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4 ways kitchen designers can improve your cabinetry

Consulting a designer might not be your first thought when building or renovating. However, they can make all the difference to your space and how you use it.

Wish your kitchen could look like this one ceiling, furniture, interior design, living room, room, table, wall, white
Wish your kitchen could look like this one by Hacker? It's possible with the help of a great designer

The road to your dream kitchen might be paved with good intentions, but sometimes it's better to leave things to the professionals.

"I think sometimes people underestimate the role that a good designer can have in the design process. We find clients often head out and buy appliances, sinks, and taps and then look for a kitchen designer and start the kitchen design process," says Julia Shuttleworth of Hacker Kitchens.


Floating cabinetry adds interest in this Hacker kitchen architecture, floor, furniture, interior design, kitchen, living room, gray
Floating cabinetry adds interest in this Hacker kitchen

But Shuttleworth warns against this approach.

"You wouldn't buy a wedding dress then find the husband, the same goes for the kitchen. Look at building the sink, tap and appliances into your kitchen design rather than building the kitchen around the appliances."

Indeed, consulting a kitchen designer appears to be the best way of achieving your ideal kitchen. We've put together a few examples, focusing on just the cabinetry, to show how a designer's involvement can make significant improvements.

The cabinetry on the far back wall in architecture, ceiling, floor, home, interior design, interior designer, living room, real estate, room, table, wall, gray
The cabinetry on the far back wall in this image has added texture and interest from it's subtle sunburst pattern

1. Add texture

The sunburst pattern on this kitchen's cabinetry was inspired by a story from an Australian edition of Trends Kitchen. The owners loved it so much, they consulted designer Natalie DuBois to recreate it for them.

It's also one of many textural elements that helps to tie the kitchen together – another element unlikely to be thought of without a designer present.

Stainless steel cabinetry gives an unexpected touch and countertop, cuisine classique, interior design, kitchen, brown
Stainless steel cabinetry gives an unexpected touch and commercial feel to this kitchen

2. Commercial look

The owners of this kitchen specified that they wanted functionality with a commercial feel. 

In response, Dave Strachan of Strachan Group Architects chose Arclinea stainless steel cabinetry modules that would look right at home in any commercial kitchen.

Designers don't just make your home look great, ceiling, countertop, interior design, kitchen, real estate, room, gray
Designers don't just make your home look great, they can help with functionality too

3. Practical makes perfect

It's not just aesthetic purposes that designers are good for, either. They can help make your kitchen more practical too.

One of the owners of this kitchen has restricted movement. In response, designer Kim Duffin made all the cabinetry latches electronic touch-to-open. This ensured ease of use for the owner.

Have limited space? A good designer will have cabinetry, countertop, floor, home, home appliance, house, interior design, kitchen, room, gray
Have limited space? A good designer will have lots of solutions

4.  Space planning

To maximise space in this small kitchen, Susan Kempler added various different cabinets. This includes the peninsula that houses the oven, which also doubles as a breakfast nook. 

Kempler also implemented corner cabinetry and added more cabinetry to the bar area. With so much more storage present, the kitchen feels a lot more spacious.

So where to begin?

"My advice would be to find a designer that you feel comfortable working with and work through the process together." says Shuttleworth. "They may have ideas that you hadn't thought of due to their vast amount of experience and expertise. As kitchen designers, we know about all parts of the kitchen industry."

After all, the kitchen is one of the most used parts of your home.

"You use a kitchen to make your breakfast, clean up, prep the lunches, cater, entertain and it is the engine room of your house.  Your kitchen is such an important part of the house and to get the design right for your family is so important. A kitchen design professional should be able to get a kitchen to cater to all of your needs and function seamlessly."

Story by: Loukas Tsitsiridakis

03 Dec, 2018

Home kitchen bathroom commercial design


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