Styles

Depending on the style of your kitchen, there are many different options.  Deciding the purpose of your new glass doors is the first step. If you are looking to display your best dishes Clear glass is ideal. Clear glass makes for the best sight lines, and will always be my first choice, however, not everyone wants to stay organized year round. Frosted or detailed glass may be better for your lifestyle. There is also stained glass, seeded, beaded, and even mirrors are used as an alternative! For now we are just going to go over a few of the basics.

 

Clear Glass

In white and gray kitchens, clear glass is an opportunity to add a splash of color. That said, it shouldn’t be your first choice if you aren’t good at staying organized, or don’t have enough storage to display some ‘show’ dishware.

 

Frosted Glass

Frosted glass is common in modern and contemporary homes. It also allows a sneak peek of the contents in your cabinets without a clear view. In other words, you can get away with having a dish or three out of place.

 

Reeded Glass

This design is created by taking a roller to the glass surface. It has a textured, wiggly, appearance. As with frosted glass, the view into your cabinetry is obscured. This style works in both contemporary and traditional homes.

 

Stained Glass

While this doesn’t work in all home types, incorporating stained or detailed glass creates a wonderful vintage/retro vibe. You can even do frosted stained glass to add even more dimension and hide your messes!

 

Glass only on your upper cabinets

If you have two rows of uppers, install glass across the top row to insert a visual break into the expanse of cabinetry. Adding glass here adds dimension to your kitchen and makes your ceilings feel larger.

Do I enjoy listening to TV?

Open concept generally leads to the family/living room. With that being the case, whether it is your children, partner, or guests, is the TV a good background noise for you? More often than not, it’ll be going while you’re in the kitchen. Definitely something to consider. 

Do you want to have everything visible all the time?

There is something to be said about privacy. You may want to hide a messy kitchen from guests or ignore the messy living room. Maybe cooking is your “me time”. There are plenty of reasons why it may be worth keeping the kitchen a bit more secluded. 

Multiple colors

One of the most iconic ways to show off that eclectic style is multiple colors! In a kitchen, that could be two toned cabinets, where maybe the island is a crazy bold color! Pair with a high pattern back splash or even use a fun wallpaper!

 

Multiple types of hardware

Another common part of an eclectic style is different types of cabinet hardware on each door. This is a really fun way to get unique pieces and show off your style! Some people pick themes, or a color pallet, but the options are endless!

 

Contrast

When I say contrast, I don’t just mean in the form of color. I also mean in styles! (for example, this is why the current trend “modern farmhouse” works so well). Other common tastes are “elegant and masculine”, “Pieces from around the world”, and “modern and traditional”. 

We aren’t all lucky enough to have a massive kitchen. There are plenty of ways to maximize the space of an inadequately sized kitchen. Here are a few tips that’ll make you realize how much space you actually have! 

Build up

If you are completely redoing your kitchen, consider extending your cabinetry upward! Extending your cabinets close to, or all the way, to the ceiling will double your storage.  The less accessible cabinet spaces are a great space for your less used formal dishware or bulk goods. 

 

Keep the space bright

The biggest mistake a homeowner can do is choose dark tones for a small space. Keep smaller kitchens with light or white woods. This will make the space feel more open and happier. 

Adding hooks, racks, or tiny shelves in the inside of your cabinet doors can almost double your storage capacity by utilizing all the vertical space. This is great for spices, mugs and towels. Take ideas from Tiny Homes. The amazing thing about tiny houses is that they incorporate every square inch of the space for storage. While your kitchen may be a bit bigger than a tiny home, it never hurts to snag a few ideas! 

Glass and mirrored cabinets

Whether open cabinets, glass, or mirrored cabinets are your cup of tea, they are all great additions to making your kitchen feel more open. The idea behind this is that it extends sight-lines. Being able to see a foot further through the back of your cabinet takes away the bulkiness of the cabinets. Mirrors will reflect light and give the illusion of much more space. 

Patterned tile

 

Patterned tile is super popular right now, but it is a style we expect to stick around for a while. Incorporating tile and floating shelves is a great way to make a kitchen more visually appealing. If you have a hard time committing, peel and stick tiles are getting to be higher quality! They look almost as good as the real thing now. Patterned tile also works great for back splashes and the back side of kitchen islands! 

Art

Art is another way to spice up a space! It is easy to forget that wall art can also work great in kitchens! Something bold and daring, featuring a bright color is the perfect way to bring interest to a space. 

Wallpaper

Wallpaper is making a comeback, but not like it used to! Not only are there super neat new wallpaper products that make it a heck of a lot easier to apply, they are also easier to remove when you decide to change your mind in a few years!

Adding an accent wall, or using the wallpaper as a back splash alternative are both great options to make a more visually interesting space!

Statement lighting

Light fixtures are a great way to make a space more interesting. Incorporating lighting that is bold, and a little off the beaten path, is the perfect way to make a space feel risky, without being too risky! 

New Cabinets

 

The first option in a home remodel, is to replace the cabinets entirely. While new cabinets are nice, and it allows you to change the layout of your kitchen, it comes at a cost. Prepare to spend the majority of your budget on cabinets alone. In the end, your kitchen will be extremely beautiful and will be more functional.

Paint current cabinets

 

Painting current cabinets is definitely an option, but not one we’d recommend. There are more cons than pros to painting. However, the biggest pro, is cheap. If you plan on spending any time in your home after doing the remodel, don’t go this route. However, if you’re just trying to freshen up the space to sell your home, it is an option. Paint chips easily, fades, nicks, and gets damaged easily. I would only paint your cabinets when looking to sell, if you have a feeling people will want to gut your kitchen within a few years of buying the home (Probably due to a weird layout). 

Stain current cabinets

 

Staining and painting will be basically the same process in a lot of ways. Take off all the doors, apply lacquer or stain, do the same to all the boxes, then once everything is dry, reinstall everything. If you love the current layout of your kitchen, and you like your cabinet doors, this is a great option! Cheap and high quality finish that will last a long time!  

Reface cabinets

Cabinet refacing is an awesome option. Within a weekend or so, you have a completely redone kitchen that looks brand new. Unlike a full kitchen cabinet remodel, the cabinet box is not destroyed when refacing your cabinets. Refacing involves replacing all cabinet doors and drawer fronts and cover existing cabinet boxes with new wood. Additions to your cabinets can easily be made and seamlessly blended in as well. 

Update your countertop. 

While stone countertops are the most durable, there are many cheaper temporary options to update a countertop until you are ready for a full remodel.  Some temporary options include countertop paint and epoxy kits.

Backsplash.

Backsplashes can really add a good amount of pizzazz to a kitchen! Whether you want to go all out, or go a cheaper route such as peel and stick, or wallpaper, it is no doubt that your kitchen will feel as good as new!

New hardware. 

Even if your cabinets feel warn out, sometimes all it takes is some new handles to take it from shabby to shabby chic.

New lighting.

Another way to make a bold statement is to update lights! New lighting can go a long way to change the look and feel of a kitchen. 

Change faucet.

Updating a faucet is as bold as getting a new fridge these days. Not only can you get a much higher end faucet with fancy technology, but you can get one in maybe a matte black? A bold faucet can do wonders!

Reface cabinets.

Cabinet refacing in a great way to remodel a kitchen! If you love the layout, and your boxes are still in great shape, there is no reason not to!

Bold cabinet color

While this may be a trend that doesn’t last too long, (Anything bold will definitely age more poorly than safer, neutral, options) colorful cabinets are the most trending option for cabinet color for the last six months or so.

Colorful cabinets are eye catching and can definitely make a statement! A way to keep up with this style and not regret it in a few years is to do two-toned cabinets. Making just the lower cabinets or a kitchen island more bold.

Open shelving

This is a trend that isn’t going anywhere any time soon! Open shelving is a great way to keep a “lived in” look while still looking like you have some order. Open shelving can either be a weekend DIY project or something you can get professionally done when remodeling. Either way, it’s a look we expect to stick around through 2020 and beyond.

Cabinets with clean lines

Transitional kitchen cabinets have clean lines that fall just short of modern. Pair these doors with sleek hardware to complete the look.

 

Natural materials

In a transitional kitchen, it is important to use natural materials such as granite, marble and natural wood floors. Keep the countertop edges clean to keep it just a bit modern.

 

Neutral colors

Another important part is keeping colors neutral. Too bold of colors turns the kitchen eclectic or modern. While both are great styles, they don’t be great for resale and don’t stand the test of time. 

Clean your deck/patio 

 This is something that ideally should be done every year, however, it can be a hefty task that can be put on the back burner. Once it starts raining, any gunk and dirt that settled over spring and summer can get extremely slick. Not only will your deck deteriorate quicker, it is a safety hazard. Cleaning and resealing your deck will not only keep your family safe, it will save you money in the long run.

 

Chimney and furnace inspected

This is something that can be a real life saver in case of emergencies and every day use. If your chimney hasn’t been cleaned for a while, it is a real safety hazard.  On top of it, if there is a power outage on a cold night, if you can’t use your fireplace, you’re going to have to rough it in a freezing house.

Hang heavier window treatments

This isn’t just for aesthetics! Heavier window treatments do a great job of holding in heat. To help save on your energy bill this Fall, install or swap out those airy sheer curtains for something a bit thicker.

Add weather stripping

This can also be a great way to help on costs this fall. Adding or replacing old weather stripping around drafty windows will be a huge lifesaver this Fall. 

 

Set up homework/project station

With school back in session, it’s best to encourage a healthy learning environment! Setting up a desk or table with sight lines to the kitchen or living room will help keep your family close. Plus, this is much better than messy projects being spread across the whole dining table!

Inspect roof and gutters

Before the rain starts coming down regularly, it’s important to get many major debris out of the way. While the leaves haven’t started falling yet, it’s important keep it clear, so cleaning out any leaves within the next few months will be a breeze. If you haven’t already, consider gutter guards, they can save you a lot of effort later!