Remodeling

Kitchens have become the focal point of modern homes, with open-concept layouts that create harmonious social spaces without sacrificing functionality. Interior designers use open-concept kitchen remodels to turn kitchens into spacious, multipurpose living areas.

However, open-concept kitchens are no longer the innovation they were in the 1950s when Frank Lloyd Wright invented them. Open-concept kitchens have become standard design visions, almost to the point that an enclosed room feels more original.

This underscores the importance of making open-concept kitchen designs that feel fresh and innovative, tailored to the key characteristics of the unique space. Below, we shed some light on open-concept kitchens from a design perspective. These four tips can help designers and homeowners make open-concept kitchens innovative and new again.

1. Utilize Curves

Rounded millwork and stone have become trending features in modern kitchen designs, with huge implications for open-concept kitchens. Instead of restricting surfaces to straight edges and planes, interior designers now use curves in wood and stone materials to create a greater sense of harmony and flow.

Kitchen islands, a design staple of open concept kitchens, can now be made using rounded surfaces that emphasize comfort while taking up less space. Woodwork provides a perfect opportunity for this design since wood has a natural warmth that can be emphasized with organic edges and natural grain textures.

Counters, cabinets, islands, faucets, and more can utilize curves to make open-concept kitchens feel even more inviting.

2. Focus on Natural Light

Natural light is an art medium for an interior designer, offering opportunities for natural contrasts that bring an open-concept kitchen space to life. Large windows allow designers to emphasize the natural wood textures in their cabinets, accents, and floors. Reflections from stone materials give them ways to illuminate the space without relying solely on lighting fixtures.

By emphasizing natural light, designers also reveal opportunities for stylistic contrasts. A common design trend is to make the lower half of the kitchen darker to give open-concept spaces a cohesive flow from top to bottom.

The natural light emphasizes the white counters and overhead cabinets, made from white stone or wood (white birch and oak are particularly popular right now). Meanwhile, the cabinets under the counters and island can be stained or painted dark, creating that contrast.

The result is appealing, possibly because it mimics the color palette of the natural world, with the bright sky and treetops turning into darker wood and earth tones closer to the ground. Custom window casings, cabinets, and fixtures can move some of those dark tones into the upper part of the room as highlights that create even more cohesion.

3. Take Advantage of Cabinets

To achieve the right balance between comfort and functionality, kitchens need sufficient storage space to accommodate the homeowner’s needs. The right cabinets empower interior designers to design aesthetic contrasts while creating a more functional space.

Experienced interior designers utilize cabinets to make up for the limitations of the space. For example, kitchens with a smaller footprint can utilize vertical cabinet designs to increase the available storage area. Cabinets can be built with custom inserts and dividers to separate types of utensils or store pans and cutting boards without consuming limited horizontal space.

Cabinets can be taken a step further in modern kitchens with built-in shelving options, pull-outs, and under-counter storage space for appliances. When space is limited, these shelves create opportunities to economically store kitchen items within an open-concept layout, prioritizing flow without sacrificing functionality.

4. Find New Sources of Warmth

A common pitfall with modern kitchen design choices is to overuse white and chrome surfaces. When combined with hard edges, these textures can lead to a well-designed space but with a cold and uninviting vibe. Regardless of its other functions, a kitchen is still a cook space. As the heart of the home for most homeowners, this space should feel relaxed, comfortable, and above all, warm.

This is why modern interior designers utilize natural textures and warm palettes in their open-concept kitchens. Upholstered chairs, patinated materials, and an emphasis on natural light can create seamless living spaces that everyone will want to use.

It’s a testament to Frank Lloyd Wright that with so many people working from home now, effective open concept kitchens double as social spaces. He was calling his kitchens the “workspace” over 70 years ago.

Start Your Open-Concept Kitchen Remodel Today

At Southern Maryland Kitchen & Bath, our expert team meticulously plans open-concept kitchens to meet the unique needs of each space. Utilizing cabinetry, counters, appliances, fixtures, and more, our designers create multipurpose rooms that balance functionality and comfort.

Our priority is exceeding our customers’ expectations with high-quality stone, wood, and glass constructions, custom kitchen accessories, and imaginative designs that homeowners can be proud of.

Contact our team at Southern Maryland Kitchen & Bath to learn how we can turn your kitchen into a seamless living space with an inspiring take on a tried-and-true concept.

It’s easy for someone to verbalize a stereotypical New Year’s resolution.

We all do it every single year and tell ourselves, “this will be the year that I accomplish (insert resolution)!”. The best way to defend against those empty promises is to really invest in that resolution. Nothing worth doing is ever easy or fast. That same value goes with our pesky New Year’s resolutions. If the result of the resolution is not something worth it to us individually, why bother?

A New Year’s resolution we run into quite often here at Southern Maryland Kitchen, Bath, Floors & Design is that our customers want to be more organized in the coming year. And honestly, who doesn’t? Whether it comes to being more organized in the kitchen department or the closet department, it is such a freeing feeling to have a place for everything. Have you ever been late to work because you can’t find the shoes you’re looking for? Believe me, I’ve been there (more times than I care to admit). Now, imagine… a custom closet that has a place for all your clothing articles because your thoughtful designer counted all of your dresses, suits, purses, shoes, ties, pants, etc. and how you like to organize them. A beautiful and functional place to keep all my clothes and shoes and what nots? I’m in.

Now on the other hand, kitchen organization can (and usually is) a higher priority than a custom closet because a kitchen is often referred to as the “hub” of a family home. You want to make sure you have place for all of the pots, pans, utentsils, even a junk drawer so counters don’t become cluttered. If you’re anything like me, I have coffee pots and blenders and other small appliances that maybe overestimate the word “small”. Those appliances just eat up countertop space and can make a little amount of clutter look like a tornado slammed through your kitchen. Nowadays there are so many storage solution options when it comes to cabinetry in the kitchen. Cabinet boxes that were designed to hold spaghetti pots or, my favorite currently, a cabinet box designed to house the precious yet cumbersome Kitchen-aid mixer (unless you have one of the new pastel colored Kitchen-aids then leave that out on display because those are beautiful). From two-tiered cutlery dividers to entire tables that can be hidden in a cabinet, a kitchen remodel can make it almost too easy to stick with your New Year’s resolution of getting organized.

A final idea to consider when compiling your (seemingly ever-growing) list of resolutions for 2018, is how something as simple as some kitchen renovating in your home can easily bring a number of your New Year’s resolutions to, dare I say…a resolve.

Another year circling around this Earth makes us little humans think about how small we really are and how important our relationships are. An extremely popular resolution is spending more time with loved ones and cherishing “family time”. As I mentioned earlier, the kitchen is a popular place in any home. It’s such a central location that also serves important functions. Giving the kitchen some spatial thought with communal activity in mind can give you a kitchen design that embodies the whole idea of family time, making the resolution an afterthought because a simple idea of a kitchen remodel created that space where those interactions could easily proper. And with food? Heck yes.

This actually brings me to my last point on how a kitchen remodel can change your 2018 for the best. Americans eat out so much. In a recent Zagat survey on American eating trends, the national average of eating out came to 4.5 times a week, not even including breakfast (good thing because I’m not even going to divulge how often this girl brunches out). The cost of eating out that much definitely adds up very fast. How much more inclined would you be to cook if you had a kitchen designed around your own cooking habits with a personal aesthetic? I know I’m asking for a lot of imagining in this post but bear with me. Imagine a kitchen that flows with your house style and colors, this kitchen has the perfect amount of functionality you need because it was designed around your “power spot”, and the layout coupled with the finish hues create an air of calm and ease. A kitchen remodel pays for itself in that aspect compared to the added prices for eating out. I’m going to throw another added bonus resolution in there, weight loss! If you have a beautiful kitchen that makes it easy to get cooking, making healthy meals will be a breeze.

The verbal promises we make to ourselves at the start of every new year always seem so unattainable and foreboding; and if you don’t invest in these promises (monetarily or physically) than of course they will be unattainable. But if you think outside the box and invest some time and elbow grease, you will no doubt kick your resolution’s butt and make 2018 your year.

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If you want a little help getting your New Year’s resolutions to come to fruition, give us at Southern Maryland Kitchen, Bath, Floors & Design a call. We offer completely free, no obligation design consultations that get your project going on the right foot with the right people. Our showroom number is 301-945-8353, or you can visit us online at www.SoMDKitchenBathFloors.com. Have a fun and safe New Year 2018!