Creating designer kitchens

Written by Amy Whittle

Designer kitchens are constructed to incorporate current trends and contemporary materials in a form that is customized to a specific home and homeowner. While some designs may increase the resale value of a home, outdated designer kitchens may present a selling challenge.

Advantages of designer kitchens

Designer kitchens make use of traditional wisdom as well as contemporary design trends to create the best kitchen for your available space. Trained professionals who design these kitchens can accommodate any aesthetic or functional need. They often make use of expensive materials such as custom cabinetry, stone countertops, and stainless steel appliances to further upgrade the room’s appearance.

For homeowners who regularly use their kitchens, special accommodations can be made to increase the kitchen's utility. For regular bakers, a double oven and a built-in pantry for dry ingredients may be appropriate. Fans of ethnic food may want a range top stove that accommodates a wok or tandoori. Large families may require extra space for food storage, or even a second refrigerator or freezer.

In homes that have heavily-designed interiors, a customized kitchen may be necessary to complement the rest of the home. Often, these kitchens are completed by the interior designer who makes plans for the rest of the home ensuring continuity throughout the space.

Disadvantages of designer kitchens

For homeowners concerned about resale value, designer kitchens may not be appropriate. A customized kitchen will cost more than most standardized kitchen designs, and could take longer to recoup costs that beyond basic renovations. Prospective buyers may not appreciate the design choices that were made, even if they are tasteful and contemporary. When purchasing a home, many buyers plan on making aesthetic renovations and they could be unwilling to pay for design features they intend on removing.

When reselling a home, another large concern is the perceived age of the interior design. Kitchens that incorporate several current trends may later appear dated, making the home difficult to resell. Of course, homeowners who intend to stay in their home for several years should not worry about customizing their kitchens to their own tastes. Most kitchens should be updated every 10 years making it easy to alter small details to contemporize the current design.

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