{"id":11542,"date":"2018-09-17T19:49:07","date_gmt":"2018-09-18T01:49:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.virtuance.com\/?p=11542"},"modified":"2018-09-17T19:49:07","modified_gmt":"2018-09-18T01:49:07","slug":"5-tiny-details-that-make-break-how-kitchen-looks","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/staging.virtuance.com\/member\/blog\/5-tiny-details-that-make-break-how-kitchen-looks\/","title":{"rendered":"5 Tiny details that make or break how great your kitchen looks"},"content":{"rendered":"
By Stephanie Booth | Source Realtor.com<\/a><\/h5>\n

It’s the small, personal things that tie a room together, and your kitchen is no different. In this final installment of our\u00a0Dream\u00a0<\/strong>Kitchen Remodeling Guide<\/strong><\/a>,\u00a0we talk about the last little touches you need to fill the heart of your home.<\/p>\n

\u201cYour floor, backsplash, and lighting\u2014these are all items in the design concept, or big picture, of your kitchen design, says\u00a0Ana Cummings<\/strong>\u00a0of ANA Interiors.<\/p>\n

As a result, none of these things should be selected in isolation. Adds Cummings: \u201cThey all need to work harmoniously together with the cabinetry and the appliances, and also hopefully relate to the rest of the home\u2019s interior and level of finishing.\u201d<\/p>\n

Here are the choices that await.<\/p>\n

1. Flooring<\/h2>\n

The potential for moisture and\u00a0lots<\/em>\u00a0of foot traffic in your kitchen calls for a resilient material. (Wall-to-wall carpet is probably not a good idea.)<\/p>\n

Here are some options that will stand the test of time:<\/p>\n

Wood flooring<\/strong><\/p>\n

Cost:<\/strong>\u00a0$8 to $22 a square foot<\/p>\n

Pros:<\/strong>\u00a0Classy, classic, and great for integrating an open kitchen with the rest of your home.<\/p>\n

\u201cTo help blur the lines between the family room and the open kitchen area, utilize the same flooring material in both spaces,\u201d says\u00a0Carib Daniel Martin<\/strong>, CEO of Markitecture Consulting and a residential architect in the Washington, DC, area.<\/p>\n

Try white oak or walnut.<\/p>\n

Cons:<\/strong>\u00a0Did you see that price?<\/p>\n

Tile flooring<\/strong><\/p>\n

Cost:<\/strong>\u00a0$4.49 to $19 a square foot<\/p>\n

Pros:<\/strong>\u00a0The epitome of simplicity, tile resists dirt and water and looks good doing it. Besides porcelain, you can choose ceramic, quarry, or marble options.<\/p>\n

Cons:<\/strong>\u00a0It’s expensive to install\u2014and you\u2019ll probably need a pro to do it right. Don\u2019t like cold feet? You\u2019ll want to add a radiant heating system to create a warm floor in the winter, suggests Martin.<\/p>\n

Laminate flooring<\/strong><\/p>\n

Cost:<\/strong>\u00a0$2 to $8 a square foot<\/p>\n

Pros:<\/strong>\u00a0Laminate, which includes brands such as Formica, comes in a wide variety of colors and textures. It is scratch-resistant, withstands heavy sunlight, is easy to clean, and is quick to install, even for a DIYer.<\/p>\n

Cons:<\/strong>\u00a0Have a worn area? Laminates can\u2019t be sanded or refinished. You\u2019ll have to replace it instead. Plus, while you may get laminate flooring that looks like wood, it\u2019s not.<\/p>\n

Not sure what flooring will fit your kitchen (and budget) best? Many online and brick-and-mortar stores have flooring samples. That way, \u201cyou can confirm the product matches the look and feel you\u2019re going for,\u201d says\u00a0Tom Schnitzer<\/strong>, director of flooring at Wayfair.<\/p>\n

2. Rugs<\/h2>\n

Once you’ve got your flooring covered, you need something to accent it. This is especially true if you’ve chosen a neutral or all-white kitchen. A\u00a0rug<\/a>can “add a pop of color and intrigue,\u201d says Schnitzer.<\/p>\n

Flat weaves are a good choice since they hold their own against foot traffic. For ease of cleaning, consider a cotton\u00a0rug<\/a>\u00a0that you can toss into the washer when it starts looking grimy. You can also hand-wash a\u00a0rug<\/a>that\u2019s made of natural fibers such as bamboo or sisal.<\/p>\n

3. Lighting<\/h2>\n

\u201cLighting is critical to the design of a good kitchen,\u201d says Cummings. Sure, you could stick with can or recessed lights, but why not think about the following:<\/p>\n

Under-cabinet lighting:<\/strong>\u00a0LED strips or pucks won\u2019t replace your main lighting, but they can help get rid of the shadows in your kitchen and give your space a warmer feel.<\/p>\n

Toe-kick lighting:<\/strong>\u00a0An LED strip beneath your bottom\u00a0cabinets<\/a>\u00a0will add some stylish light to the perimeter of your kitchen. Plus, it\u2019s a subtle way to provide some safety lights.<\/p>\n

Pendant lighting:<\/strong>\u00a0Available in a variety of shapes, these hanging lights are great over sinks and islands.<\/p>\n

Sconces:<\/strong>\u00a0Traditional light fixtures affixed to the wall with a bracket, sconces can provide either task or ambient lighting.<\/p>\n

4. Backsplash<\/h2>\n

Don\u2019t settle for counter material to fill that space between your counters and upper\u00a0cabinets<\/a>. Backsplashes are big!<\/p>\n

\u201cThe backsplash is where we have our opportunity to showcase our personalities a little bit,” says Cummings. \u201cThere\u2019s an entire universe of gorgeous backsplash tile out there.”<\/p>\n

It’s a small area that can have a big impact, be it 3D tiles or colorful patterns reminiscent of old Havana hotels. Brick\u2019s obviously the natural choice for modern industrial-style kitchens.<\/p>\n

5. Furniture<\/h2>\n

Didn’t opt for a built-in island? Rolling kitchen islands continue to be a hot trend.<\/p>\n

“What\u2019s great about a rolling kitchen island is that they\u2019re versatile pieces that can be used for cooking and storing and displaying dishware and decorative accents,” says Schnitzer. “And since they have wheels, they can easily be moved around the kitchen or dining space.”<\/p>\n

You\u2019ll also need seating that goes beyond your kitchen\u00a0table, be that a standalone chair, if room allows, or stools at your island, sideboard, or counter.<\/p>\n

\n

\u201cEye-catching bar stools are an easy way to jazz up a kitchen and can be easily swapped to match the season or occasion,\u201d Schnitzer says.<\/p>\n

How to tie these touches together<\/h2>\n

\u201cIf there is something that inspires the theme of your kitchen, take note of its colors and textures and try to incorporate that into the design,\u201d suggests Cummings.<\/p>\n

Maybe it\u2019s the color palette of your favorite dish pattern, or an inherited piece of art.<\/p>\n

\u201cPay attention to the lines of the appliances and the knobs and switches on the range, as they\u2019re all styled in different ways, from traditional to modern,\u201d Cummings says.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Stephanie Booth | Source Realtor.com It’s the small, personal things that tie a room together, and your kitchen is no different. In this final installment of our\u00a0Dream\u00a0Kitchen Remodeling Guide,\u00a0we talk about the last little touches you need to fill the heart of your home. \u201cYour floor, backsplash, and lighting\u2014these are all items in the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":14503,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[4,47],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/staging.virtuance.com\/member\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11542"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/staging.virtuance.com\/member\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/staging.virtuance.com\/member\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/staging.virtuance.com\/member\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/14503"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/staging.virtuance.com\/member\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=11542"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/staging.virtuance.com\/member\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11542\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":11543,"href":"https:\/\/staging.virtuance.com\/member\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11542\/revisions\/11543"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/staging.virtuance.com\/member\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=11542"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/staging.virtuance.com\/member\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=11542"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/staging.virtuance.com\/member\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=11542"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}