DESIGN TO ELEVATE — 6 Beautiful and Functional Elements of a Luxury Kitchen

Kitchen design is ever-evolving and so is the way we are embracing the functional elements in our kitchens and making them beautiful! Whether you are building your dream home or renovating your existing kitchen, these six features will absolutely bring your kitchen design to the next level…

1. Custom Cabinetry With All The Bells And Whistles

There are many benefits when it comes to choosing custom cabinetry. Some of the major benefits include; endless design possibilities, durability, quality of materials and craftsmanship. With custom cabinetry you aren’t limited to the sizes, colors, materials, door styles etc. that the are offered by the manufacturer, making it an ideal choice for a luxury kitchen. You can choose any specialty design details, configurations, wood species or finish you envision to make your kitchen design completely your own.

When you choose stock cabinets, you are limited to standard sizes, which can leave gaps with unattractive fillers to cover the empty wasted spaces. I don’t know how you feel, but wasted space is a big pet peeve of mine!

Integrated appliances are one of the many options you have, with custom cabinetry. Your refrigerator can be “built-in” or completely hidden behind custom cabinet doors. Have you ever walked into a spacious kitchen and wondered, "Okay, where's the refrigerator?" With integrated appliances, you'll never see the hinges, and the appliance panel will be flush with all other panels in the kitchen.

Details are especially important when it comes to the design of any specialty features such as your kitchen island or beverage center. Custom cabinets are a bigger investment, but they will stand the test of time, give you the most opportunity for a unique design, and help to maximize every inch of space you have.

2. Eye-Catching Range Hoods

One of the things that amazes me about design is its ability to take a strictly functional element (like a range hood) and transform it into something beautiful - making it the focal point of the space. No more bulky, stainless steel hood detracting from the aesthetic of the kitchen? Yes, I'll take some of that, please!

We are getting more and more creative with how we choose to hide the functional components of our kitchen’s ventilation. The hood is taking on many unique shapes and forms, as well as materials such as: brass, plaster, stone, and even fluted wood. I’m excited to explore more of these ideas on future kitchen renovation projects!

3. High-End + Large Scale Appliances

Kitchen technology has come a long way and is constantly evolving. Multi-functional and energy efficient appliances, refrigerators that keep your food fresher longer, can save time and help improve how we work in our kitchens.

A large-scale refrigerator, oversize range and dual ovens can be a game changer for families who love to cook and entertain. Sub-Zero, Wolf, and Cove are a few of our go-to high end appliance brands.

If you plan to integrate your refrigerator or dishwasher into your cabinetry, you'll need to make panel-ready appliances a line item in your interior design budget. Our favorite line of panel-ready appliances comes from Miele, a German brand that is over a century old. They know what they're doing, and we love installing their products in our clients' kitchens.

4. Plumbing Fixtures in All Their Glory

From unlacquered brass faucets to fireclay apron sinks…there are so many beautiful high quality fixture options for a luxury kitchen. Along with cabinet pulls and knobs, the faucet can be considered the jewelry of the kitchen. A high quality faucet is a must for any luxury kitchen, and you don’t want to skimp on this functional feature. You’ll need to decide if you want a semi-professional, single handle or bridge faucet with touchless, pull-down or sidespray functions.

Additional plumbing accessories are often added to a luxury kitchen as well. An insta-hot spigot or filtered water faucet can add another level of convenience to your kitchen. And we can’t forget the pot filler, which is now expected in a high-end kitchen.

When selecting a sink, you’ll need to decide on a single basin, double base, under-mount or apron front. We often install multiple sinks when we design a luxury kitchen. An additional small prep sink or bar sink allows two people to work in the kitchen together, or a single person can use the main sink without the interference of others washing their hands or getting a glass of water. Sometimes even a third sink is requested in the butler’s pantry or at the cocktail bar.

5. Dual Islands

The kitchen island has become the feature of the kitchen and is taking on a bolder look. We're seeing more creative design details, specialty lighting and rich, colorful tones in islands. This is a place to have fun and show your personal style.

So, what could be better than one kitchen island…two kitchen islands! We just can’t seem to get enough of this highly functional kitchen feature. If you have the space (and the budget), why not install two beautiful islands in your kitchen. Use one to prepare and serve food, and the other to gather, pull up a stool and eat.

This is an especially desirable feature for families who entertain often. Often the main island gets used as a serving buffet and the kids gather around the secondary island to eat, while the adults sit at the dining table.

6. Statement Lighting

Statement lighting can completely elevate the design of your kitchen. Pendant lights over the island have quickly become a dynamic way to set your kitchen apart from the rest. It’s also a way to tie all elements together in the space.

Aside from the more common pendant lights over the island, we are using decorative accent lighting as a feature in kitchens more and more. Wall sconces can add a soft, inviting ambient light and can be extremely functional when placed over a window, or above open shelves.

Proper lighting can improve the way you experience a space. When using a variety of light sources, you not only have the ability to customize the look of your kitchen, you have the flexibility to change the mood of the room by adjusting light levels.

Every detail makes a world of difference in the design of your luxury kitchen. Including these design elements in your home will help to create the beautiful and functional kitchen of your dreams.

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To Your Dreams,

Reanna

6 Beautiful and Functional Elements of a Luxury Kitchen