Navigating a Luxury Kitchen Remodel

Remodeling your kitchen, especially if you’re upgrading to a high luxury look, takes a great deal of planning and expertise. There are many important factors to consider in order to achieve the look and functionality you want. That’s why it’s essential to partner with a professional interior design team with years of experience designing high-end kitchens. The right team can offer insight and guide you every step of the way as you work together to achieve your vision.  As a team with just such experience, we have put together a few tips for three different areas of the planning phase—logistics, materials and style—that have proven effective in helping our clients get spectacular results.

Logistics 

Consider lead times

Supply chain delays have increased lead times for many materials integral to a luxury kitchen remodel including appliances, cabinetry, windows and specialty materials, especially favorite luxury brands. Depending on which materials you choose, these delays can definitely affect your project’s timeline.  

Your contractor and interior design team can help you understand lead times and give you an array of options to choose from in order to get your project finished in a timely manner. 

How to handle high-end materials 

High-end materials need to be handled with care. It is best to have a design team that is well versed in the details of the materials available in order to help homeowners make the right choice.  For example, if a homeowner chooses a delicate, handcrafted tile and wants to install it next to existing flooring, the transitions between the two surfaces take on greater importance. Material thickness for application needs to be addressed before construction begins. These details can make or break the quality of a project and thinking them through in advance is imperative. 

Function 

The heart of the kitchen 

Sinks and faucets are the workhorses of the kitchen. Therefore, choosing the best location and type of sink is essential for maximum functionality. We often start by asking clients about how they work in the kitchen on a daily basis as well as how they like to entertain. We take their preferences into consideration and will recommend a stainless basin sink if they cook with large heavy-duty pans often. If they like to let items soak to hand clean, we suggest a split basin sink with garbage disposals on each side.

Once we get a feel for how our clients live in their kitchen, we are able to plan for what will function best, as well as fit the design aesthetic.

Update lighting

It’s easy to get caught up in the style and organizational aspects of updating your kitchen, but now is also a great time to update the lighting. Consider your needs as you plan for the three types of lighting in your kitchen-overhead lighting, task lighting (e.g. under cabinet lighting), and ambient lighting. Each aspect is important for providing the best functionality and look for your kitchen.

Style 

Choose hardware

For a high-end look, don’t choose the same metal finish for all of your needs in the kitchen. Instead, mix it up with metals such as chrome, polished brass, satin nickel, and oil-rubbed bronze for the faucets, light fixtures, and cabinet hardware. This will give your space a higher overall design.

Think of mixing metals in horizontal layers. For instance, if lighting at eye level is a warm brass tone, choose an oil-rubbed bronze finish for the faucets and perhaps antique brass hardware for lower cabinetry.

Add interest with two-toned cabinets

Multiple colors of cabinetry give your kitchen a fresh, custom look. Consider the tone or mood you want your kitchen to convey. Go low contrast and choose coordinated tones for a calm, serene space. For a livelier space, go high contrast and choose clean white perimeter cabinets with an energetic color on the island.

For best results with two-toned cabinetry, make sure two of the following match: upper cabinets, lower perimeter cabinets, island, and tall cabinets such as panel-ready refrigerator and pantry.

Sara Marcille is Principal Interior Designer at Mountain Home Collective located in Bozeman and Whitefish, Montana. Dedicated to creating thoughtfully authentic and luxurious interiors, their offerings are uniquely tailored to their clients’ visions and needs. Contact Sara at 406-579-2324, email her at sara@mtnhomecollective.com, or visit mtnhomecollective.com.

Content for this article provided by Mountain Home Collective.

PROJECT PARTNERS: Crazy Mountain Construction, Onyx Tile, Quest Cabinetry, Rawurth Designs and Urban Electric