To you missed Part 1, click here. For Part 2 of this series, click here.
Step 7: Picking Your Countertop Material
Laminate is a money saver, but it just looks cheap, and I would not recommend it for a custom home, especially if this is going to be your forever home. Wood can look amazing, but it will need constant care and is very easy to scar, so that would not be my personal first choice. Stainless steel is a bit trendy right now, but that can look a “too restaurant” for some homeowners. For me, the choice was granite. It looks great, you can work on it just as you can a cutting board, and it will catch the eye of your visitors. Concrete is also very popular and can be made to mimic other materials, such as quartz.
My suggestion here would be think about functionality first, then start visiting some home stores to check out the material and color scheme with your cabinets. Again, let me refer to my kitchen, I have dark grey/black granite countertops that complement the lighter grey cabinets perfectly. We had the paint for the cabinets matched to a light gray speckle that shows up in the granite, which really pulls that out of the countertop and gives it a ton of pop.
Step 8: Wall Tiling and Flooring
You have a lot of wiggle room here, but remember that both of these choices will shrink or expand the room. Go dark, and the kitchen will close up, go light, and the kitchen opens up. If you have gone dark countertop and medium cabinets, I would go a lighter color for the tiling. Engineered wood flooring is amazing in a kitchen, as it will stand up to the spills and traffic, but still gives the room a very classic look.
Vinyl, rubber, and concrete are also options, but again, I would suggest going to a showroom and seeing them in person.
Step 9: Kitchen Lighting
The purpose of your kitchen will play a large part in your lighting scheme. For instance, if you entertain in the kitchen, you will want the ability to have it bright and dim, as well as only limited lighting for a more intimate setting. I love drop-down lighting over the counter, with dimmable ceiling lights, and undercabinet lighting for an accent.
You may want to trust this to your designer by relaying exactly that the kitchen will be used for and have them mockup some different lighting schemes.
Step 10: Window Dressings
We are almost done! The final step is in deciding how you want to dress the windows. Do you prefer traditional blinds, or are you wanting to go with something more country and have shutters on the windows? I think your overall narrative will play a significant role in which direction you take here.
We hope this helps you design your own kitchen and if you think you will need more help, Better Build Now would love to be your residential construction project manager or construction consultant. For more information about construction management services, give us a call at 888-402-4180.