Written by Matt Lee
The kitchen is regarded as perhaps the most essential and lived-in room in the house, and considering an update or remodel can be a great investment for when it comes time to sell. Properly matching the cabinets, countertops, and floors will give the room an aesthetically pleasing overall flow.
Begin with the ideal color scheme
Begin by considering popular kitchen color schemes and identify which will complement the overall style of your home. At the moment, black and white, classic white and reds and yellows are popular color schemes. Pops of color are becoming more and more popular, and reds and yellows are even considered to be appetite stimulants!
Focus on the countertops
The countertops often become the focal point of the kitchen, and the cabinets and floors can be chosen after the countertops are ready. Many homeowners opt for white kitchen countertops, but granite, wood, and concrete are also popular options to consider depending on your home’s style. The material’s maintenance needs and durability are also something to take into consideration, as if you use the kitchen frequently and have heavy-duty cooking going on, you’ll want to opt for a solid surface or heat resistant concrete. Concrete countertops are becoming increasingly popular at the moment, as the material is actually quite customizable. Wood countertops are also popular for those creating the modern farmhouse and make a kitchen feel more warm and inviting.
Choosing the perfect cabinets
Creams and whites are the traditional kitchen cabinet colors and pair well with most countertops and floors. However, if you are looking to craft a more modern kitchen, bright colors such as reds or yellows and contrasting wall colors will bring the modern feel. It is also important to take the kitchen’s artificial and natural light into account, as if the space doesn’t have a ton of light, darker cabinets will make the space feel smaller and more cramped. If natural light or size is an issue, light-colored cabinets will help the space feel much bigger. A remodel is also a great time to consider weatherproofing windows or switching out the color of the window trim to emphasize natural light.
Kitchen flooring must be as practical as it is aesthetically pleasing. Depending on how much traffic you predict the surface will get, materials such as stone, tile, or wood are popular options. Stone is more durable, but cork and wood are popular choices for homeowners looking to warm up the room.
Crafting the backsplash
A kitchen backsplash can add an aesthetically pleasing and exciting accent to the kitchen. However, it’s best to design the backsplash on the tail end of the project, as it must complement the chosen cabinets, countertops, and floors. This is the place to be creative, so many designers love to mix and match styles and colors. The backsplash should tie your kitchen’s designs together creatively!
Matching your cabinets, countertops, and floors will add great aesthetic value to your kitchen and complement the existing design and feel of your home. Once you’ve identified the color palette you’re going to achieve, countertops come next, followed by your cabinets, floors, and of course, the backsplash. Your accents and backsplash are the place to play with color and accent colors, offering contrast to the rest of the kitchen. When all of these elements come together properly, the kitchen instantly adds to your home’s value.
Matt Lee is the owner of the Innovative Building Materials blog and a content writer for the building materials industry. He is focused on helping fellow homeowners, contractors, and architects discover materials and methods of construction that save money, improve energy efficiency, and increase property value.