Selecting Your Kitchen Finishes

Did you know that every kitchen gets its final spectacular look after the right combination of finishes are chosen and installed properly?⁠

💚Selecting all the elements that make up a beautiful finished kitchen always need to be done properly & with knowledge & expertise in what materials go best with each other.⁠

This Mood Board below was composed and prepared for an Online Design client that hired me for bringing the elements of her kitchen together that she was struggling with.

She had couple of items that she had already ordered and she needed help to pull her vision together. So I stepped in to help her and came up with this Mood Board, aka, Concept Board, aka, Material Board to finalize her vision for her kitchen.

💚You cannot depend on getting a tile here & a door pull there by themselves & follow with the counter that needs to be chosen while you are trying to figure out what is the best choice without any reference to your other kitchen finishes.⁠

Its a daunting task and needs lots of imagination, a creative eye, product knowledge, matching & coordinating prowess. Its most scary & often put off because you may be afraid that you may end up making the wrong selections, spending a lot of money buying products and hiring installers or contractors but not getting the right result!⁠

Here are some of the items I recommended for her:

1.

This Clear Glass Pendant gives a Farmhouse vibe with its “matt black” finish and Handblown Clear Seeded Transparent glass shade. I recommended this for her Kitchen Island. Since the island was quite large she would need 3 of these.

What I like about this pendant is its Simplicity & clean look. The shape of the shade is unique and would bring an added touch to the kitchen. The transparent glass shade was handblown and has a seeded pattern which when the light shines through would add a bit of visual interest.

The Edison Bulbs are in fashion now-a-days and gives timeless look to increase the aesthetic of any space. And in her kitchen this would look fabulous with its clean Modern Farmhouse look!

2.

The black and gold accent faucet on the far left (small picture) is the one I first recommended to my client. The Faucet is from the Brand: Brizo, Product: Litze. This one is in the $1400US range. But I have given here an alternative.

The Faucet that you see on the left (large picture) looks very similar and looks very beautiful with the similar Matte Black & Brushed Gold finish. It may not have the Smart Touch option (which also comes with a higher price tag) but would serve very well in any kitchen.

You get a pull down sprayer, 360 deg swivel sprayer, 2 function head has a Stream and a spray option, anti corrosion finish and anti-rust according to the manufacturer.

3.

A black stainless steel Apron Front sink seemed to be the apt sink to recommend considering what direction the whole Design Concept and Kitchen vibe was going. I recommended a 33” sink

A Farmhouse sink’s main feature is the one vessel sink, with the apron front. The origin of a farmhouse sink was in the farm kitchens where the kitchen sink was also used to bathe babies. And the single vessel served well.

Also the front jut out was for the convenience of the person to provide support to lean over and do the work. The apron acted as a barrier for water splash.

An undermount sink fits in seamlessly with the counter. Additionally it has a workstation for cutting, chopping, washing. The bottom Grid is convenient for heavy pots and pans.

4.

I am quite a proponent of “brushed black square knobs”! They have a very clean look, simple in design and looks good in any color scheme. I think every Designer should and every kitchen should have this classic item in their bag of “Go-To’s”.

My top choice for my client was this clean line a bit rounded corner straight edge brushed black knob. This one has a straight square base and easy to install.

As an option I am showing here another style knob that is still square top and square base but has a nice beveled detail to the edging. This is a great look as well if you are a bevel person :)

And a third option can be a perfect square edge knob but with a flared base. The base in this looks like a traditional design pillar base and would look pretty against the cabinet door.

I think you cannot go wrong if you chose any of these options for your Farmhouse Kitchen Design.

5.

Finally these brushed black rectangular classic pulls with their simple lines completed the look of the kitchen she wanted. These ones are about 5” long and these work great in any kitchen.

Sometimes the idea is to have 2 pulls on each drawer if you like smaller ones. But you can also choose longer pulls. The ones that are about 13” long and with the same finish would fit well on wider drawers or taller cabinet doors.

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5 tips you can implement to select your Kitchen Finishes affectively

1. CREATE A STYLE FILE - Do your research on Google Images, Pinterest, Instagram or other social media platforms you are on and look up what style of kitchen you like. If you like Modern Minimalist OR Farmhouse style then search for that.

   *On social media search with hashtags - #modernminimalistkitchens #modernfarmhousekitchens or any other hashtags you think about. See what results come to the surface. Save some of these images and make yourself a collage. You can use Canva free version to upload and put these images together to create a Style File.

   *Highlight what you like about them. Write down some of the features that attract you. That will be your Style File.

   Example: Straight grains of the wood cabinet / bevel pattern of the backsplash tiles / raised cabinet panel profile / grey undulating countertop pattern / features - “an Island” or a “peninsula”.

   *Make a similar list. Every little information or likes or dislikes can build into a Style File.

2. THINK ABOUT COLOR COMBINATION - Second most important thing is to think about the Color Palette you want to see and will be comfortable with. You may not like certain colors with other colors. Start with selecting a paint company from where you can get some paint swatches.

   Remember paint swatches may not always be for wall color. They can even tell you what color tile you want, or the shade of cabinet you like. Sometimes few paint swatches together may even tell you a Color Story or give you a feeling and a vibe that resonates with you.

   Try matching certain swatches with the images you gathered and see which shade goes close to what you have saved. And then start pulling out other swatches that may slowly attract you and you can build your Color Combination

3. WHAT ABOUT SURFACE TEXTURES - Once you get a Style and Colors figured out you can now think about the touch feel or the visual interest of your finishes. Many people like geometric patterns, others like organic shapes. One of my clients chose a pattern that was a relief, which means it was not one level. It was rather a risen 3D pattern which cast shadows when light fell sideways on it.

   There are some wood veneers that you can feel when you touch them and some people like them. Others like a painted look and touch. There are also many different smooth finishes that have a shiny mirror like look that go very well with modern style kitchens.

   You may be thinking about cabinet pulls and what shapes you like. You may like a straight bar pull. or you may be a knob person! One of my past clients liked her pulls to be a beautiful crystal look that looked like a jewel where everything else was very neutral. She wanted the knobs to stand out and added that touch of bling.

4. PUT AN IDEA BOARD TOGETHER - Now that you have covered the 3 Aesthetic parts of the Finishes, its a good idea to put an Idea Board together like the one above. Yours may be much different than the one shown above and may not have so many items on it.

   You can include couple color swatches into the board. You can ask your Cabinet Company that you are hiring for some finish samples of the door or the cabinet panels. You may also visit your favorite tile shop and pick up couple samples of tiles that you like.

   Sometimes you may have few extra Idea items that you can keep as alternates. There is nothing wrong with that. For e.g, when I did my Kitchen at my home I was hung up on this one particular tile that I wanted for my Backsplash. But then I always knew may be it was a popular pick and hence I picked 2 more alternate tiles, just in case!

5. PUT A QUICK COST FILE TOGETHER - After every idea is materialized and every Concept or Mood/Material Board is put together it will be time to put some numbers together for your Kitchen Budget so you can choose your materials and finishes in peace and know that you are not going to run out of money.

   Some items can cost more than you imagined. Cabinets are sure to cost the most as the cost of wood is considerable and Cabinetry also includes the installation costs.

   The tile that you picked first may be the most expensive of the lot. That is why I said above that picking 1 or 2 alternatives is a good idea. You can adjust the budget based on choice one or adjust your choice based on your budget.

   Don’t forget to ask the showroom or supplier if the item you picked is readily available. You don’t want to finalize your Finishes and Budget and finally find out that your selected item will not be available for 6 months. That can cost you money & time. So ask that question and take your decision based on the information gathered!

HERE ARE SOME EXAMPLES OF MOODBOARDS THAT CAN GIVE YOU MORE IDEAS TO PUT YOURS TOGETHER

Final Words that you should hear:

Most of us get carried away by the vast number of choices available both online and in the showrooms. So looking at the budget along with the pattern and colors is always better.

You may have to adjust either the budget or your finish choice depending on your comfort level. If budget is non negotiable then it would be a good idea to have am alternate finish or supplier that can enable you to stay in your price range.

A FUN FARMHOUSE BATHROOM MOOD BOARD WITH A SHOPPING LIST THAT WE PUT TOGETHER FOR YOU

>> click on the board to go to our storefront where you can shop these items. Have fun exploring and shopping!

OR

If you need help with selecting your Kitchen Finishes and materials

Here is where I come in! 😍 I am not hesitating to brag that I have the expertise to select your Finishes & Materials for your Kitchen or Bathroom without any difficulty. I will work with you, your style, your home & your Kitchen & Bathroom to select for you the right color, pattern, shape & size for any surface.⁠

With Modern Technology & an eagerness to work hard for our clients nothing can be impossible!

If you are looking around your Kitchen and wishing you want to do away with all the tired surfaces and the mundane look let us help!

Our Kitchen Consultation will get you the right direction and right amount of help to put a Design Scheme together for you complete with Material Selection and Mood Board.

We will research and recommend finishes from your local stores or online stores - mostly a combination of both or your choice.

It's Easy
It's Fast
It's Doable
Let's DO IT!