Inspire Your Remodel with Modernist Kitchen Trends

The kitchen is the heart of any home, and its design should reflect that. Remodeling your kitchen can be a daunting task, but these modern kitchen design ideas will help provide the inspiration you need to get started. Most kitchens can be vastly improved with little or no expenditure. Here are a few ideas on how:

Have a Monochromatic Mindset

The modern design aesthetic for kitchens centers on the idea that, when it comes to color, less is more. By basing your color scheme on variations of a single shade, you can visually open up the space. The key is to use a variety of different materials and finishes. Picture a kitchen filled with sleek, gray hues: stainless steel appliances nestled between slate countertops, gray sea-glass tiles running up the backsplash, and gray painted cabinets adorned with muted silver-toned hardware.

Mix your Metals

Using metal in your kitchen design is a surefire way to update to a modern kitchen. There are a variety of metals available for kitchen fixtures, the most popular being stainless steel, nickel, copper, chrome, and brushed aluminum. As far as remodeling goes, a Toronto kitchen designer recommends choosing clean-lined pieces with metal surfaces to complement the existing colors and metals in the kitchen.

Don’t fall victim to the idea that all metals in your kitchen have to match. Using a mix of different metals is a great decorating option that allows your personality and tastes to shine through. Imagine a great copper hood over your stainless steel range or a chrome pendant light hanging in front of your wrought iron cabinet pulls.

Go Green with Your Flooring

You can’t talk about modern design without discussing eco-friendly materials. There is a variety of eco-friendly flooring materials that have a minimal impact on the environment, but make a big impact in your home. For example, cork flooring is naturally renewable, made from the bark of a tree that grows back after harvest. It is inexpensive, provides excellent insulation, and is resistant to bugs, mites, and mildew. When it comes to options, cork floors can’t be beaten. These floors are extremely customizable and available a wide variety of patterns and colors, so the only limitation is your imagination.

Make an Island Oasis

If you have enough room, adding an island in your kitchen is a great way to add more usable space and functionality. Islands allow plenty of room for entertaining, letting everyone in on the action of preparing a meal. They can serve as a prep station, a buffet table, and even a storage space.

De-clutter

Getting rid of clutter is the absolute first step in improving any room. It will cost a few hours of your time and perhaps a small investment in extra storage solutions. Before buying more storage containers, go through your cupboards and drawers. Throw away out-of-date foodstuffs and take a good hard look at your utensils; there are most certainly things you never use. Throw them away, sell them on or recycle them. There are lots of different drawer organizers on the market, and these are often a great investment; being able to find utensils quickly will make your kitchen a much more functional space.

Replacing fitted kitchen cabinet units can be pricey. There are lots of things you can do however to improve their appearance through with the most basic being a change in handles and knobs. You'll be surprised how much of a difference a simple change in the hardware can make! You could also consider replacing the doors but maybe try giving them a fresh coat of paint first. If you're thinking about new fronts, you've got nothing to lose by giving the new paint a try.

The kitchen is one of the most used rooms of any home, so special care should be taken to ensure that it has the exact look and feel you want. Let your decorative inclinations guide you, and the results will be amazing.