The Best Finishing Touches for a Kitchen
You could read hundreds of kitchen buying guides and try to distil all of this information and still not understand how to best finish your kitchen. These finishing touches are the icing on the cake – they are what make the kitchen stand out or go from a bland, sterile kitchen to something of substance and a real show-stopper.
Kitchen Designs
Without solid kitchen designs to work from, the finishing touches would be a waste of time so make sure you’re 100% happy with the design your kitchen designer has planned out for you and that it really is your dream kitchen in principle. One golden rule here – do not scrimp on storage space – you always need more than you have! Once you have these plans you can start to think about the different finishing touches you can add.
Work Surfaces
Without solid kitchen designs to work from, the finishing touches would be a waste of time so make sure you’re 100% happy with the design your kitchen designer has planned out for you and that it really is your dream kitchen in principle. One golden rule here – do not scrimp on storage space – you always need more than you have! Once you have these plans you can start to think about the different finishing touches you can add.
Work Surfaces
I mean whilst not technically a finishing touch the right work surface will make all the difference to the overall look and feel of a kitchen. Our favourite is a Quartzite (not to be confused with Quartz) which is a natural stone that has the structural properties of granite but with the veining of a marble. We absolutely love stones like Taj Mahal and Bianca Eclipsia as every slab is unique and adds an earthy but homely feel to any kitchen.
Pendant Lighting
Often used above kitchen islands, pendant lights can make or break a kitchen. You don’t want to be too overbearing with your choice here – a sleek, minimal light will look lovely in a variety of settings. That being said however if you have a modern kitchen which is fairly paired back and minimal then you can afford to be a bit more bold with your choice of pendant lighting. This works especially well in a white kitchen.
Cupboards and Drawers
Don’t ignore the internals here just because you don’t see them. Think of wirework inserts, cutlery dividers, baking trays, corner storage units – any and all little systems and mechanisms that can save you time and make your life more functional when using the kitchen
Handles
We’ve said it before and will say it again – handles are everything. In a traditional kitchen you could go for something fairly middle of the road like a plain knob and a cup pull, or you could really push the boat out and pick up some incredible hardware from Armac Martin who do a range of beautiful designs in an even wider range of finishes. Stainless steel handles work very well still but you could be bold and go for an antique brass or a chocolate bronze lacquer – there are a multitude of different finishes out there, there’s bound to be one for you!
Open Shelving
We love open shelving in a kitchen – whilst not the most practical as you do need to make a conscious effort to keep it tidy whereas with units that have doors you can simply close the doors and hide the mess – they are a great way to show personality and it feels very homely, almost as if a guest can get a small insight into your life.
