It’s often referred to as the “hub of the house”, the “heart of the home” and is the place we go to gather and celebrate holidays, special occasions and land at the end of a hard day to enjoy a meal and reflect with the ones we love. Kitchens are a place where we make our memories, prepare our food and entertain. From a design perspective, it can often be one of the most fun projects to work on and as with any room of a home, can be a great place to incorporate elements that are unique to a particular owner. Kitchen renovations can be lengthy and pricey but are usually worth the investment if done correctly. According to my real estate agent friends, it is often the one space that can either make or break a home sale, so it is important to spend your money wisely and even more critical to make choices that will stand the test of time.
One thing that has remained constant over the recent years has been kitchens with a more open floor plan and those that are light and bright. I am a fan of using white subway tile to create a simple backsplash and often having it run in a herringbone pattern to add interest, while keeping things simple and timeless. I prefer to keep the backdrop of a kitchen clean and classic and utilize accessories or special family heirlooms for color and to help with the “wow” factor we all want to achieve when designing a special space. In a recent home I have been working on that has classic white cabinets and countertops, we found a beautiful antique rug and some old pieces of blue and white that worked well to achieve this goal. Art can also be a great choice to add interest and serve as a focal point to anchor other design choices for the kitchen.

I am often asked about appliances and if they are worth the money and investment. The answer can be a tricky one but one that I feel like really depends on your needs as a family. Do you cook a good deal and enjoy preparing meals and entertaining? If so, your range selection will be an important one and is a place worth spending a little more money. Examples such as Wolf and La Cornue provide the highest of quality for cooking, while also servings as beautiful centerpieces for a kitchen and can be customized in various colors and other options. If you have a large family, your choice in refrigerators and dishwashers will be of top priority as well!
We all live fast-paced lives with people coming and going, so there is a new importance placed on an “eat in kitchen”. Families now often enjoy meals coming and going, typically around a bar and they can be used more often than the traditional kitchen table and chairs. We recently used a set of fun, cobalt blue cafe barstools in a newly renovated kitchen and they served as a focal point, while also offering a pop of color.
At the end of the day, our kitchens are where we spend a good deal of time in our homes and are worth spending the time, money and effort to make them the special place that they deserve to be!