Now I’m not going to lie to you. When renovating, the kitchen is not the cheapest place to start, but it’s definitely worth the investment. When I started thinking about kitchens, I remembered some fun, new trends for customizing kitchens that I wanted to share with you (but keep in mind as you read through my list, renovating your kitchen is not always cheap so these trends might not be either!).
1. Add a wall-mounted kitchen pot filler to the wall above your stove, like shown in the picture above, or this one from Kohler, http://bit.ly/4yPdLS. This is better when decided on during construction, so adding the extra water pipe is not as expensive.
2. Concealed, under-cabinet lighting. If you don’t already have this, get on it already! Chopping your peppers on an unlit countertop can be dangerous, especially if you are clumsy like me. Under-cabinet lighting is great task lighting to help when you are doing such activities. Now, there is a cheap way to do this and an expensive way. Puck lights, like these ones available at IKEA, are a cheap alternative to the more pricey options, http://bit.ly/2OQ4Rn. Make sure your cabinet-maker adds about a 1-1/2 to 2″ trim piece (matching your existing cabinetry) below your upper cabinets in order to conceal the lights. He will also need to coordinate with the electrician to make sure there is space for transformers if they are used.
3. Glass cabinet doors in a few of your upper-cabinets, with glass shelves and lighting is a great way to bring elegance to your kitchen. Again, make sure your electrician and cabinet-maker coordinate on this one, puck lights in the soffit of your upper-cabinets need enough space to breathe. Remember, if you don’t have goregous dishes to display in glass shelving, it doesn’t mean that you should forget the idea completely, that is what sandblasting is for! (or another variety of textured glass).
4. A statement light fixture above an island. If you go for a chandelier look, like in the photo above, you create a cozy space to gather, giving the kitchen a dining room feel. Be careful your light fixture is proportional to your island.
Nuummmbbeerr Fivveee. Slow close cabinetry drawers (aka, super quiet drawers). This is a minor detail but is a very high-end feature that buyers will notice (and your ears will too!).
6. Built-in trash cans. And I’m talking about the concealed version that matches the rest of your cabinetry. And since I know you all recycle!!! it also wouldn’t hurt to add a second pull-out drawer for recycling so that you can stay organized, because organization is really what a kitchen is all about, right?
7. Install cabinetry that extends all the way to the ceiling, and goodbye dust bunnies! hello beautiful, sleek cabinetry. Although, this is not something you will find in standard cabinetry lines. It is unfortunately a custom feature, and once again, a little bit more pricey $$$, but imagine never having to dust or put kitschy items above your cabinets again?
8. Next up, the ISLAND. The island is a great addition for any kitchen (granted you have the space for it!), but besides being ultra functional, it is the opportunity to create a statement in your kitchen. Think beautiful, freestanding piece of furniture. Ok, so an island is technically a built-in, but we can pretend it’s a freestanding piece of furniture, and to do that, the cabinetry and countertop should be different materials than the rest of the kitchen (see picture below…).
….Now a few more inspirational kitchens….stay tuned for more great tips!
Now, don’t try this stuff by yourself, these are just great guidelines to think about the next time you renovate. Remember, you could go crazy with customizing your kitchen, but it’s the little everyday conveniences that buyers will look for (and you will benefit from!).
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