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Designer's Touch: The Kitchen
Give your kitchen that design-pro look with these 10 tips from an interior design expert
Houzz Contributor. Shane Inman is president and senior principal interior designer of The Inman Company. After earning a B.A. in interior design from Michigan State University, he started his career specializing in custom kitchen and bath design. He is a certified interior designer by the National Council for Interior Design Qualification (NCIDQ), a certified kitchen designer by the National Kitchen and Bath Association (NKBA) and also holds the highest-ranking memberships with the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID) and the International Interior Design Association (IIDA).
Houzz Contributor. Shane Inman is president and senior principal interior... More »
Kitchens are often now the most used space in the home, meaning they require special attention. If you're feeling like your kitchen lacks that extra something, try these behind-the-scenes designer tips to bring your kitchen to life with great style.
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1. Show off. If you have a distinctive collection, use it to take your kitchen to new heights. For a modern take on old-world style, remove your upper cabinetry and install open shelving in any material. Your collectibles are now prepared to strut their stuff.
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2. Take it to the top. In some spectacular kitchens, the wall cabinets meet the ceiling. If yours don't, you can add wood with crown molding to achieve a heightened elegance.
| 3. Let there be light. If your ceiling-mounted light fixture is standard, add some sparkling character by swapping in a chandelier or shaded pendant. |
| 4. Let flow meet function. If your kitchen is feeling closed off, replace any upper-cabinet wood doors with glass to provide an open and visual transition from one room to the next. |
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| 5. Deck the walls. Apply your favorite wall covering to your kitchen walls for fascinating flair. Make sure the one you choose is durable and washable — you'll thank yourself on spaghetti night. |
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| 6. Keep an open mind. Remove your upper cabinet doors for quaint cottage appeal and add your most colorful dishware for a picture-perfect effect. |
| 7. Make your ceiling magic. White ceilings can be lackluster. Easily transform yours into a coffer-inspired masterpiece by installing wood in your favorite pattern and painting it white. |
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8. Tell a color story. Whether you're beginning a story or rewriting one, use color to make a splash. Transform your kitchen into a best seller by painting just the island a hip and catchy color. Don't want to stop there? Paint the same color inside your glass upper cabinets. Now that's a book that can be judged by its cover.
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| 9. Create wall art. Use your favorite tile to create a stunning backsplash installed from countertop to ceiling as your own personal touch of art. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, so get creative. |
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| 10. Write on the wall. Can't find pen and paper to write a chores or grocery list? Slather an entire wall with chalkboard paint and never forget again. More: How to Remodel Your Kitchen Dream Kitchen Must-Haves 23 Inspiring Real-Life Kitchens |
Ideabook published on March 12, 2012.
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Kitchen 2 is beautiful and classic but get rid of that ugly soffit and purchase some taller cabinets. Everyone is ripping out ugly soffits and adding taller cabinets so why on earth would you add a soffit instead of more storage?
Kitchen 3 a chandelier is a cleaning nightmare, every single crystal must be removed and hand washed and dried. It will always look dusty and grimy unless you clean it every week. I know I had one and soon grew to hate it. I don't know about you but I would rather spend my time with friends and family rather than cleaning.
Kitchen 4 has the upper glass cabinets to see into dining room next to two doorways this just seems silly, you will have to bend down to chat with someone through the opening. A better solution would be to close off the two doorways into the kitchen and replace with a larger opening where the counter and upper glass cabinets are and then put the class cabinets on either side of the closed doorways.
Kitchen 5 has the wallpaper on the working area of the kitchen that you will soon grow very tired of and then face the nightmare of scrapping it off. A better solution would be to continue the marble all the way up to the ceiling or add white subway tiles all the way up to the ceiling. Doing so would make the kitchen classic, easy to clean and you would not get tired of it so soon. For a splash of pattern add colorful dishtowels, a colorful rug in front of the sink. or pin wallpaper to the back of glass front cabinets that way it is easy to change out. I would also replace the cleaning nightmare of a chandelier with a simple glass pendant with a mix of colors and patterns.
Kitchen 6 same problem with open cabinets as kitchen 1.
Kitchen 7 Chandlier hats will collect dust, grease and require constant maintenance and replacement change it out for something more original and easy to clean.