How can I modernise my kitchen?
An update in your kitchen can affect how you feel about your entire home. It’s why modernising the kitchen is often at the top of peoples’ lists of home improvements. This is likely down to the increasing amount of time we spend in the kitchen. We’re not all becoming culinary artisans, though; the kitchen has changed. It’s now a social and leisure space as well as one for eating and preparing food. So from little alterations to a full refit, these are the best ways to modernise your kitchen.
Structural Change
If you’re embarking on a full kitchen refit, your modernised kitchen will begin from the ground up. There are considerations in terms of layout, materials, and structure that will lead the room to become a modern, useable space.
Layout
Your kitchen layout is the first stage of a design in a full structural kitchen refit. Working from a blank canvas, you can decide the shape of your unit layout. If there’s room for a kitchen island, this is a great way to build multi use social /work space. Look at U shape and G shape kitchens for large wide spaces. In galley kitchens, don’t forget to integrate some kind of dining space. These social areas are really key in a modern layout.
Materials
You don’t have to use industrial materials to have a modern kitchen. Contemporary designs can also be classic and timeless. Think about the materials that you plan to use. Natural materials remain popular because they have these organically timeless features. Natural stones are ideal worktop materials for this reason. Striking marble gives an elegant and imposing feel, while a sparkling quartz worktop feels clean and super contemporary.
Use of space
Perhaps your kitchen refit is a room extension or other structural change. Or you might be knocking through or altering the use of your existing space. The important thing is that you can optimise the use of both floor area and height that you have available. By being able to plan your space in this way, you can make sure that it supports your lifestyle in a modern way.
Decor
After layout, your interior design decisions such as colour scheme and finishes are crucial in making a modern feeling space.
Monochrome
A monochrome colour scheme need not be black, white and grey. The term monochrome simply means to run combine tones and hues of one single colour. This could be blue or green if you wish. Its the intentional variations within the one colour that gives this type of colour scheme a very contemporary feel.
Focal Point
While your monochrome kitchen design thrives on simplicity, it is important not to let it become flattened. You can avoid this by introducing depth with a contrasting focal point. If your cabinets are glossy, contrast with a matte quartz worktop. Patterned wall tiles will set off stark clear worktops, and using a grained or marbled stone creates texture while maintaining a smooth sheen.
Lighting
From natural to LED lighting, the light in your kitchen plays a big part in how modern the room feels. Maximum natural light is always desirable, which is why light, reflective shades of quartz worktop are so popular. When you’re looking at modern lighting, make sure that you include multiple levels. For a full kitchen refit, ceiling LEDs are complemented by integrated under cabinet lighting. If you’re redecorating, think about adding a lamp to create depth.
Functionality
Decluttering
The easiest and cheapest way to give your kitchen a more modern feel is to declutter. Be realistic about what you use, and plan your use of the items that you keep. Items that are used more frequently such as ingredients are best stored in higher, over worktop cabinets. More occasional items such as mixers or juicers can be stored in under counter cabinets. Corner cabinets can be helpful if you add concertina internal storage systems. These mean that you can easily access those previously unused far recesses of the unit. Store similar items together in uniformed tins and containers to maximise space.
Storage
This is one of the key benefits of modernising your kitchen. Repurpose any awkward cupboards and redundant spaces. You can add deep drawer storage for easy access to items instead of standard units. Pull out pantry cupboards are a fantastic way to use the full height of the kitchen and maintain accessibility to everything you need. Meticulously planned storage means that everything has a home and you can optimise modern functionality in your kitchen.
Utilities
A modern kitchen refit gives you the opportunity to select up to date appliances. You might decide to invest in smart devices, or prioritise eco performance. There are fridges that can write your shopping list or ovens that can follow recipes. Installing these appliances as part of a kitchen remodel is far simpler than doing so after a kitchen has been installed. However, that’s not to say it’s impossible. Simply adding a hot water tap can not only make day to day tasks easier, but also frees up a quartz worktop space to give a spacious modern feel.
Durability
A modern kitchen doesn’t mean going for trends and fads that will feel dated in a few years’ time. Whether you’re refitting or redecorating, you should be able to enjoy the benefits for many years to come. This is why so many modern kitchen designs choose high quality, durable products and fittings. For example granite or quartz worktops that will endure a lifetime of use and look great with any superficial colour scheme.
The kitchen is where we spend an increasing amount of leisure time. So as part of your modern kitchen refit or redesign, you can optimise living and social areas in your space. This may come from altering your floor layout to include integrated dining and soft seating. Or by simply decluttering to open up more of your existing stone worktop to feel lighter and more social. To discover more stone worktops, from quartz to granite, contact us now!
