Today, people seem to be more conscious and pay more attention to customizing the appearance of their own homes. It is however, no mean feat, as the type of interior design theme that you like might not be practical for your kitchen. Simply searching for ideas on the Internet or looking at design magazines might not be helpful enough as there are just so many designs out there. It is no surprise, then, that some people tend to fret about what kind of ideas they should get for their new kitchen. The following are some ways which may better help you gather inspiration for interior design concepts.
Your own house
Start by looking around your own home. Set the first stop as the kitchen and observe the interior details of the place. Make notes as to what are the things that you like and dislike about your existing kitchen. You may try to look out for similarities as well – for example, if you find that the features you like are mostly of a lighter brown color, write it down – you can convey your preference to your contractor so that he or she will be able to help you achieve a theme which is closer to what you want.
Go over the other rooms and continue to make notes. It is only after gathering information that you will be clearer about your interior preferences. This step is fundamental but helpful in enabling you to make more sound choices amidst the rather hectic renovation process.
Your friend’s house
Of course, staying cooped up in your own home would not do. Go out, preferably to a friend’s house. You can always ask a close friend if you could drop by or visit a neighbor for a short chat. Go over to someone’s house and ask to look around. You can talk to them about how they got their kitchen done up and what are some of the things to avoid when preparing to revamp your kitchen. You can also ask about the benefits of having certain features done up.
For instance, if your friend has a matte finish to his or her kitchen cabinet, you could ask if it was a good decision. He or she may encourage you to go for a matte surface for your cabinet because it prevents fingerprints from showing easily. By asking questions, you will be able to gather tips and have a clearer picture of what is good and bad for your prospective kitchen. Listening to other people’s experiences is hence a good chance for you to be prepared for what is to come.
Visiting someone else’s home may also give you more ideas. If you take a liking to your friend’s maple-toned cabinet laminate, take a mental note of it and be sure to look out for the same thing when choosing your laminate the next time.
Interior design showrooms or exhibitions
For more professional advice, you may visit interior design showrooms and exhibitions. There are more retailers on the site whom you may consult should you have any questions. You can also go into more technical details if you ask a staff to talk you through the showrooms. If you just walk around by yourself, you may not know of the smaller details that would make a difference to your future kitchen. Get someone to explain things to you and show you how they work. For instance, newer kitchen cabinets have a soft-closing feature installed in their hinges to prevent slamming. You can ask the showroom personnel to demonstrate how it works and even discuss the costs.
As compared to going to a friend’s house, this ups a level because you can gain access to more professional advice. Take the chance to fire away and ask questions about what kind of themes are practical (or not) for your kitchen, and what are some of the ideas they can offer you based on your preferences.
These are just 3 of the less conventional ways of getting inspiration for your custom-made kitchen. If you were just going to get furniture from a mall, it would not be necessary to go into such details because the products are ready-made. It is only when you want to personalize your kitchen that you need to go around and really observe certain details for you to make better decisions about what you want and how you want them to turn out. It might be a bit of a hassle at first, but for a newer and more unique prospective kitchen, why not?