Styling Your Kitchen

10/11/11

We’re excited to have our first contribution from stylist, Pippa Jameson, who will be providing advice and tips to help you style your kitchen. In her first post, Pippa will provide some general points to consider and we'll then take a look at specifc lifestyles.

Choosing the right kitchen for your lifestyle

Kitchens today, tend to be the largest room in the home and are often where we invest the most money when it comes to design and decor in order to achieve our dream space. For this reason, if you are upgrading your kitchen, it is essential to plan the process carefully. There are many elements to consider, all of which are dictated by your lifestyle.

Some points to consider

Budget

Start with the essentials - make a list of everything you absolutely need for your new kitchen. Be sure not to overlook things such as the removal and disposal of your old kitchen and contractor’s fees including builders, electricians and plumbers. I would also recommend adding on 20% contingency for unforeseen costs.

What do you want from your kitchen?

This is your chance to make a dream wish list of all the things you would like from your new kitchen. I love to get design tips from glossy magazines but recently I’ve been spending a lot of time browsing the ‘home decor’ boards on http://pinterest.com. Here you can find amazing images that people from all over the world have found inspirational. It’s a never ending source of beautiful things to excite your passion for design. Before you get carried away with all the things you love, I’d also recommend making a list of your dislikes – this is an integral part of the planning process and can help your kitchen specialist to understand what you really want.

Good advice

Be sure to make use of the online design-systems that are on offer as well as online interior style advice, as this can save you from making expensive mistakes.

Layout

Once you build a picture of how much time you spend in your kitchen and what you want to achieve from your new design, the best layout for you should start to become clear. You’ll soon begin to get a feel for whether you will suit island cooking or a traditional ‘triangle’ layout, perhaps a galley style is for you, or you may be more of an open-plan entertaining type. You may be restricted based on the shape of the room but most kitchens can generally be designed to accommodate an awkward space and there is a wealth of ingenious storage options available to make the most of the room you have.