How to Express Your Personality Through Interior Design

If you’re looking for a distinctive kitchen design, finding ways to inject your personality into it is one of the best ways to achieve this. There is little more unique than incorporating your favourite styles, colours, textures and décor in one place – and it is by doing this that you can truly express your passions and personal qualities through interior design.

If you’re uncertain about what designs you’d like to use, Pinterest and Houzz have plenty of pictures for design inspiration that you can use to build a mood board. Mood boards are the perfect way to find out the styles that you really like, which you can then use in the designing process.

Colour can often be something difficult to get right, especially if you aren’t sure what you’re after. The first and perhaps most obvious tip is to choose a colour that you love before incorporating this into your kitchen design. If your favourite colour is a bold one but you prefer a minimalistic design, then you may wish to go for neutral-coloured walls but add in pops of colour through appliances and décor pieces. Alternatively, if your favourite colour is purple and you’re after a modern yet loud kitchen design, why not set aside a beautiful signature shade for a feature wall?

Colour can also be used to reflect your personality by choosing colours for a desired effect. For example, red makes for a vibrant atmosphere, whilst orange boasts energy and open-mindedness. Contrarily, green creates a calming environment whilst blue promotes spirituality.

A great way to be unique in your designs is by playing around with themes and combining contrasting ones. For example, if you live in a modern city flat/apartment, there’s nothing to stop you from incorporating country-themed designs into your kitchen area; whether that’s by including more wooden furniture or antique pieces. This adds a sense of individuality, whilst adding something a little different. Similarly, if you live in a country-themed house, you can add in modern touches to your kitchen design through pendant lighting, stone flooring, handle-less cabinetry and copper finishes.

It’s often difficult to strike a balance between adding in items which reflect your hobbies whilst still retaining a stylish, coherent design. This can be done, however – and is a great way to inject life into your kitchen. If you’ve got an old record player you’d like to incorporate, why not add a splash of paint to match it to your colour scheme? Alternatively, if your hobby is reading, you might consider investing in a multi-functional kitchen island with extra open-shelving storage – or alternatively, adding some textured shelves to your walls so that you can display your favourite books.

It’s also important to consider the purpose of your kitchen. If you’d like your kitchen to be a sociable and open space, why not add a peninsula that can be used as a breakfast bar? If you’re working with a small kitchen, a mirrored splashback is an ideal way to both make your kitchen appear larger and add a design statement to the kitchen. If you’re a passionate chef and love creating recipes, you may consider an open-shelving wall where you can store all of your favourite cookware and sources of food inspiration.

Here at Contour, we can help to fill the gap between creating a kitchen that truly reflects you as a person whilst trying to incorporate timeless and stylish designs. To speak to one of our designers, come and visit us in store.

Where Can I Find Design Inspiration?

Thanks to the development of a vast array of design and creative websites we now have more options than ever when it comes to design inspiration. When designing a new kitchen, particularly from scratch, it can be hard to know what designs will suit your personality and the shape/size of your kitchen the best. The first stage of the designing process is finding inspiration, since you’ll need to have a good idea of what it is that you want before you begin planning.

The internet is a great place to start when looking for design inspiration. Whilst the popular creative pin-board site Pinterest is great for general ideas, there are other similar websites which focus specifically on interior design. Take Designspiration, for example. Specifically offering design creativity, this website offers a much broader range and delves deeper into the realms of design trends and styles. Similarly to Pinterest, ideas can be saved for later viewing. Niice, another great design inspiration website, allows users to create a visual mood board which will ultimately help you to decide what you like and dislike. This website also has the option to view images similar to the one you’ve selected, which is great for those who prefer a particular style.

Similarly, Houzz is an online inspiration site specifically aimed at home renovations. With hundreds of pictures tailored to your searches, you certainly won’t be short of new ideas. Houzz offers a diverse range of design ideas, featuring not only the latest design trends, but designs to suit a range of kitchen foundations – whether that’s within a country home or a kitchen with limited space.

Image-heavy social media sites can also be used for inspiration. Platforms such as Instagram, Tumblr and Flikr feature high-quality photographs of all kinds of styles that people have within their homes. Following pages that you like also means that whenever you take a look at your social feed, you’ll be kept updated with new design trends.

Magazines are a classic yet simple way to observe the latest design trends. Interior design magazines such as House Beautiful, Ideal Home and Utopia Kitchen & Bathroom offer great kitchen design tips and pictures. You can also have a look at their websites, which feature extra advice articles and design updates.

For a more personal approach to inspiration, why not take a look at some design blogs? Try visiting Coco Kelley and Apartment 34 to view some beautiful pictures and design stories.

Design inspiration can often be found much closer to home than originally thought. Subtly adopting a designer’s perspective and simply noticing more when visiting the homes of family and friends will allow you to observe the specific aesthetic and functional aspects that you like and dislike, ultimately narrowing down your choices.

You may also find it helpful to speak to a professional design consultant, who can offer bespoke advice to help you make the best design decisions for your kitchen. It’s a great idea to take along some of the inspiration that you’ve found so that your designer can have a clear idea of what it is you’re looking for. Here at Contour, our expert designers will apply their knowledge of the latest trends and highest-quality materials to your kitchen design, tailoring their service to your needs and preferences. Additionally, you can view our showroom which features on-trend kitchen designs for the ultimate source of inspiration.

Please click here to contact our designers.

How to Pick the Best Kitchen Designs for You

Whether you have plans to re-design your kitchen from scratch or just tweak a few features, it’s important that the finished article compliments your use of the space.

There are bountiful kitchen designs to choose from and each element should benefit those using it. Some people wrongly believe that their kitchen design should mirror the style of their home; for example, a rustic design in a cottage or a sleek and technology-driven design in a new-build. But it’s OK to cherry-pick elements from both traditional and modern designs – as long as it enhances your kitchen experience. Some of our most striking projects have been when the client chooses to put a contemporary handle-less kitchen into a period home.

The space you have at your disposal is crucial, however, and can dictate the layout. If you have a small, light-deprived space to work with, then a design that features a light and reflective colour palette can bring an airy vibrancy, while a matte finish is much better suited to designs where bright natural light blankets the kitchen.

Size also plays a big part in the design. If your kitchen is small, a streamlined design is the best option to fully utilise the space. Larger kitchens offer more in terms of incorporating a variety of features which wouldn’t be possible in smaller designs. For instance, an island is an effective way of utilising space in a large kitchen design, as it encourages the kitchen to be used as an area to eat, relax, socialise and entertain.

Ultimately, before you begin turning your dream kitchen design into a reality, think about how it should benefit your lifestyle.

Lifestyle factors should play a big part in the overall design. For instance, if you have small children or grandchildren running around, chances are you’ll constantly be wiping away mess made by their sticky fingers! If this is the case, it might be worth avoiding high-gloss and shiny surfaces.

If you spend most of your time in the kitchen cooking, careful consideration should be made on how space is needed for preparation and storage. Gaggenau, Siemens, Neff and Bora appliances can make cooking a more fun and easy experience whilst bringing modern luxury to the kitchen. Cutting-edge technology is aesthetically pleasing in a modern and slick kitchen design, but you if opt for a more traditional layout, appliances can be hidden away or integrated into the design itself with handle-less drawers.

Food lovers also need to ensure storage is maximised without creating an area that looks bulky and messy. But if you have plentiful vertical space in the room, then extra height cabinetry can offer storage for items used less often like seasonal plates and dishes. As long as the design keeps with a certain theme through complimenting materials and colours, extra storage units won’t disrupt the kitchen’s visually pleasing atmosphere.

At Contour, we’re proud to be at the forefront of designing luxury kitchens that marry functionality and comfort. As the heart and soul of the home, we understand the importance of designing a kitchen that works for you; a kitchen for living.

Call our team on 01242 221196 to find out how we can help you embark on a journey to design the kitchen of your dreams.

How to Design a Kitchen in a Small Space

If you’re the owner of a small kitchen, it’s important to understand that just because there’s limited space, it doesn’t mean you also have to be limited in your design. With a few adjustments and careful planning, you can incorporate almost any style you like. Using resources to maximise kitchen space is essential, and there are many ways in which you can design a small kitchen to make it look larger.

Incorporating a stylish yet minimalistic design is one of the best ways you can maximise the appearance of a small kitchen. Using too many different colours, materials and having too much on display can make a kitchen appear cluttered – and therefore smaller. During the planning process, it’s a good idea to identify the spaces in your kitchen that you’re perhaps not using to its full potential; i.e. the spaces between cupboards and underneath sinks. You can then ensure that you’re using this space more wisely for the new design, allowing extra space for other furniture/appliances.

Maximising space goes further than identifying unused areas. You can also save space with appliances; for example, incorporating magnetic knife boards means that you don’t have to worry about acquiring a bulky knife holder; and hanging rails for pans and utensils allow for additional storage space – meaning you can use drawers and cupboards for crockery and larger appliances. It’s also a good idea to add shelves wherever possible, such as in unused corners or across alcoves. Hanging pendant lighting is also great for small kitchens, as they act as a great design statement when featured above islands, whilst helping to save countertop space.

Many modern kitchens feature an island, since these act as both a collaborative cooking space and dining space. They are often the centrepiece of the kitchen and so, benefit from a pop of colour that compliments the  overall scheme. In a small kitchen, islands are not always an ideal option since they leave little room for manoeuvring around. However, vertical or moveable islands on wheels can be great alternatives for small kitchens. Peninsulas may even offer a better option, since these are simply extensions of an installed work surface that can act as a mini-island. Whether you opt for an island or not, choosing light colour schemes with reflective materials go a long way in small kitchens as they maximise light, making the kitchen appear larger.

Galley kitchen styles are also popular amongst small kitchens. These appear as a hallway-like layout, with two parallel sets of kitchen units. This allows the user to move around the kitchen more, whilst making food preparation easier. This design style benefits from removing upper cabinetry and replacing it with open shelving, creating a more open space and, if stacked mindfully, can act as a design staple.

Horseshoe shaped kitchens are another popular design. Within this design, kitchen counters are arranged in a U-shape – allowing for a larger, more versatile working space. This works best for kitchens that have a wider space to work with, and also offers more counter space and under-counter storage. Similarly to Galley kitchen styles, it may be best to remove upper cabinetry and create your own – either with shelving, or perhaps a single bar running around the wall, from which utensils can be hung.

Having a smaller kitchen size certainly does not mean that you’re restricted in design choices – it just means that you’ll need to explore different ideas and design inspiration whilst making necessary adaptations. Here at Contour, our design team can help you to really make the most out of your kitchen – no matter the size or shape that you’re working with. Come and visit us in store to view our showroom, or speak to one of our consultants.