Your Kitchen: The Ultimate Dance Floor

As the weather is getting warmer and activities have moved outdoors you may think your kitchen is going to get a rest from constant company. However, we all know that your kitchen is where everyone ultimately ends up.

Your kitchen floor sees it all. Dirty shoes, dirty feet, dirty paws…a lot of dirt and hopefully a little dancing.

When choosing your kitchen floor many factors need to be taken into consideration. Three of those factors are:

-Style/Color

-Material

-Price

Your floors need to match your overall style. Light flooring can draw your eye upward to those beautiful kitchen cabinets you had custom made but light flooring gets dirty a lot quicker than a dark floor. When thinking about choosing a lighter flooring look into a natural stone or tile which is easy to clean. A dark wood floor will draw a lot of attention downward which may be intentional. Your cherry oak floors deserve attention but they may draw your eyes away from your lovely granite countertops. Whatever you choose, match your style but durability and clean-ability are just as important.

The material you choose will be influenced greatly by your style but also keep in mind that your kitchen floor will experience a lot of wear and tear. For those of you who don’t want concrete kitchen floors here are some other durable alternatives:

  • Natural Stone (such as travertine)
  • Tile
  • Hardwood or Engineered Hardwood

The third, and for some of you, most important factor when making these decisions is price. The most important thing is to do your research. Sometimes you get what you pay for so paying extra, especially when it comes to flooring may mean you are getting more value. Try finding your ideal flooring, if it’s out of your price range talk to the flooring company about a similar, less expensive alternative.

Overall, your kitchen is a gathering place whether you want it to be or not so you might as well create a kitchen space that can sustain a little more wear and tear than you plan for.

 

 

 

Choosing the Perfect Backsplash for your Kitchen

Finding the right backsplash can be tricky. Your decision will ultimately come down to preference but hopefully these tips will help you come to a decision on the perfect backsplash for you.

You can match.

Use the same material as your countertop. Have it cut into tiles to create different patterns. This will create a visually seamless look between your countertop and backsplash. If you have ornate cabinets this may be the way to go by drawing the eye from the countertops up to the cabinets.

You can compliment.

Take a color from you countertop and purchase a tile with complimentary and neutral colors. Don’t be afraid to mix mediums. Pick a mosaic that has glass and ceramic tiles. Another option would be to to use the same color backsplash as your countertop but buy a backsplash with texture. Mix it up to create a visually appealing, ornate kitchen.

You can create.

Believe it or not, you may want to even consider choosing a wallpaper or ornate mosaic to use as a backsplash in your kitchen. If you have a more monochromatic color palette with your cabinets and countertops, don’t be afraid to show some personality with a textured wallpaper or vibrant mosaic.

Your backsplash is an essential part in your kitchen. By spending some time deciphering what environment you want to create in  your kitchen, the backsplash you choose can be a final touch that pulls your ideas together! Don’t be afraid to do your research and choose a backsplash that fits your style and personality.

How To Pick Your Kitchen Cabinets

From door styles, hardware, material, and color your kitchen cabinets have the ability to add functionality and style. With so many choices it may be hard to narrow down your options but hopefully this can be a guide to get you headed in the right direction.

Let’s talk about door styles.

The Shaker: The shaker is a five piece flat style panel with a frame made with four other pieces. This is one of the most popular styles for kitchens today. Shaker cabinets provide simplicity and elegance. They are also easy to stain and paint.

Flat: Flat cabinets are completely flat. This lends to even further simplicity than the shaker style and can show off that amazing hardware you chose for your cabinets.

Inset: It is called an inset door because the cabinet door sits inside the frame. Although more costly than other options, it is the classic cabinet that will never go out of style.

Thermofoil: Molded out of MDF, wrapped in plastic, and baked under intense heat to create a perfect seal these cabinets are a cost effective way to get the style you want.

Many, many more door styles exist. Check out this link on Houzz.com.

Cabinet hardware.

If you are a hardware fanatic, I suggest choosing the hardware first and finding a cabinet that will compliment your chosen hardware. If you are more about cabinet style, choose the cabinets first and find a hardware that accentuates the cabinets.

Knobs, pulls, antique finishes, exposed screws, the list goes on and on. Follow this link to get some ideas!

Material and Color.

Not only do you have to choose your door style and hardware. You now have the task of decided what material and color for your kitchen cabinets.

If you’re choosing a color besides white, shaker or flat panel might be the way to go. With the simplicity of the style, the color will not overpower your whole kitchen. The current fad is to go with a white cabinet. Beautiful, simple, and maybe hard to keep clean, white cabinets look great in almost any style.

If using a natural stain or wood, all style would still look great but inset cabinets or something more ornate in style would show off that beautiful wood you chose!

For some great ideas and photos check out this link!

We would love to help you through the process of choosing your kitchen cabinets! If anything, hopefully this article gets you thinking about the endless possibilities of kitchen cabinets and get you started in the right direction. Happy cabinet hunting!