The kitchen is the heart of the home. It’s the space where you cook, entertain, hang out, and even relax. But if your kitchen is cheap and dated, you probably aren’t getting as much enjoyment out of it as you can. Well, perhaps a luxury facelift is in store.
Invest in Your Kitchen!
If you’re going to invest in one room in your home, make it the kitchen. Not only do you spend a lot of your time there, but it’s one of the first things visitors see. Plus, it has a huge impact on the value of your property moving forward.
According to one report, kitchen remodels provide a pretty generous ROI. Here are the national averages based on type:
- Minor kitchen remodel = 81.1 percent ROI
- Midrange kitchen remodel = 59 percent ROI
- Major kitchen remodel = 53.5 percent ROI
While it might not make sense to invest in a full kitchen remodel if you’re preparing to sell your property in the next six months, it’s certainly a wise long-term investment. Not only do you get to enjoy the fruits of your labor, but you also recoup somewhere between 53 to 81 percent of the cost!
5 Tips for a Luxury Kitchen
If you’re going to invest time and money into improving your kitchen, why not go all the way? Here are some practical tips for performing a luxurious facelift:
- Be Intentional With the Island
The kitchen island is very important. It can make or break your kitchen, regardless of other factors.
If you have the space, consider incorporating two islands – one for food preparation and another for entertaining, eating, etc. (But only do so if there’s still ample room to move around.)
- Invest in Custom Cabinetry
Nothing says “cheap” kitchen quite like manufactured wood cabinets that you pick up at the local hardware store. If you want a luxurious kitchen, it starts with custom cabinetry.
Custom cabinetry is ideal because it allows you to mold your cabinets to the space (as opposed to fitting pre-fab options into a space where they might not technically fit). It also gives you the freedom and flexibility to choose style, dimensions, and finishes.
- Upgrade Your Appliances
Kitchen appliances play an important role in the kitchen, both functionally and aesthetically. If you’re looking for a sleek appearance, try Dacor’s Modernist Appliance Collection. They’re visually stunning and after using one, you’ll discover that they work beautifully (and quietly).
- Layer the Lighting
Lighting is something that most people overlook in the design process. They might pick and choose fixtures that look good, but they don’t consider the functional purpose of the lighting and how placement impacts the overall ambience of the kitchen.
In order to make your luxury kitchen stand out, you need to layer the lighting. This means implementing ambient lighting (general illumination), task lighting (such as a LED strip lights under kitchen cabinets), and accent lighting (like a chandelier over a table).
If you’re uncomfortable making your own lighting choices, this is an area where a skilled and experienced interior designer can really help out.
- Enhance Storage Capacity
Nothing holds a kitchen’s design back quite like clutter. If your countertops are filled with junk, you’re sending the wrong message. (Even if it’s stuff you use on a daily basis.) By integrating more storage capacity into your cabinets, you can easily declutter and maintain a sleek, minimalistic appearance.
- Keep Hardware Classy
Kitchen hardware is a lot like jewelry. A little bit goes a long way. It can either distract from your kitchen, or it can perfectly compliment the underlying design and layout.
Sleek bar pulls are very popular right now and look good when incorporated in a uniform fashion. It’s also recommended that you spend for quality. You’ll be handling these pieces every day and you want them to feel solid to the touch.
Adding it All Up
You don’t have to make massive changes to your kitchen. You can pick and choose what you want to do. But if you prioritize the tips and tactics suggested in this article, you’ll end up with a kitchen you can be proud of!