One of our favorite product lines is Wellborn Cabinets (here’s why) and we frequently make use of the Wellborn website as part of the design and specification process. In addition to being a great place for useful information, the website has a photo gallery that is great for inspiration.
It’s amazing just how many design ideas you can get from one picture when you really look at it. Take this picture for example:
This picture is full of ideas! I’m not sure where to start! Let’s go from the floor and head up!
1. Wood Floors in the Kitchen! – Nothing earth shattering here, but it’s really common to hear suggestions that you can’t or shouldn’t use wood floors in the kitchen. That’s really not true. Sure, wood is more susceptible to water damage than tile, but it takes a relatively substantial amount of water to do real damage. Wood also has a number of advantages such as being softer to walk/stand on, easier to repair, and the ability to be refinished and made new again!
2. Stainless Bar Style Pulls – The look of this kitchen overall is heavily influenced by the hardware. Just imagine this same kitchen with simple knobs. This hardware works in tandem with other stainless steel elements against the dark wood to really create a clean, urban look.
3. Varied Counter Surfaces – Speaking of stainless, the use of stainless counters on the island in conjunction with natural stone on the main counter surfaces is a great design touch. You can get a similar effect by using more than one color of granite or even laminate.
4. Interesting & Mysterious Wall Splash – The wall between the upper and lower cabinets brings in a cool design element with a pattern that brings tree branches to mind. (or marble veining depending on how you look at it) Something like this can be done with faux paint, natural stone, or wallpaper. It’s always nice to add some interest to your design with something that makes visitors ask a question such as “Is that marble?”
5. Glass Door Cabinets Above – Depending on your ceiling height, many kitchen designs include an open space above the upper cabinets. This space can be a great design element when used as a shelf, or it can be closed in completely. But the option shown here is a very beautiful one to consider. Glass door cabinets can be used as a place for storing items you want to display, but don’t want to have to always be dusting and they look great!
6. Smooth Semi-Gloss Ceilings – Paint finishes, colors, and trends are really a matter of personal preference. High gloss paint is hot right now, and in this kitchen, the semi-gloss looks good without going for the full mirror-like finish. Paint with a little sheen to it works well in kitchens from a practical perspective too because it’s easy to clean. Just remember that the shinier the surface will be, the more perfect the drywall work has to be, and that usually increases the cost a bit.
Of course we could go on. A whole post could be written about the appliances alone! But the general idea is just that it’s worth the time and effort to look through pictures wherever you can find them. Even if, at first glance, a style isn’t for you, there may be a tiny jewel of an idea perfect for your kitchen.
