Decorating & Design
March 2, 2023
14 Details — Big & Small — That Will Elevate Your Kitchen Or Bathroom
It’s all in the details when it comes to bringing impact to a space. Take note of these expert moves and use them in your own kitchen or bath.
1. Choose Narrow Stools For A Tight Space
This airy loft kitchen is long on style but short on circulation space. The designer didn’t hold back from adding a counter-height eating space, though. Custom stools with a shallow footprint do the trick.
2. Switch Up Flooring In A Work Zone
In this blue country kitchen, a patchwork of colorful tile acts like a rug and defines the space. Not only does it bring color and pattern to the kitchen, but it’s also an easier surface to keep clean in the zone where cooking mishaps are most likely.
3. Mix Cabinet Hardware
To add a bit more character, use knobs on doors and smaller drawers, and cup pulls on larger drawers.
4. Mount Bath Faucets On An Artful Backsplash
This bathroom faucet could have been mounted on the wall or on standard subway tile. Instead, the addition of a slab of marble with a pretty furniture- like silhouette gives the space designer edge.
5. Vary Your Metals
Using the same finish on all of your fixtures, from faucets, sconces and hardware to shower framing, can look a little expected. Incorporating two or more metals can really shake up a space. A good rule of thumb is to make sure that at least one metal is repeated in multiple areas, as is done with the black accents in this bath.
6. Use More Than One Tile
Three different surface materials combine to make this shower enclosure a knockout. White terrazzo-like slabs add visual lightness and play nicely off the intricacy of the oblong wall tile, while the black seat grounds the space.
7. Soften The Look With A Shower Curtain
Adding in pattern and texture is a no-brainer for making a space look decorated. Instead of an expensive glass shower enclosure, treat your tub to a standout shower curtain.
8. Run A Shelf Across A Window
Existing windows in a kitchen can raise a lot of issues. Sometimes, a new or larger window could throw off the symmetry on the exterior of the house and, other times, changing them to fi t a new reno isn’t in the budget. Instead, think outside the box with shelves that run across windows to give kitchens a unique look.
9. Add Storage To Both Sides Of An Island
When you have a wide island, install cabinet boxes on the front and back to maximize storage. Don’t let the dead space go to waste!
10. Mount Upper Cabinets On Your Counters
Give your kitchen a custom feel by mixing up the shapes, sizes and placement of your cabinet boxes. In this kitchen, a narrow upper cabinet comes down to the counter, while a floor-to-ceiling column juts out ever so slightly.
11. Conceal Or Reveal A Coffee Station
Who doesn’t love having the option to show off or hide away the beverage bar? With smartly designed glass-paned pocket doors and interior lighting, this cabinet looks beautiful open or closed.
12. Think Window, Not Wall
Drywall is standard — a pretty multipaned window is so much more exciting. This works particularly well if you’re trying to bring natural light into other parts of your home.
13. Hang Collections On A Pot Rail
Sometimes, it’s the little things, like antique copper saucepans, that make all the difference. Plan display opportunities throughout your kitchen by including open shelving,
14. Turn A Drawer Into An Extra Counter
Not all cabinet drawers need to house storage. Here, one hides a pullout stone-topped counter at a lower height that’s perfect for bakers and little helpers.