We all know kitchens are so expensive. When we completely renovated our entire place a few years ago, the kitchen cost more than rest of the house put together. I’m talking all the bathrooms, bedrooms, flooring, rebuilding walls and more – the kitchen was more than all this put together. So the kitchen is one room you don’t want to renovate for years and the best way to ensure you don’t need to is by going for a kitchen that never goes out of style
Timeless kitchens aren’t only about looks but they’re equally about functionality. There are so many benefits to a kitchen that doesn’t age including saving you money in the long term, never getting bored of it and kitchens also sell homes so this is another reason to go for a timeless kitchen as it won’t look dated to any buyers even if it’s 10 years old.
If you’re planning a kitchen reno then the tips below will come in handy to make sure your kitchen doesn’t look dated for decades.
tips to create a kitchen that never goes out of style
1. neutral cabinets
Kitchen cabinets form the bulk of your kitchen so to create a timeless kitchen opt for neutrals. White is always a great choice and one that never dates but if you want something different, grey and beige work really well too as they’re both neutrals that go with most other colours. But you’re certainly not limited to white, grey or beige – any natural wood or neutral tone (like pale greens or grey blues) will work for cabinets. You want to avoid bright colours that won’t stand the test of time and you could easily tire of them quickly.
While dark colours like black or dark grey or even a very dark blue can create a timeless kitchen, my opinion is that you can tire more easily of very dark kitchens unless mixed with plenty of white or some other light neutral. I also like to maximise natural light in a kitchen so I prefer light or medium tones, not super dark. But of course this is personal preference.
2. cabinet style and finish
The style of cabinets is as important as the colour. Traditional shaker style cabinets with their clean lines never go out of style and neither do the more modern flat fronted cabinets. In addition, matte finishes are always better than gloss or shiny finishes for a timeless look.
3. durable and neutral countertops
The countertops are what bring your cabinets together. They need to be durable as they are constantly in use but they also need to be aesthetically pleasing as they are always visible. Natural stone like granite worktops are a classic and work really well with plain kitchen cabinets. They add a subtle pattern which looks great and also lasts decades. Other natural stones like marble or a highly durable engineered stone like corian will all help create a timeless kitchen as long as you opt for neutral finishes.
4. hardwearing flooring
Kitchens have become the living rooms of our homes. So many of us are now going for open plan kitchens where we spend most of our time. In our home we cook, entertain, work and hangout in the kitchen nearly all the time. So the flooring needs to be able to cope with high traffic for years so that you don’t need to update it. Wood, stone and tile are all good options and as long as they are muted and simple, they won’t date your kitchen and will last for ages.
5. practical layout
The look of a kitchen is of course super important but getting the layout wrong can be a disaster. That will almost certainly mean you have to update it no matter how good it looks. Before you even consider the look, plan the layout thinking in detail about how you will use the kitchen, how much storage you need, what needs to be easily accessible during cooking, cleaning, how much clearance space you need etc. My husband and I have planned all our kitchens ourselves because nobody else knows how we use it better than us. But if you’re not confident doing this, most kitchen companies will help you with the layout. It’s worth spending time on this because you never want to think you’ve got any of the elements in the wrong place.
6. practical lighting + feature lighting
When renovating a kitchen from scratch, lighting is often an afterthought. But lighting is so crucial to setting the mood as well as important for doing everyday kitchen tasks at any time of the day including dark winter evenings. There’s nothing more frustrating than a kitchen thats not bright enough for all that has to be done in there. At the same time you also want to create a cozy, warm mood when you’re having dinner or just relaxing in the kitchen and you can do this effectively by adding some feature lighting like a pendant light or a wall light.
7. quality is key
Budget can be a big constraint when planning a kitchen. But if you want a timeless kitchen that will last for decades, it’s worth opting for quality where you can. This will save you money in the long term as you won’t need to be updating things like worktops or cabinet doors or flooring anytime soon. In fact good quality kitchens can last well over 10 years and sometimes closer to 20 years so therefore it’s worth investing in quality.
8. less is more
Last but definitely not least, less is always more. Any room that is cluttered looks dated before you even get a chance to look at the decor and this is so true for kitchens. A kitchen with crammed countertops and stuff everywhere will never look timeless no matter what else you do. But it’s not only about physical clutter – it’s about unnecessary embellishments, ornate decorations, heavily patterned curtains anything that is over the top. This will instantly date your kitchen. So keep it simple, neutral, clean and clutter-free and you will end up with a kitchen that never goes out of style.
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In partnership with Bellagio Stone. All ideas, tips and opinions are my own. Thanks for supporting the brands that support my blog and keep me sharing fun ideas with you.
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