First, let me wish a happy new year for you, dear reader! And now, I think it’s time for the ‘obligatory’ trends post, as the new year starts – we all need to start from somewhere, don’t we?

You usually build your kitchen to last for quite a few years, however if you’re like me, you also try to get inspiration from several sources and keep on top of the latest and greatest. Trends in kitchen design are sometimes considered temporary fads, appearing one day, passing the next. However, if you look deeper, there are trends that are consistent, quite some of them are here to stay.

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When you want to re-decorate your kitchen, first one tends to think the improvement of the kitchen in terms of big-ticket things such as new appliances, like replacing the old oven, a new refrigerator, or painting the walls, installing some extra cabinets (not always a good idea!) and more. However, we very rarely think changing the lighting of the kitchen – but it is an equally important feature! Lights can not just light up (ehmm..) your kitchen, but change the style, the mood, and even the colors!

When talking about kitchen lighting, several factors come into play: lighting should properly illuminate the room, but it should not be so bright that it hurts the eyes. Kitchen lighting should be installed in a way than every corner receives optimal light, and work can be done without straining the eyes.

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Don’t like modern? Rustic is not something you’re cut out for? No way to go minimal, but you want classy?

Contemporary kitchens embody classic style and modern appeal at the same time. In a good contemporary kitchen you can find the balance between a crisp, fresh kitchen design and something that is safer, more appealing to the public (apparently, resale value is something lot of people consider when investing to a kitchen) Continue reading →

Kitchens – unless they are at the very heart of your home – are sometimes forgotten when you decorate your home for christmas. Despite, kitchens do worth and deserve decoration: I’ve collected a bunch of photos for you.

Red and silver – these are two of the most popular colors in the festive season. Here is some inspiration for those not yet fully decided on this year’s decor.

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Open shelves seem to be a growing trend in kitchens. Despite the desire for clarity and minimalistic space in modern kitchens, open shelves manage to escape this trend.

Open shelves add an offhand, casual note to an otherwise sterile kichen and keep essentials within easy reach at the same time.

Open shelves are not easy to manage though. Here are a few tips to keep them tidy:

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Pot racks are used to be part of every kitchen. Do they have a place in a modern one?

There’s something unusual about pot racks in a kitchen. They probably went out of fashion quite a while ago (at least regarding ‘mainstream’ kitchens) However, many modern kitchens I see in catalogs often seem sterile and you’d never know whether anyone did ever cook anything there. But whenever I see a kitchen with a pot rack, it suggests to me that this is a real kitchen…where people cook, eat, gather. It makes the kitchen space feel used, living, sizzling with fresh food. Pot racks are a beautiful way to showcase your cookware, especially if you have a beautiful collection. And besides being a decorative element, pot racks are also quite functional.

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Did you ever wonder how some kitchens look like they belong on the pages of a glossy mag or in one of those lifestyle TV shows? Most of the times the simple reason is that they use lighting effectively. And that’s about it. Kitchen lighting design is key.

Well planned lighting can turn even the most drab space into a chic interior, and similarly, poor lighting can completely ruin even the most stylish decor. So I feel it’s quite astonishing how many kitchens rely totally on ambient (mostly overhead) lighting. Sure, you can go to the other extreme and illuminate your kitchen entirely with decorative lighting – as pretty as using candles – cosy if somewhat dim. Plus look out for your fingers when trying to chop something.

An important feature of all good kitchen lighting schemes is the use of numerous light sources. Kitchens are fundamentally work areas and require task lighting which typically needs to be placed between you and the items you are working with. If the main lighting in the room is located in the middle of the ceiling then you will find yourself working in your own shadow.

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Welcome back, I wish you all the best!

Now that my kitchen is ready, it’s time to share a few things I’ve learned along the way… So, let’s see what I’ve heard from professionals as well as what are the things I’ve learned the hard way….

1. I can add that easily later, no problem.

Sure, but only if you leave space for that microwave, built-in coffee machine or whatever. Now there’s an issue: there will be a gaping void in your kitchen until you add the new piece of equipment. Sure, you can buy an extra cabinet door to cover it… But don’t forget, temporary solutions tend to become final ones – and as long as temporary things go, they are not the best. So look out.

Designers say it’s best to add features to your new kitchen during, not after, renovation (or building). Even if you’re not sure whether you’ll use a something, prepare for its future installation by running cable and electrical lines. For example, one day, you, your growing kids, or a future homeowner may want a flat-screen television or a home-monitoring screen in the kitchen. Or, you may someday need more outlets on your counters and island. Be sure to have the right cables for electricity – that new washing machine or electric oven needs beefier cables than a hand-mixer..

2. I won’t have any clutter in my new kitchen.

Yes, sure, you don’t need that extra storage, do you? I bet you do! I’m always short of storage and I bet you’re the same, except for that guy living in a warehouse. Sure, it’s not always good to have lots of stuff in a crowded pantry (and the things on the bottom of the heap won’t be used up ever) but always plan for more storage than you think you’ll need. You’ll be thankful to yourself at the end.

Sure, storage units are not the best-looking of the kitchen-furniture herd, but you need a balance between function and style. (or that warehouse…)

3. Bigger is always better.

So the bigger the better, you think. If you just got that greeeeeat big kitchen, prepare for one thing: first you’ll be tired, next you’ll be fit. Because of all that walking, that is.

My designer friend says this is a typical mistake and homeowners have to live with for a long time, since kitchen renovations are done only once every 10 years or so. The solution, some say, is to install two sets of kitchen appliances, essentially having two work triangles into the kitchen area. But you still have to walk…

4. Yes, it will fit. I need it, you know.

New flat, new kitchen. Finally, you can put all your dreams into it. All the things you’ve seen in magazines, that gorgeous island, that fine range and all bells and whistles.

Don’t try to do what’s popular without any thought to whether it would work or not in the space… As opposed to the issues of a great spaces, there are issues with smaller ones as well – you need good organisation and keep an eye on not overstuffing it.

Sorry, you cannot always have an island or that great L-shaped worktop. In smaller spaces it’s better to put in quality – in cabinets, appliances, design – you’ll especially appreciate a good designer helping you think through all aspects on how you best utilise the space you got.

5. I want that kitchen from the magazine

It’s tempting to follow the latest trends, but it’s better to be practical. Do you need that hi-gloss finish with your small kids? (how will it look like in a month’s time?) Will you still love antique cabinets in 10 years? Will that funny red-yellow kitchen featured in the magazine really work in your house?

Always try to keep things – colors, materials, moods – in sync throughout your home – it feels so much better when you arrive. Don’t get carried away and plan before you do anything – remember, changing anything later will definitely cost more.

Finally, moving home is completed, new kitchen galore! Back to this blog, finally.

(You only realise how much time you spent in stores, with contractors et al looking back after you’ve completed the project. Ah, bollocks, it’s never completed

Today’s theme is colors again. Interior designers, painters, etc and probably you all use color swatches (those little stacks of colored papers) when trying to find “your real colours”. Colors here are usually presented linearly, one after another, in the order they are on a color wheel.

The color wheel can be a very useful tool for you: it not just shows the colors, but also help you find contrasting or complementary colors if you know how to use it.

But what do you do if you don’t have the time, or decide that the color wheel is simply not for you? If you use the net (ehh… reading this, I presume you do you can find inspiration in every corner.

Today I’d like to show you three sites full of color and inspiration.

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