The Search for Kitchen Ideas and Inspiration

Translating a homeowner’s vision into reality is the ultimate goal of every kitchen designer, whether they’re located on the coasts or right here in North East FL! The more data points (photos, drawings, articles, examples) that you share with the designer, the deeper their understanding of the kitchen you’ve been dreaming of.

Finding and Saving Great Ideas for Your Kitchen

Not so long ago it was common to have a new client carry in a folder brimming with tear sheets from Architectural Digest, Metropolitan Home and Better Homes Magazine. These and other go-to publications were bubbling fountains of new ideas. Today, as often as not, new clients will open up their iPad and show me Houzz, Pinterest or Susquehanna Style! While the tools may have changed, the importance of sharing samples of what you like and don’t like is still an important part of the design process. Here are some online venues where I’ve found great ideas:

Pinterest (A lot of DIY, but still my favorite place)
Houzz (Eye candy from design professionals, architects, builders)
HGTV (Some great style boards)
This Old House (More diversity than you might guess)
Apartment Therapy (Small space must-see)
Consumer Reports (Their 2017 Top Home Improvement Trends)

Kitchen Cabinetry and Fixture Showrooms

While images online are the most convenient source of inspiration, there’s nothing like feeling the tile, opening the cabinet, or handling the faucet. Items can look and feel very different when they’re in your hands and not on a monitor. Visiting showrooms and appliance stores can take time, but there’s no better way to gather ideas and information.

When it comes to evaluating cabinetry, I strongly recommend visiting a number of different showrooms early on in your discovery process to compare first-hand the construction and finish quality of the cabinets. Visiting a kitchen design showroom can sometimes feel a bit uncomfortable. Most are not setup for browsing and you’ll sometimes be the recipient of a great deal of attention, wanted or not.

But, don’t let that dissuade you! Cabinetry will consume between 25% and 40% of your remodeling budget and it pays to do your research.

Organizing Your Kitchen Scrap Book

Don’t worry too much about organizing your images, brochures and photos. As long as you can find you’re pins and clippings to share with the designer, you’ll be good to go. In fact, most designers would prefer that you don’t do too much editing before sharing your thoughts. It’s a kitchen designer’s job to find patterns in your piles and to help you organize, edit and make sense of what makes you smile.

The point to remember is that what moves you should inspire us to design the kitchen of your dreams. Sharing images and ideas helps to connect designer and client in a way that punch lists and spread sheets simply cannot.