Udo Fesenmeier, partner of WSI Designs, is passionate about kitchens. He believes that a new kitchen can dramatically change the look and feel of a home and add a tremendous amount of value to the total value of your home. Here, he shares with us his thoughts on 2012 kitchens trends, what to consider when planning a kitchen as well as other handy tips.
1. Your thoughts on 2012 kitchen trends…
High-gloss kitchens are definitely very popular, latté, white, black and bright reds are also “in”. Reconstructed wood grains combined with gloss panels are a firm favorite and thick built up caesarstone cleverly matched is very trendy. Chocolate brown kitchens are still popular in many homes.
2. What to consider when planning a kitchen
– Determine what style of kitchen appeals to you. Do you like a modern contemporary design or is your taste more classical or even country style?
– Consider the hidden costs (i.e. removing your old kitchen, breaking walls, plumbing and electrical costs, breaking down walls and chopping out old floor tiles are just a few).
– Determine your budget. Costs can be basically broken up into sections i.e. prep work, actual cabinets and doors, appliances, taps and sinks, tops and wall finishes.
– Find out if there are cheaper ways to create the look you’re after.
3. Top tips for keeping your kitchen open and organised…
Open-plan designs allow light to filter into the kitchen and create a great spacious feeling that most people want in their homes. By removing a few walls and making changes to ceilings it is a look that is easy to achieve. Clever internal organising systems can be incorporated into cabinets, and drawers with organising systems are great as they allow for easy access to pots, cutlery, utensils and containers and so forth.
4. How to add “eco-chic” to your kitchen…
“Eco-chic” is the “buzzword” for 2012 as we are becoming more and more aware of the importance of creating objects of desire in a responsible manner and using eco-friendly, recyclable or recycled materials. All WSI Designs kitchens are produced responsibly, using materials that have been harvested from renewable materials – be it from managed sustainable forests or by using man-made tops such as caesarstone, panels made from bamboo and paints that are less harsh to the environment. Remember to ask your expert kitchen company which materials are eco-friendly and whether they source their products from responsible suppliers.
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