Guest Blogger: Design Tips for a Top of the Line Gourmet Kitchen

 Guest Blogger #493, Entry #1136, April 30, 2012

If there’s one room that a lot people tend to spend a lot of time in, but not so much on, it would have to be the kitchen. For many of us, it’s basically seen as the place where the food is kept. Oh, but it’s actually so much more than that. The kitchen is where we create things (meals). The kitchen is where we have our meals. And when you look at a lot of family-themed sitcoms, where do a lot of scenes take place: in the kitchen, right? This lets us know that the kitchen is also where a lot of lifetime memories are made.

So, why not place a bit more effort into upgrading that very space?

Here are five design tips that will have you well on your way to one that’s a top of the line gourmet edition.

Tips for designing your gourmet kitchen

Image via: Houzz

Select a classic color.

Kitchen walls don’t have to be that bland yellow color or be wallpapered with that dated country-time print. There is a world full of color awaiting everything about your kitchen space. When it comes to the walls, many interior designers recommend either going with an earth tone shade or the total other extreme by using a bright red or blue. Then you can build around that. White painted cabinets are a timeless addition and green, black or white countertops will always stand the test of time.

Revise your countertops.

Fashion has trends and so do kitchens. What’s really hot right now is exchanging your current tile countertops with ones made of natural (such as marble or soapstone) stone. One reason why they’re attracting more attention is due to the fact that they’re eco-friendly. They do require a bit of maintenance, though. You’ll need to seal marble on an annual basis and go over soapstone with some mineral oil bi-weekly.

Have the right appliances.

Just like there is a new phone or computer seemingly every other month, there are new kitchen appliances that find their way into our favorite stores on a fairly consistent basis too. When you’re upgrading your kitchen, be careful to not overlook your refrigerator, stove and dishwasher. It may take a bit, but if you get one piece at a time, it will definitely change the overall look of your kitchen. Built-in stoves are becoming a popular preference and more and more people are using smaller refrigerators to conserve electricity and to allot for more space. Plus, being that many companies are “going green”, buying new appliances will provide you with access to ones that use less energy, which ultimately makes them far more efficient (you can find some of these appliances online at LG.com).

Chalkboard paint your accessories. Chalkboard paint for children’s bedroom walls has been a favorite by many for some time now. But why not consider purchasing some chalkboard paint for some of the accessories in your kitchen too? Your glass cookie jar, lemonade pitcher or salt, sugar and flour canisters are the perfect platform to using chalkboard paint to stencil in your name or a cute cooking quote.

Upgrade your kitchen in unconventional ways

Grow your own produce…inside.

Did you know that there are many foods that you can grow in containers in your very kitchen? This includes everything from herbs and apples to squash and peppers. If you go to your favorite search engine or to YouTube and type, “grow organic foods indoors”, you might be surprised at all of the options that will keep you from having to go back and forth to the grocery store. After all, when a gourmet cook grows their own food, really, does it get any more epicurean than that?

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