Think Like a Designer: Utilizing Interior Design Principles in Your Kitchen

Hiring an interior designer to make all the difficult decisions in the course of a kitchen remodel would be nice. But let’s be honest: you’re already footing the bill to redo your kitchen, do you really want to pay an interior designer on top of it?

Plus, hiring an interior designer takes all the fun out of it! The kitchen is a central household meeting space; it should be personal. We’ve outlined a few interior design principles here, so you can get the best of both worlds—designer and personal—in your new kitchen design.

1. Focal point: The kitchen should have one central point of interest. Perhaps it’s a unique wood or granite countertop on the island. Maybe it’s a chandelier or lighting feature. It could be a chalkboard wall feature or a given work of art displayed prominently on one wall. Whatever the focal point is in your kitchen, it should be prominent, but it should not unbalance the room.
2. Balance: Balance, in terms of interior design, is defined three ways: symmetrical, asymmetrical, and radial—and none is better than the others. Of course, certain elements of the room can be perfectly symmetrical or asymmetrical, such as the cabinet arrangement or floor plan, but balance more broadly involves how the eyes perceive the room when entering. The weight of certain objects can be arranged to achieve the desired balance. Symmetry is considered more traditional, while radial and asymmetrical balance will result in a more modern kitchen design.
3. Rhythm: Rhythm also involves how the eye perceives a space and certain tactics can be used to dictate a room’s rhythm: repetition, progression, transition, and contrast. Displaying a collection or artwork a given say can create repetition and progression, if, for instance, your collection of tea cups get progressively larger or smaller. Certain colors and textures can be played off one another to create contrast, while maintaining at least one common color or texture consistently throughout the space will ease transitions.
4. Details: Since you’re saving on an interior designer, you can splurge on the details. Choose the hardware—cabinet knobs and pulls—carefully. Buy new serveware and put it on display. If you’re buying new appliances, get the good stuff. Also, consider a Tyent water ionizer to add health to your home, along with a sleek, modern look.
5. Unity & Harmony: Before beginning your kitchen remodel, think of your home as a whole. You’ll want your home to floor, so some basic elements of your kitchen design should be consistent with other spaces in your home.

Happy designing! Do you have any design tips that we may have overlooked? (Image via solarnovo.com.)