Cabinet Decorative Style Trends

The latest data collected from kitchen and bath trade organizations shows a striking shift from traditional decorative designs in the kitchen to a transitional style. Homeowners no longer feel themselves bound to adhere to a specific period decorative style but are enjoying blending old and new designs to create their own uniquely personal style.

Cabinet styles reflect this transitional trend. Cabinets with clean lines and streamlined forms are no longer confined to modern materials like stainless steel or high-gloss enamel. In fact, the most popular cabinets in the contemporary style are crafted in traditional wood, which remains the favorite material in all kitchen cabinets. A sleek expanse of wood cabinets provides a dramatic backdrop to today’s high-tech modern appliances.

A New Take on Old Favorites

There’s a new twist in cabinetry with traditional decorative ornamentation too. Although dark natural finishes remain the most popular option, cabinets with a distressed look are increasingly in demand as well, as are cabinets with glass doors. It’s evident that the popularity of the Old World style is still being celebrated in the room known as the heart of the home. Distressed, whitewashed and glazed finishes give a kitchen a sense of history without adhering to any particular historic style.

Cabinets constructed in traditional styles that hide modern appliances offer stylish options as well. Known as “appliance integration,” this approach puts cabinet fronts on appliances like refrigerators and dishwashers to make the entire room look less like restaurant kitchen and more like a livable space. Although people increasingly want top-of-the-line features like warming and cooling bins, trash compactors and pull-out waste cans, they want the amenities to blend in seamlessly with the surrounding cabinetry.

Artfully Functional Storage Solutions

When it comes to function, the best cabinets are organization wonders, providing easy access for frequently used items as well as storage for ungainly objects like oversized pots and pans. In addition to built-in compartments designed specifically for everyday kitchen items, great cabinets feature artful operation as well. Equipped with self-closing undermount slides, drawers open and close at the lightest touch. Small appliances swing out and up of bottom cabinets. Pull-down shelves make accessing items on upper cabinets easy.

When it comes to great cabinet design, contractors and manufacturers haven’t forgotten that function is as important as form. Today, you can enjoy cabinets in your kitchen that make your life at home more convenient and that are so beautiful that they’ll elevate the style of your entire home.

Treat with Care

Your appliances may be made of stainless steel and seem sturdy, but they still need to be treated with care. Slamming doors shut wears out the hinges, and children who like to hang on the doors will speed up the destruction. Open doors softly, close them softly and avoid dropping items on the shelves or racks. Find a wide selection of affordable kitchen appliances.

Keep Clean

This one is more important that you might think. The gunk around your refrigerator door makes it harder for the seal to connect, and that causes the system to strain to cool. A collection of food around the dishwasher seal has the same effect. More importantly, there are often vents that have to be cleaned. Look at the bottom of your refrigerator. Those grooves are actually vents and they should be vacuumed every few months. Pull your refrigerator out away from the wall twice a year to vacuum the vents behind it. Your microwave oven also has vents along the top, sides or bottom that should be kept free of dust, dirt and piles of mail.

Eliminate Clutter

Stuffing the refrigerator with food makes it hard for air to circulate. It causes the compressor to strain, and that shortens the life of your unit. Eliminate old food as soon as possible to keep the clutter in the refrigerator down. Try to leave a little space between items for better air circulation and cooling.

The microwave also falls victim to clutter on top of and around it. The vents on the microwave are important, and blocking them with papers or mail will cause it to fail sooner rather than later. In the dishwasher, look around the bottom regularly for old bits of food that are sitting and rotting. These are impacting your dishwasher’s ability to clean dishes, so they should be cleaned away.

Special Tips to Follow

Your dishwasher lines can become clogged from hard water. Once every few months, run the machine empty with white vinegar in the soap dispenser instead of soap. This will clean the lines and the interior of your machine. Never cover the drip pans with foil for easy cleaning because this can short-circuit the burners. If the drip pans are too dirty to clean, you can buy a new set for less than $20.

Finally, make sure that your appliances are plugged in directly to the wall. Plugging them into extension cords can shorten the life of appliances like your refrigerator and microwave. While doing so for a few days or weeks while you are renovating won’t hurt anything, it’s not an effective long-term solution. Otherwise, keep your appliances clean and treat them with care to extend their life and save money over the coming years.

Design Strategies for Backsplash Focal Points

Although kitchen backsplashes can be designed to blend in subtly with the surrounding space, most feature unique colors, materials, shapes or patterns to create attention-grabbing focal points. Adding a backsplash is one of the easiest ways to express your creativity and add personal flair to the room. They give you the opportunity to introduce a bold new shade into the room’s color scheme, to create depth and dimension with texture and to add lively patterns to break the monotony of solid-color cabinets and walls.

Functional and Stylish Material Options

The space above the kitchen countertop and below upper kitchen cabinets is called a backsplash for a reason. It’s an area subject to stains and splashes when preparing, cooking and cleaning up after meals. When the materials chosen for the eye-catching feature are easy to clean, durable and long-lasting, kitchen backsplashes not only add style to the room but functionality as well. Tile of all types makes the perfect backsplash.

Ceramic tiles remain popular choices for backsplashes. They’re resistant to moisture and stains and are easy to install. Available in a broad array of sizes and shapes, including mosaic tiles, ceramic tiles adapt to every application. Ceramic materials also include painted art tiles that can be inset into solid or multi-color designs to give the backsplash a custom look.

Natural stone is another popular material option. Until recently, the choice of stone typically echoed the stone material on the countertop. The new trend in stone backsplashes, however, is to choose stone slabs with unique variegation to create an abstract pattern on the wall. By choosing a stone with shades that coordinate with the kitchen’s color scheme, patterned stone helps unify space while creating a sophisticated and distinctive focal point.

Backsplashes that Sparkle and Shine

When it comes to the strongest trending backsplash styles, glass is the go-to material. According to a survey conducted by a leading kitchen and bath association, over half of the backsplashes installed last year featured glass tiles. The popularity of glass tiles reflects an overall trend in kitchen design towards glossy finishes and fixtures. Shimmering surfaces are a natural in home environments like a kitchen, where they not only add visual appeal but give the room a clean and fresh feeling as well.

As the place where the family inevitably gathers to share conversation, laughter and experiences, kitchens benefit from upgrades that enhance the room’s atmosphere as well as its functionality. The backsplash is an ideal space to accent the room with personal flair.

Water, Water Everywhere

Water splashes out of the sink, spills over from pots on the stove and plunges out of dropped cups. This is why traditional hardwood flooring it not a good choice for the kitchen. Sticky stains have to be mopped up, and the regular exposure to water will damage some surfaces. Choose floors like tile, natural stone and engineered wood that can handle getting wet and being scrubbed. They will be easier to clean and more durable. Seal grout with a quality sealer to stop water penetration, extend the life and prevent stains.

Durability Issues

The kitchen is a working room, and accidents will happen. Pots drop, things spill and heavy items will eventually hit the floor. You want flooring that can withstand having something strike it. This means going with engineered wood, cork or one of the many vinyl options that looks like tile. If you still choose ceramic or natural stone for the value and beautiful appearance, protect key areas with small rugs or mats. The most likely areas for accidents are in front of the stove, sink and refrigerator. Protect those areas with soft mats to avoid cracked tiles.

Slippery Slope

One complaint about ceramic tile is that it can be slippery when wet. Regardless of the flooring you choose, make sure it will provide a little traction when the floor is wet. This is safer for the entire family and will help you avoid accidents. It’s also wise to put non-skid mats in front of the sink and refrigerator where spills are most likely to happen.

Contrasting Colors

The color of your flooring is so important because it will make a difference in how the entire room looks. It’s natural to choose flooring that matches the counters, but is that really the look you want? A contrasting color will make your cabinets stand out more, and it can emphasize the spaciousness of a larger room. Before you choose matching colors, take a look at some contrasting shades to see if they will work better.

Maintenance

Finally, consider the maintenance issues associated with different flooring. Anything you put in the kitchen will need to be cleaned on a regular basis. Some natural stones also have to be sealed to protect them. Engineered wood floors may need to be protected occasionally with special coatings, and cork must be coated with polyurethane to keep the water out.

With a little research and some thought, you can choose flooring that is durable, attractive and perfect for your home. Consider contrasting colors to add interest to the room, and look for flooring that won’t overwhelm you with maintenance requirements. You are going to have this flooring for a long time, so take the necessary time to make the right choice for your needs. Remodeling your kitchen is a great chance to get just what you want, so choose carefully.

1. Budget and Finance the Remodel

The first step is to determine how you will finance the remodel. If you only want to make a few minor changes, you might be able to pay for it all out of your savings. Otherwise, determine if you can arrange home equity or open up a new line of credit for the project. You will also want to set a realistic budget and limit for each stage of the remodel.

2. Plan Out The Details

The next step is to figure out what your ideal kitchen style will be. You will want to decide what things have to be changed, what could simply be refurbished and what will need to remain in place due to financial constraints. Find quality kitchen remodeling products here.

3. Replace or Update Cabinets

The kitchen cabinets are a major part of the space, so you need to determine whether you will tear them out and replace them, repaint them, stain them or simply leave them as is. You might be surprised to learn that removing the cabinets, sanding them and painting them is a project that doesn’t take a lot of skill or time.

4. Consider Kitchen Countertops

In many remodels, the kitchen countertops are one of the most expensive parts of the process. When making the investment, think about durability as well as attractiveness. Granite and marble are the higher-quality choices, but there are plenty of affordable choices for anyone on a budget.

5. Assess Your Current Flooring

Even if the entire kitchen looks modern, old or damaged flooring can create an outdated and unattractive style in the home. Many people are worried that replacing their flooring will be too expensive, but there are affordable options for flooring. If hardwood is too pricey, consider a laminate flooring or vinyl that is made to look like wood and is easier to clean.

6. Change Out Old Appliances

When you remodel the kitchen, you will probably need to replace some of the appliances as well. An old white refrigerator in a contemporary kitchen will look out of a place, but replacing it with a snazzy new stainless steel model will complete the perfect stylish look for the space.

7. Add the Final Touches

The small final touches are what will make the kitchen special and personalized for you. You might want to add in new lighting fixtures, window treatments or even some art on the wall to add your own personality to the space.

With these seven steps in mind, anyone can completely revamp and remodel their kitchen without feeling overwhelmed.

Engraved Cabinets for a Unique Look

A lot of people are drawn to cabinets with engraved details because they have a unique appearance and can add attractive focal points to your kitchen. These styles of cabinets are typically constructed out of wood and can help add a lot of appeal to your kitchen without being too pricey. It’s important that you’re patient as you consider all the options of these cabinets and look into the possibility of getting custom cabinets built can help ensure that you make the right purchase.

Glass Pane Cabinet Doors Add a Modern Touch

If you want to help your kitchen look modern and are interested in replacing the countertops of adding new appliances, it’s a great idea to get new glass pane cabinet doors installed. A lot of people are unaware that glass panes can be installed to their kitchen, but the finished result can be fantastic if you buy them from a retailer that guarantees quality. Glass doors can help your kitchen feel cleaner instantly as long as you take special care to keep the contents of the cabinets neat.

Door-Less Cabinets to Maximize the Size of Your Kitchen

Taking off the doors of your kitchen cabinets can instantly make your kitchen appear larger and help the space look cleaner. Instead of assuming that door-less cabinets have to appear cluttered, you should consider buying colorful plates and glasses and keeping the contents organized.

By removing the doors of your cabinets or getting completely new cabinets installed that don’t have doors you can begin to enjoy the additional space that these cabinets can add to your kitchen. Many homeowners find that their kitchen appears much larger almost instantly after adding these new cabinets, so it makes sense to look through all the styles that are available.

Taking your time browsing through cabinet styles for your kitchen can help open your eyes to a lot of styles that can be the right option for your home. While some people would like cabinets that have a ton of storage space inside, others might want cabinets that can help their kitchen look updated right away. Whether you would like cabinets that maximize the size of your kitchen and keep items tucked away or you would prefer open cabinets that show off the contents, it’s a good idea to browse through all the options so that you can be confident that you make the right purchase.

Free-Standing Cabinet and Pantry Options

You can’t go wrong with kitchen furniture that is both attractive and functional. Free-standing cabinets are available in a variety of styles, including some corner cabinet designs. If space permits the addition of a pantry, this is one piece of furniture that you will be glad you included in your kitchen. You can acquire an amazing amount of storage space in either of these furniture options. Click here to see kitchen furniture options.

Kitchen Islands

Kitchen islands are one of the most popular pieces of furniture to include in a kitchen design. An island can provide storage space, work space and eating space. There’s an island design available to complement any kitchen decor.

Kitchen Stools

Adding stools to your kitchen island is a necessity if you intend for it to function as an eating area. Bar or counter height stools can be used to add a burst of color to your kitchen. They are available in materials options that include wood, chrome and steel. There are stools with upholstered seats and those without. You can choose backless stools or stools with contoured backs. There’s also the choice of swivel stools or stationary stools. This is one furniture option that has almost endless design and color possibilities.

Kitchen Table and Chair Set

If space permits, the addition of a table and chair set will provide a relaxed, casual location for you and your family to enjoy daily meals. You may have to explore the options available in order to find the set that best fits the space you have. There are features such as drop leaf tables that are beneficial in a small kitchen. Tables with bench seats that fit underneath the table are another space-saving option.

Baker’s Rack

It is quite popular to include a baker’s rack in your kitchen design. A baker’s rack can provide display space for cookbooks and other decorative items. They are also an ideal place to store bowls and cookware. Several small kitchen appliances can be placed on a baker’s rack. This can be a very helpful addition in a kitchen with limited cabinet or counter top space.

Adding furniture to a kitchen can dramatically increase the available storage space. Rolling carts and islands can also provide additional workspace. In some situations, the furniture you add gives you an excellent opportunity to incorporate more lighting or more decorative accents. For example, adding an island opens up the opportunity to include a hanging pot rack or pendant lights above it. You can add an accent rug under your kitchen table to help define the space.

When you’re ready to update your kitchen furniture or furnish your new kitchen entirely, DirectBuy can help you save with dealer-direct prices on every purchase. Find out more and start saving today.

1. Tall or Cathedral Ceilings

Most people who are fortunate enough to have tall ceilings in the home will either cover them up for heating efficiency or choose to display them in large rooms like the living area. However, keeping tall ceilings, typically upwards of 12 feet in height, as the focal point of a kitchen can make even an ordinary cooking and dining area seem incredible.

2. Dazzling Art Backsplash Displays

It is not uncommon to tile or paint a backsplash, since doing so can protect the wall from the humidity and grease that cooking causes. Rather than installing basic tiles, an unusual twist is to make a statement with the backsplash. Use this space as a mural, which means that you can paint over the tiles yourself, create a mosaic or find any other way to express your creativity in this small but eye-catching space.

3. Bring Vintage Back

Although a full vintage or retro-style kitchen may be too overwhelming for most homes, there is still a way that you can embrace the trend in a big way. In an otherwise traditional kitchen, add in a pastel appliance that is striking and unusual. For the less adventurous, a pale blue electric mixer with a vintage feel is perfect. For those who really want to stand out, a pale pink metal refrigerator will be a classic and unexpected touch.

4. Strikingly Minimalist

Contemporary styles and minimalism go hand in hand, but the idea of stark minimalism is rarely embraced in a traditional kitchen. Rather than spending lots of time and money deciding what shades go well together, focus on just two colors and materials for a bold look. Use stainless steel and bright white for everything in the kitchen, and keep counters bare for a dramatic look.

5. Square Dining Island

Kitchen islands are an increasingly popular way to add counter space to the kitchen, encourage entertaining in the space and give the room a contemporary look. If space permits, you can kick the idea up one notch by adding in a round square dining island instead of the traditional thin rectangular one. Since the island will be much taller than a traditional dining table, it gets surrounded by bar stools rather than chairs, and it is a true statement piece in the kitchen.

Each of these five unique and unexpected kitchen design ideas can fit into the right home, and each will help elevate an ordinary home into something special. DirectBuy has what you need to turn your kitchen into your dream kitchen.

The Addition of Counter Space

A lot of people are drawn to adding an island in their kitchen because they are tired of having little prep space while cooking. If you want to enjoy having more room while cooking, you should consider adding an island to your kitchen. Not only can an island make it so much easier to cook and prepare food, it can also help your kitchen appear much larger.

Storage Space Available Inside the Island

An island can add a lot of room inside to help store plates, cookware, and more. Many people struggle with having enough room in their kitchen for appliances and other items, so it makes sense that an island would be a logical addition to their kitchen. Instead of assuming that there is no way to add storage to your kitchen due to a lack of space, you should consider adding an island that has plenty of room inside for whatever you would like to use it for.

Styles of Islands to Consider for Your Kitchen

Taking inspiration from your kitchen and design magazines can help a lot since it will help you show what styles of islands are available for purchase. A lot of people want to add an island to their kitchen, but are unsure of what qualities to look for. While some people would like an island that provides tons of storage inside, others might want an island that looks very appealing to the eye. Instead of assuming that any islands for your home will look great, you need to take time and consider what styles would be the best choice for the counters and design elements in your kitchen.

Gathering Quotes from Contractors and Designers

Sticking to a specific budget can be a lot easier if you take the time to gather quotes from the retailers that are available. Considering the cost of the purchase and the installation fees will help you determine how much money your new island for your kitchen will be.

Taking your time learning about all the benefits that come with islands for your kitchen can be should help make it a lot easier for you to make the right choice of an island for your home. Instead of assuming that any of the available islands from local retailers will do, you should consider the amount of square footage that you have available in your kitchen and what qualities you need for your new island in order to be satisfied with your purchase.

Make your kitchen become the hub of your home with a beautiful kitchen island. DirectBuy can help you furnish your kitchen with appliances, furniture, flooring and more at dealer direct prices.

Double Ovens and Steamers

Once the envy of professional kitchens everywhere, double ovens are now available for the average home. They come in an incredible range of sizes, and you can even choose between wall ovens and free-standing ranges with double oven options. The beauty of double ovens is that you can cook two different foods at different temperatures, keep one item warm while another cooks or just separate the meat and side dishes

If you love the taste of steamed foods, then consider a steam assist oven. Using steam to help cook the food, your meals cook faster and taste better. Using convection heating, you can baste, mist and water bathe food for the tastiest meals you have ever enjoyed.

New Refrigerator Designs

Refrigerators are constantly changing and evolving. In the past, the freezer was on top and the lower section served as the refrigerator. However, you can now choose a top refrigerator with wide-opening French doors and a drawer for the bottom freezer. Save space on the water dispenser by choosing one with a small dispenser inside the refrigerator wall, or have just a basic ice maker in the freezer instead of the bulky ice dispenser in the door.

The Microwave in the Drawer

Take the microwave off the counter and put it in a convenient drawer. Specially designed microwaves have the control panel and door in the top of the unit. Situated safely in a drawer, they are easy to access, easy to clean and completely out of sight when not in use.

Another microwave option is the microwave that also serves as a conventional oven. Appropriate for making a pizza or heating up leftovers, these units are extremely versatile and can help you save time when you want a quick snack.

The Dishwasher Drawer

Catching on fast and gaining in popularity are dishwasher drawers. They operate like microwave drawers and allow you to seamlessly integrate your dishwasher with the rest of your kitchen. The large drawers will look like your other cabinets, but a functional dishwasher will be inside.

Induction Cooktops

Basic ranges gave way to glasstop ranges with fully enclosed elements. Induction cooktops take this to the next level by generating electromagnetic fields to heat your food. You can boil a pot of water and then touch the cooktop a few minutes later without burning your hand. It’s twice as efficient as gas or electric cooktops, and it’s still growing in popularity.

There are many new appliances available, and they will all add a touch of style and grace to your kitchen. Choose new cooking methods like steam ovens and induction cooktops, or just opt for greater style with appliance drawers and clever refrigerator designs. With the right appliances, you will make your kitchen more pleasurable to prepare meals in.

Discover the savings at DirectBuy and furnish you kitchen with quality without paying hidden retail markups.