it simple. Taking your kitchen cabinets all the way to the ceiling will have a great impact! It can make the space feel so much more open. We chose to double stack our cabinets. So we have short cabinets stacked on top of our regular cabinets. The upper short cabinets have glass front doors. I think adding the glass makes it feel even airier. Now if you have the space for open shelving then that can also open up a kitchen. Having cute shelves creates a nice place to display your favorite dishes. Open shelves can also cut down on the bulk of where a cabinet once was. I think picking a light cabinet can also help open the space. If you are worried about them getting dirty, choose a darker color for the island. The island usually has a lot more traffic and sitting than other cabinets. Choosing a darker contrasting color can give the space character and be easier to clean. You still get the bright open feel of the light upper cabinets while having the darker lower island cabinets.

Pot fillers have become quite the statement in kitchens today. I love a good pot filler as much as the next person. They are so convenient when you’re cooking dinner. I would definitely recommend one in a kitchen design. I wish we could have had a pot filler in our new house. There is a window right in front of the oven, leaving no place to put a pot filler. I guess it is a trade-off. Beautiful view out the window in lieu of a pot filler.

Ok people. Pick your backsplash carefully. I think it can enhance a kitchen or totally through it off. You will probably have that backsplash for years to come. Pick something neutral and complimentary to your color scheme. I can not stand when I walk into a home with some wild out of place tile, slapped on the kitchen wall. It really can ruin a space. I ended up going with white subway tile with a very light gray grout for the new house. If you must do something wild , try laying the tile in a fun pattern. Herringbone and staggered 50/50 are just a few ideas. It can create a fun pop without some wild tile choice.

Quartz counter tops are really popular right now. In fact, that’s the material we chose for our counter tops at the new house. I like quartz because it is virtually maintenance free. You never have to worry about sealing the stone. The only thing you have to worry about is heat. You can not set a hot pan right on the counter like you could with granite. The resin and glue that holds the man made stone together will melt. Even if there is a towel under the pot, the heat can go through to the counter and melt. Granite is nice because of its durability. However, it has to be sealed every so often. You already know how I feel about marble from my design options post. Beautiful, but so high maintenance and expensive. I really would try to choose something in quartz or granite. Again keep it simple and clean. Let your decor and accessories do the talking. Decorations can be swapped out and changed. Kitchen counter tops, cabinets, and tile can not easily be changed.

Ok, this is not a must but I just love a hidden trash can. Trash is stinky and ugly. If you can fit in your pantry, that is great. I just don’t like it in my pantry with my food. If you can find a way to have a trash can drawer built into your cabinets, DO IT! I am so excited about having this at the new house. No more big ugly silver trash can hanging out in our kitchen. I think it is just a neat feature that will hide the smelly ugly junk.

Hopefully, this gave you some good ideas about some key design features for your kitchen. I think some simple planning can go a long way to making a great kitchen.

The first three pictures found via www.pinterest.com. Click on each picture for link.