Kitchen Furniture and Accessories
The overall design of your kitchen isn’t complete until you add those final elements that turn a newly built kitchen into one that is lived in and shows the character of the users. Furnishings, window treatments, displays, art and everyday objects all contribute to the ambiance of the finished kitchen. A kitchen stripped of these things looks like a display in a store, artificial and lacking in life.
Choosing these elements is a very personal process. For some a simple collection of necessary functional tools completes their kitchen while for others an accumulation of objects and collections in the room makes a connection between the kitchen and the rest of the user’s lives. As a central gathering place kitchens should have places to post messages, keep calendars and display a favorite photo or a child’s recent drawings. There is often a temptation to try to hide these messy elements and keep your kitchen’s pristine basic design intact. In the real world most of us cannot and will not keep to a regimen of clearing the space. We like the feeling personal objects give us.
Furniture
Choosing freestanding furniture for a kitchen is an integral part of the design process. These furnishings may be something basic like a set of stools or a large piece like a buffet or commercial butcher block cutting board. They often stand out as both functional and visual elements and by choosing an unusual item you can create interesting contrast with the rest of the space. For example, a large antique maple cutting block with its characteristic patina and unusually worn surface can fit in well with an otherwise ultra-modern design. The combination of the very tactile and massive block and the sleek finishes of flush cabinetry balances the overall look.
There is a temptation to make coordination the Holy Grail of the design process with everything matching everything else. This simplistic approach can result in a monochromatic, lifeless room if followed as a rote guideline. A better approach is to choose a range of objects that fit in with your design palette without necessarily repeating the same motif. For example your breakfast area might feature wrought iron chairs with fabric cushions. The choice of black iron as a material might have been aided by black iron cabinet pulls or the presence of a collection of cast iron cookware rather than a hard and fast rule that all furnishings must be black.
Furniture for your kitchen should be easy to clean and durable because of the casual atmosphere of the space. Socially a kitchen is a place to relax informally as opposed to a more formal space like a dining room. This informality can be extended to furniture chosen for easy comfort and upkeep rather than high design. If you’ve created a low key kitchen designed to work as a backdrop to food and drink, a few radical furniture choices can inject a spirit of fun into the mix.
Collections and Art
Art should be everywhere in the home, including the kitchen. Even if you only add a few culinary prints or a favorite photo, art adds color and contributes to a creative atmosphere. Collections of favorite objects, displays of craft items and visible storage of cook ware all add the overall feeling of the kitchen as a socially interesting and relaxed space.
Visible Storage
Spice and pot racks, jugs of wooden spoons, displays of copper baking molds or antique kitchen tools and other displays combine visible storage with a decorative element. The kitchen has been a center of focus for some of the finest industrial designers of this century, resulting in tools that are both functional and pleasing to the eye and hand. Bringing these objects out of hiding solves both storage and design problems.
Pot racks are extremely functional although they require a dedicated space, structurally sound attachments to ceiling or walls and room beneath them to work while still keeping them within reach. Areas over islands and counters work well although rooms with very low ceilings may pose a problem. Wall mounted racks are one solution. Racks also have a sculptural element and can add a techy metallic accent. Combined a battery of attractive commercial cookware, they give a kitchen designed for serious cooking a work-oriented look.
Window Treatments
The windows in your kitchen are a primary source of light and air, both god reasons for avoiding heavy window treatments or covering them with dark blinds. As a workspace, a kitchen requires strong light sources. It also generates smoke and airborne grease which make fabric curtains a poor choice. window treatment style and materials should be chosen for how well they fit in with your design palette combined with their ease of function. We prefer venetian style blinds and/or simple sheer curtains that are washable if you must use window treatments. An unobtrusive blind can be pulled up during the day and closed for privacy at night without compromising the window as a light source. Blinds are available in a wide range of materials and styles. You can get samples to try with your color scheme before you order.
The things found in many kitchen are a reflection of the owners taste and personalities. using hard and fast design guidelines to choose objects limits the overall appeal of the kitchen. trust your own judgment and start with a few favorite things. Add in the tools you need and start to look for well-designed tools for future purchases. Inevitably the appliances that work best also have an inherent visual tactile element that adds to your kitchen’s overall feel.
