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Why Drawers are the Next Addition to your Kitchen

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The average, standard kitchen was generally constructed with more cupboards opposed to drawers, you’d have the odd set of drawers chucked in the design here and there, but people found cupboards to be more “efficient” and “roomy” you could say – this old design method just isn’t cutting it anymore and I’m here to tell you why.

If you’re considering a kitchen renovation or a brand spanking new kitchen all together, I’m here to convince you that EVERY kitchen should have drawers – not overloaded with cupboards. If you’ve already got drawers in your kitchen, all you need to do is read on and feel awesome.

So the reason I felt the need to share this post with you was from my ideas of renovating my own kitchen and seeing some designs of all the modern looks around – a lot of kitchens are being made with more drawers opposed to those pesky cupboards that make you bend down and reach into the corner of darkness (or if you’re short like me, reaching up with all your power on your tippy-toes to reach the plates… trust me – it’s a mission.) why drawers? Seriously, why are drawers suddenly taking the limelight? Well, from my research and various (probably annoying) questions to Ryan himself I found out exactly why, after reading these benefits you’ll in my boat with wanting drawers!

 

  • Easy Access

Do you remember my post about ‘decluttering your cupboards’? well let’s just say you won’t be needing to get lost in the back of that overfilled (very messy) cupboard that hardly closes because it’s just jam packed, drawers solve this problem perfectly, even making the objects in the very back easier to grab without having to pull everything out.

 

  • Organization made a breeze

The space inside most cupboards is pretty much just a giant box which can often cause a terrifying jumble of containers, pots/pans gone wild, with drawers you can add dividers which can keep everything separate BUT all in the same spot AND you can’t get lost in this one!

 

  • They’re the only way to go if you don’t have over-hanging cupboards

If you like the look of a kitchen without upper cabinets, drawers are pretty much the only way to go. Imagine, for a moment, trying to cram bowls and plates and glassware into a doored cabinet. Not ideal in my opinion.

 

  • They’ll amaze your friends and family.

We’re not saying you should redo your kitchen just to make your friends and family jealous, but can you imagine the look on their faces when they realize your bottom storage features drawers instead of cupboards?

Having drawers is the modern style, while keeping the look modern you are also creating more space and keeping it all tidy and organised – I’m still in love with the idea of cupboards in a kitchen and they most definitely work for some people, but drawers have won my vote – especially because you can get different sizes of drawers that can hold anything, like literally cups, plates, cutlery, pots/pans, cleaning gear, food, wine…

Instead of having to get down and dig through the back of a cabinet, you just open it up and gently choose from an organized array. Drawers make you feel like you live in Gordon Ramsay’s kitchen – now come to think of it, where can I get a Gordon Ramsay after I install those drawers?

Colour pallete

How to choose the perfect colour scheme

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Ever walked into a kitchen designing studio with a fair idea of what you’ve wanted but seen the colour boards and gone blank minded? the amount of choices are insane but at the same time pretty ideal – with heaps of colours to choose from you won’t be needing to change much else.

When picking out the colors for you kitchen, your first step is to pick out two complementing dominant colors. Keeping these two colors simple will give you more opportunities to change up your kitchen over time without really having to change much more than the colours of the panels and possibly the benchtop. The third color should be an accent color that brings the entire room together while giving the room a little character. Personally, i believe choosing what colors you want in your kitchen definitely plays a role in choosing your personal style of kitchen.

For example, black and white kitchens are mostly categorized as modern. On the other hand, neutral colored kitchens are mostly placed in the “Standard” category where as the wooden kitchens are more so “Vintage”.

BENCH TOPS:

Pick your bench tops first, why?  because they can vary in color, pattern, and style making it hard to match any existing flooring and cabinetry in your kitchen. When picking your bench top, it is vital to think about the possibility of having a splashback in your kitchen either in the present or future, reason being is because you will be quite restricted with what colour you choose in some cases when it comes to splashbacks. Picking your bench tops first also allows you better match paints, stains, hardware, and custom finishes. Whether you choose granite, tile, wood, etc., your bench top is a signature piece in your kitchen – if you are unsure of how to make sure it is going to match your existing panels etc, talk to the bench top guys down at Northern Benchtops in Whangarei (very professional and passionate about what they do)

CABINETS:

Choosing your cabinet colours aren’t looked upon as such a tricky task if you have chosen your bench top colour then this will be a very simple decision – if you have gone for a grey bench top for instance, your walls are white then you could go with a misty grey colour which will link these all up nicely. Having an all white kitchen is very common these days as you can easily link white up with any colour while keeping that elegant, modern look, Darker panels look nice against the darker bench tops or suiting darker panels with a timber bench top would just look absolutely stunning.

 FLOORING:

Before you jump into picking colours, consider whether or not you will be changing the flooring – if not you need to choose colours that will bring this all together and not draw too much attention to your flooring. For example, having a brown tiled floor would not compliment a darker blue unit. Go see your flooring professionals (i recommend the guys at Floorcraft here in Whangarei – never seen a disappointed customer and they have produced stunning finished projects) let them know what sort of colour scheme you are wanting (make sure to let them know of all colours you have existing that will be staying in the kitchen and what colours you are wanting to include in the new one, try take samples if you can a lot of places will have free samples to take.)

 

I highly recommend going to your local bench top guys or a kitchen designing studio and also the flooring places to get that much needed opinion as you could stem your own ideas based on what they have stated, while also keeping in mind what will definitely not suit – sounds like a lot of work but you will thank me later! Trust me.

 

Northern Benchtops Whangarei – http://www.kitchenbenchtops.co.nz/

Floorcraft Whangarei – http://www.floorcraftwhg.co.nz/

 

The Heart of the Home

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Thinking of giving your home some TLC and updating but just don’t know where to start? Now-a-days the Kitchen and the Bathroom seems to be the heart of the house, these rooms make a statement about the age, style, standard and functionality of your house. In the end, you’ll not only have a beautiful kitchen to enjoy but also add significantly to your home’s value.

Holiday season seems to attract the most attention towards your kitchen so what better time to have a re-styled kitchen, right? I mean, what an awesome time to showcase all that hard work and those creative ideas, plus – imagine baking that delicious, family favorite Christmas cake in your new oven…

I have gathered some handy tips and tricks from the Director of Next Edition Kitchens who does custom builds, renovations (anything you could ever dream of really!) for when it comes to renovating because let’s be honest, the thought of all the organizing involved just makes you want to pull your hair out!

  • Know what you want – Style is everything, it can lift the mood and make being in the kitchen more inviting rather than a boring chore on your daily list of “things to do”– make sure you research current trends and previous trends and take bits and pieces of what you like and what you don’t like. Google, Instagram, Pinterest and Magazines all have some amazing ideas and inspirations.
  • Set a budget – When it comes to actually getting the renovations underway the scariest part can be the budget, it can throw you off a bit if you get prices back which is more than you expected to spend but if you pre-set a budget and let the designer or cabinetry maker know, they will try and keep it within that price range but also keeping in mind your style.
  • Practicality of the renovation – The definition of a renovation is giving a “facelift” to some of/a majority of your existing kitchen – also taking into consideration the most used aspects of your current kitchen, try not to change it up too much and to mainly focus on what’s going to make it your paradise while also keeping the practical, most used areas up to scratch with a bit of TLC . Sometimes, all you need is a fresh lick of paint and perhaps a nice splash-back while chucking in that wine rack you’ve always dreamt off… this could be a hint for bottles of wine to flow in for gifts? After all, what’s a wine rack without bottles to fill it up!
  • Who will be carrying out the renovations? Some people are very DIY and love to get their hands dirty amongst all the hard work but others are more on the designing side – if you don’t have much time to carry out the works or just can’t be bothered and would rather lax out on the beach and return to a lovely little surprise then definitely consider your options of getting someone else to handle all the constructing and installment, local & passionate joiners are the way to go, lets take Next Edition Kitchens for example – locally owned and operated, the team is highly qualified and very time efficient, they can custom build just about anything and are very flexible with great prices that won’t cost you an arm and a leg, did I just mention relaxing while someone else takes care of all the tiring work while keeping within or around your budget? Yes, I sure did!
  • When do you want it? Choose a date that won’t be the busy period, around early mid-year is the best time to renovate it gives you a lengthy period to make all final decisions (and make sure that the hubby or wife has given approval) getting feedback, changing your mind and also looking around for different ideas… this time of year also has the most free space opposed to getting a renovation all sorted in the New Year rush when everyone wants new kitchens for the family celebration, it gives you a sense of flexibility as well to work around your work hours or your hobbies that may require the most attention closer to the end of the year.

Don’t wait another day dreaming of what it could be and make it happen today – get inspired now, get a nice, cold refreshment (and maybe a few nibbles) make a list & grab some photos and head down to your local kitchen maker for a chat over some ideas!