Budget Decorator: Small Details to Give Your Kitchen a Design Edge
These clever changes and simple tweaks, inspired by the best contemporary designs, will give your kitchen a style and efficiency boost
Fitting a new, beautifully designed kitchen is high on many a homeowner’s wish list, but the expense can be prohibitive. Nevermind. It’s surprisingly easy to borrow some smart ideas and nifty details from contemporary kitchen spaces and work them into your existing room. From improving the lighting to changing the door knobs, a little change can go a long way and give your kitchen a well-designed and beautifully bespoke feel for a fraction of the time and cost.
Replace knobs and handles
Knobs and handles may seem like trifling details, but they can greatly influence the feel of a kitchen. Change your cabinet brassware for something in a different material or style for a quick but pleasing update.
Knobs and handles may seem like trifling details, but they can greatly influence the feel of a kitchen. Change your cabinet brassware for something in a different material or style for a quick but pleasing update.
Hang statement pendants
Kitchens require a good amount of practical task lighting to make food prep safe and easy, but many contemporary kitchens also include some statement lighting.
Think dramatic pendant lights or industrial-style exposed bulbs over a table or island. These can be relatively inexpensive to source and install, but will add welcome detail, while also boosting overall light levels.
Discover how to light your kitchen for maximum impact
Kitchens require a good amount of practical task lighting to make food prep safe and easy, but many contemporary kitchens also include some statement lighting.
Think dramatic pendant lights or industrial-style exposed bulbs over a table or island. These can be relatively inexpensive to source and install, but will add welcome detail, while also boosting overall light levels.
Discover how to light your kitchen for maximum impact
Combine colours
Kitchens that feature cabinets painted in two or three different colours are big news today. The mix of shades brings pace to a kitchen, providing visual variety and detail without tipping the space into feeling ill-planned.
Try repainting your cabinets, choosing one colour for base units and another for wall units, for example, or one for standard units and another for an island.
Kitchens that feature cabinets painted in two or three different colours are big news today. The mix of shades brings pace to a kitchen, providing visual variety and detail without tipping the space into feeling ill-planned.
Try repainting your cabinets, choosing one colour for base units and another for wall units, for example, or one for standard units and another for an island.
Pimp your lighting
In addition to a statement pendant, try fitting recessed lighting behind, above or under cupboards. Rope lights or small spots are widely available and can be fitted discreetly to create a warm wash of light and soften the appearance of a flat bank of cabinets.
In addition to a statement pendant, try fitting recessed lighting behind, above or under cupboards. Rope lights or small spots are widely available and can be fitted discreetly to create a warm wash of light and soften the appearance of a flat bank of cabinets.
Sort your drawers
Quality, contemporary kitchens feature drawers and cabinets whose interiors have been designed as beautifully as their exteriors. Drawers with perfectly sized spaces for everything from teaspoons to whisks and pan lids make finding utensils and kitchen kit easy.
If your kitchen drawers are not fitted with bespoke storage like these, nudge them towards well-designed order by slotting good-quality cutlery trays and organisers inside.
Quality, contemporary kitchens feature drawers and cabinets whose interiors have been designed as beautifully as their exteriors. Drawers with perfectly sized spaces for everything from teaspoons to whisks and pan lids make finding utensils and kitchen kit easy.
If your kitchen drawers are not fitted with bespoke storage like these, nudge them towards well-designed order by slotting good-quality cutlery trays and organisers inside.
Style open shelves
Open shelves often feature in today’s best designed kitchens. They break up a run of units nicely, adding detail and space for display, but without careful management they can become untidy. So style any open shelving ruthlessly, keeping only the most beautiful pieces out and ensuring the items on display remain ordered, even when in daily use.
Open shelves often feature in today’s best designed kitchens. They break up a run of units nicely, adding detail and space for display, but without careful management they can become untidy. So style any open shelving ruthlessly, keeping only the most beautiful pieces out and ensuring the items on display remain ordered, even when in daily use.
Create space for appliances
Contemporary kitchens often include an appliance cupboard that contains useful daily kit, such as a coffee machine and toaster, plugged in and ready to use. This means you can store bulky appliances off the worktop, but don’t have to scrabble around in a cupboard and plug them in each time you want to use them.
Try this in your kitchen by asking an electrician to fit electrical sockets at the back of your cupboards. Add a shelf on a simple runner mechanism, so you can pull the appliances out, too.
Contemporary kitchens often include an appliance cupboard that contains useful daily kit, such as a coffee machine and toaster, plugged in and ready to use. This means you can store bulky appliances off the worktop, but don’t have to scrabble around in a cupboard and plug them in each time you want to use them.
Try this in your kitchen by asking an electrician to fit electrical sockets at the back of your cupboards. Add a shelf on a simple runner mechanism, so you can pull the appliances out, too.
Change the tap
Many clever kitchens have been designed with a spend and splurge approach to create an overall appearance of quality. This involves sourcing inexpensive cabinetry, for example, and pairing it with a single piece of designer kit that will be used and noticed every day, such as a tap.
So rather than rip out all your cabinets and start again to achieve a designer look, try fitting a new, beautiful tap that will hit the right quality note.
Read expert advice on how to choose the perfect kitchen tap
Many clever kitchens have been designed with a spend and splurge approach to create an overall appearance of quality. This involves sourcing inexpensive cabinetry, for example, and pairing it with a single piece of designer kit that will be used and noticed every day, such as a tap.
So rather than rip out all your cabinets and start again to achieve a designer look, try fitting a new, beautiful tap that will hit the right quality note.
Read expert advice on how to choose the perfect kitchen tap
Integrate your bin
Even the smartest freestanding rubbish bin will take up space and can look untidy or grubby. That’s why kitchen designers tend to plan integrated waste storage into any kitchen scheme.
If you fancy ditching your freestanding bin in favour of something built-in, mechanisms for holding waste bins are available that can be installed in the cupboard of an existing kitchen.
TELL US…
Do you have any clever tricks for giving your kitchen a design edge? Share them in the Comments below.
Even the smartest freestanding rubbish bin will take up space and can look untidy or grubby. That’s why kitchen designers tend to plan integrated waste storage into any kitchen scheme.
If you fancy ditching your freestanding bin in favour of something built-in, mechanisms for holding waste bins are available that can be installed in the cupboard of an existing kitchen.
TELL US…
Do you have any clever tricks for giving your kitchen a design edge? Share them in the Comments below.
In the kitchens of a few decades ago, worktops were littered with objects, from storage jars and knife blocks to mug trees and scales. Today, though, a well-designed kitchen is far cleaner in appearance, with very little left out on show.
Replicate this look at home by clearing the decks. Leave only what is necessary out on the worktop and store other items in cupboards. An uncluttered appearance will help your kitchen feel thought-through and contemporary.