Building Your First Home? Check Out These Fabulous Kitchen Design Ideas

October 27, 2020

Kitchen Design

The kitchen is the heart of every home, or at least the place where you are most likely to sit with visitors, so you want it to be comfortable, stylish, and practical. And hey, if it is so beautiful that it makes your friends weep with envy when they pop in for a coffee…so much the better!

When you are deciding on the look and feel of your kitchen, consider the long-term appeal of your design. A highly stylised, on-trend kitchen might look great in the short term, but what appeals to you now may well look very out-of-date in a few years. And, while looks are important, they should not come at the expense of your kitchen’s functionality.

When it comes to choosing your brand-new kitchen design, your theme and size of the cupboards and worktops, and sorting out the right layout of the room are vital elements. But don’t overlook your appliances and fixtures and fittings, as these are equally important and can help make or break the whole functionality as well as the look and feel of the room.

Some things to remember when you’re choosing appliances, fixtures and fittings are:

1 – Do they fit in with the overall kitchen design?

2 – Are they well-made and long lasting?

3 – Will they be practical and easy to use?

5 – Is your choice a design that’s readily available now, and is it likely to still be made if you need replacements in the future?

6 – Does it fit in with your kitchen design budget?

Benchtops

One of the biggest kitchen design decisions you will need to make is the type of benchtops to go for. Your choice will have a big impact on the overall look of your kitchen design, and your benchtop is also the hardest working surface in your kitchen, so durability needs to be factored in. There are plenty of materials to choose from, we have got a brief rundown of some of them for you below.

• Caesarstone: The most popular choice of benchtop material, Caesarstone is made using quartz mixed with resins. Available in a range of colours, from bright whites to dark greys, you can choose either a solid colour or have flecks of different-coloured stone through it to add a pop of colour and mix and match with your appliance, fixtures and fittings choices.
• Laminate benchtops: If your kitchen build is on a tighter budget then laminate will be your best option, but that does not mean you have to compromise on looks. Laminate has the widest range of colours and offers designs that imitate more expensive materials such as timber, stone and even concrete.
• Timber benchtops: Timber can bring a touch of warmth and character to your kitchen when you’re using colder materials like glass and stainless steel elsewhere in the kitchen and offers a classic and country look and feel to your kitchen design.
• Solid surface: Solid surface benchtops are formed from an acrylic resin with a filler of alumina. The joins between each piece of benchtop are invisible after they are installed, so the finish looks like one big slab of stone.
• Polished concrete benchtops: Polished concrete is becoming more common and is often used to add contrast to timber or glossy joinery by using concrete on benchtops, over a wall as a cool backdrop to open shelves or as an island bench and top in one.
• Marble benchtops: Marble is a gorgeous, natural stone that is commonly used in luxury, high-end kitchens as a benchtop and splashback material. It is a classic and stylish option, but it comes with an extremely high installation cost and substantial upkeep.
• Granite benchtops: Granite makes a beautiful and sturdy surface for your kitchen benchtop. However, you’ll need a significant budget – it’s the second most expensive material after marble. On the plus side, there are hundreds of styles and colours to choose and it can withstand pretty much anything.

Cabinetry

One of the most visible aspects of designing your kitchen is the selection of cabinet fronts. Cabinetry (i.e. cupboard/ door/ drawers) comes in a variety of designs, textures and materials. Your overall kitchen design should always guide your choice of cabinets.

There are plenty of options to choose from, from flat modern styles, to Shaker, sliding or soft close and even electronic doors. Finishes can be solid timber joinery to glass, or 2 pac with custom paint colours and finishes. The expert home builders in North Harbour’s Display Village can help you match your inspiration with functionality and design excellence and can work with you to find the best fit for your look and feel, within your budget.

Splashbacks

The splashback you choose will have a dramatic effect on the look and feel of your kitchen.

While often the material used for your benchtops can be also used as your splashback, it isn’t essential that they match and in fact your kitchen splashback is one of the easiest components to have fun with when it comes to kitchen design. You can choose from a variety of materials from glass and tile to stainless steel and more, colour is only limited by your imagination.

Find North Harbour

To check out the latest kitchen designs and tips, visit North Harbour’s Sales and Information Centre & Display Village. Open seven days a week, 10am-5pm, we’re located on the corner of Buckley Road and Fraser Drive, Burpengary East. The Display Village showcases 29 stunning Display Homes (including the latest in stylish and innovative kitchen design) from 14 of Australia’s best new home builders. To find out more about living at North Harbour as well as great First Home Buyer tips sign up for our email updates and find us on Facebook and Instagram (@northharbourliving).