subject: Kitchen Dcor: Getting It Right Neednt Be Frustrating [print this page] Designing a kitchen is a complicated task, theres no denying that; however, it neednt be an arduous one. With careful planning, and the help of a kitchen specialist, such as the team at Kitchens UK, you can get the job done with minimal fuss, and end up with a designer kitchen to be proud of one that will bring you immense joy for years to come.
The first step is to produce a design master plan a guide to the look you want to achieve. This should contain a colour palette, along with any particular design features that have caught your eye. Your master plan should also provide details of the style of your finished kitchen; this could be traditional, country, modern or even retro.
Once you know what youre aiming for you can bring this to life by focussing on the different elements of your kitchen. Here are three areas that may at first seem innocuous but are in actuality extremely important:
Lighting
Lighting affects everything within your kitchen: bright lighting can be too harsh and make the room feel sharp, industrial and unwelcoming, while lighting thats too dim can make your kitchen feel dull and unclean.
Try to let your lighting complement your design; if your kitchen is homely and warm with rich wood panelling or deep colours, use soft lighting to accentuate the tones and give a feeling of warmth to the kitchen.
If your kitchen is shiny and high-tech with plenty of stainless steel appliances and sleek work surfaces, any fluorescent lighting can create a coarse effect. Discuss with your kitchen specialist how direct lighting such as spotlights can produce an interesting look or under cabinet LEDs can make your kitchen look sophisticated and futuristic.
Flooring
Laminate flooring is easy to clean and with many different designs and patterns available, you can match it to most designs. However, fitting it can be extremely difficult depending on the shape of your room and, if not done properly, can loosen over time and cracks can appear. To prevent this from happening, have your kitchen installation fitted by a professional such as those at Kitchens UK.
As carpet is inappropriate for even the most bespoke kitchens, tiled flooring is the main other option for your kitchen flooring. Tiling can be easier to fit and, if installed properly (without deep grooves) as easy to clean as laminate. However, tiling can be cold on bare feet, especially in the winter. If you are trying to foster a warm atmosphere in your kitchen, where people can congregate and socialise, consider having under-floor heating or a kick board heater installed to counterbalance this effect.
Other flooring options worth investigating are stone and wood.
Walls
While units form the base of fitted kitchens, what goes in between determines whether the overall look has been successful. While tiled walls are easy to clean and can create attractive patterns to add character to your walls, completely tiling your walls can create a boxy look, especially in square rooms.
Conversely, painted or panelled walls can become stained from grease or smoke. Consider tiling just between your work surfaces and wall units and installing a splash back behind your hob to catch any spillages from bubbling pans.
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By splitting your kitchen design up into separate elements (albeit unified under a master plan) planning your new kitchen neednt be a frustrating task it could even be enjoyable.
