4 Design Tips From the Professionals
Posted by KraftMaid on 29th Jun 2011
Undertaking a design job – whether it’s remodeling an existing space, expanding to incorporate more room, or starting from the ground up, can be a daunting task. You want your new space to function well for your needs, accommodate your lifestyle, and reflect your personal design style. But how do you make the beautiful space you’ve been dreaming of become a reality? Here are some tips from our designers to get you started.
1: Make A Plan
Decide how your room will be used.
For the kitchen:
- How many people are in your family?
- What activities will take place other than cooking?
- Do you need an area for family scheduling, bill paying, homework, or gaming?
- Do you work at home? (Who doesn’t, these days!)
For the bathroom:
- Does your bathroom need to be an efficient, organized place where you start your day?
- Or a relaxing retreat where you de-stress after work? Or both?
Understanding how your room needs to function to support your lifestyle will help guide your choices for product features, storage options, material selection, and plan layout.
2: Shop For Style Ideas
There are lots of ways to define style, but how do you find the one that describes your look? Take a tip from designers: create a scrapbook or binder full of magazine clippings; fabric, paint and material samples; and photos of design that catch your eye. The KraftMaid Idea Book is filled with beautiful photographs to inspire you.
3: Create a Focal Point
Every room needs a focal point that commands attention as soon as
you walk into the room. Other features in the room should support
and complement the focal point, not compete with it.
Cabinetry in Cherry Burnished Autumn Blush highlights and draws attention to a lovely bathroom window; the unique ceiling shape and tall windows set the tone for a modern kitchen in Maple Willow and Cherry Cinnamon; and the features of a fireplace are elegantly framed out in Cherry Burnished Ginger.
The cooking hearth area with its distinctive decorative hood and lighted glass front cabinets in Cherry Kaffe is the undeniable focal point of this kitchen – much like the fireplace was many years ago; cabinetry and components in Cherry Vintage Willow can be used to create a table, credenza or kitchen island; a beautiful collection is showcased in the centerpiece of this room, a hutch in Cherry Vintage Onyx.
4: Add Some Personality
What’s the difference between a beautifully designed room, and one that really shines? Designers know the secret: infusing it with the personality of the owner makes a room lively, interesting, inviting and warm.
Use large, oversize objects for bigger visual impact; create groupings with smaller items that have a common shape, color or theme.
Add personality to your backsplash by incorporating several beautiful glass, metal, or unusual handmade tiles in a field of less expensive ones.
The art on your walls should be meaningful and personal. Instead of shopping for bland home store canvases, look at things you love, or already own to see how they can be adapted to personalize your walls.
- A favorite photograph can be blown up and divided in quarters to hang as a grouping.
- Display a beautiful textile on a canvas stretcher.
- Reframe a piece of art from another room with a wider mat and molding, and hang it in your new space for a fresh perspective.
The first step can be the hardest step when planning a space, so do some exploring. A better understanding at the outset of what you want and need from your kitchen results in a more personalized and fulfilling final product.