Tips and Tricks: Kitchen update

The kitchen is often at the centre of the home: It’s where friends linger over coffee on long afternoons, where the family gathers to discuss their days, and where the focus remains on appreciating one another’s company. Consequently, it’s an area particularly worth devoting attention to when it comes to refreshing your interior design, ensuring the kitchen remains an inviting hub for all to enjoy. To renovate yours, apply a few of these simple tips and tricks.

Create Space

Introducing an island into your kitchen is an attractive way to maximise space while acting as a natural point for guests to gather around. It could be used for intelligent, stylish storage, with a decorative hanging rack for cooking utensils above head height. Alternatively, you may wish to add to the kitchen’s social appeal with a retro breakfast bar, complete with high stools, to make the most of the mornings before work and school.

Be Ergonomic

Your kitchen should be adapted to suit your lifestyle, so when you’re redesigning ensure that the layout fits around your use of the space. The dishwasher, for example, should be beside the cutlery and crockery cupboards for ease of unloading. Installing ovens and microwaves at shoulder height will streamline cooking and keep hot doors out of reach of children, making time spent in the kitchen as relaxing as possible.

Design in Focus

Altering the focal point of your kitchen is an easy way to refresh its design, and often simply requires just one alteration. This could mean choosing a new range cooker, such as an AGA, in a distinctive shade like deep cerise or pale violet. A grand chandelier hung over the dining area draws the eye, while removing cupboard doors in favour of shelving gives the space an energetic, open feel. Placing decorative plates or sculptural ornaments along the shelving will help to elevate its functional appearance. 

Focus on Small Details

Replacing the backsplash may seem like a relatively insignificant change, but a well-judged update can alter the feeling of the room. Stone tiles emphasise the rustic qualities of farmhouse-style kitchens, while more minimalist spaces benefit from brightening mosaic tiling, in hues such as forest green or cerulean blue. Backsplashes composed of white gloss tiling work well in kitchens with limited natural light, inviting a certain breeziness into the room.

Add a Display

Sourcing a statement piece of furniture, such as a large cabinet in modern ash or traditional mahogany, will create considerable impact in the kitchen. They’re also an ideal way to house your finest crockery and glassware while keeping them on display; simply look for one with some open shelving. To create synergy in your kitchen’s design, display possessions that echo other touches throughout the room, whether it’s the shade of your china matching your chairs’ upholstery, or your cut-glass tumblers complementing a cut-glass vase. 

If you’re searching for your ideal home and kitchen, visit the Engel & Völkers website today. Our high-end properties feature a considerable range of kitchen styles, making it easy to discover one to suit your tastes. To start your journey, speak to our expert agents at one of our offices in 39 countries worldwide. From international real estate agents to the best online estate agents, Engel & Völkers is dedicated to help you in the search for residential properties.