So last time, we helped give you some ideas about how to find inspiration for your new DIY kitchen’s design. Wherever you found it from, be it our own resources, magazines, TV, or the internet, now comes the step most people find the hardest: translating that inspiration into a theme you can actually start to build upon. You’ll need to look at your chosen inspiration with a critical eye, all while carefully avoiding getting too invested in the exact look of what is probably a kitchen and a floorplan far out of reach.
What Elements Inspired You?
Once a design takes your breath away, try to figure out why it impacted you, what specific elements come together to inspire you. It could be the contrast between a black counter and white cabinets, for example. Maybe it’s the way the pillow-style doors and facings suggest elegance and luxury, yet the darker stain brings it back to Earth … or maybe a butterscotch or other mid-toned stain don’t bring it under control, but let luxury run wild. It could be the way the light reflects off the clean shiny lines of chromed hardware, or seems to get drunk by an antiqued oil-rubbed bronze.
Only you can say what truly caught your eye, but the idea is to narrow down what it is about the design that inspired you. That’s what you can start to replicate; it’s rather difficult to replicate a “feeling” or an “aura,” after all.
Start Piecing Together Elements
Once you figure out what elements are central to the theme, you can start to break it down and replicate it. Start with the overall style and color of the cabinets; are they intricate or simpler, like Shaker design? Are they light or dark, are the undertones warm or cool? There’s a reason we offer a dozen subtle differences in hue in white alone, and dozens more in light or dark-stained palettes.
It helps to think in terms of the light available in your kitchen, how it will interact with the finish of the RTA cabinets you’re narrowing down toward. Some of that, you can change, especially the lighting at night, but the daylight coming in through your windows likely is what it is, influenced by the landscape and trees around you, and the weather patterns of your climate.
The Next Step
If by now you’ve managed to pick out a couple of options in terms of our RTA kitchen cabinet lines, then the battle is almost won! Read on in our next installment to learn what to do next. If not… well, that’s okay. We know how hard it is to narrow down what the busiest room of your home will look like for the coming decade. That’s why we have trained professionals ready to help! Our expert kitchen design consultants are standing by, and we’re willing to offer you a free consultation to help you narrow down just what you’re looking for, just for being our customer. It’s a $500 value, yours free, all you have to do is click here to schedule the best time for the call.
