Whether you live in a downtown high-rise condo or in a large single-family home, chances are that the kitchen plays an integral part of your everyday life. Often referred to as “the heart of the home,” the kitchen often serves as much more than an area to cook meals. For many families, it is where friends and family gather to enjoy company, where homework is done, and it can even serve as an office.
Regardless of your kitchen’s style or size, this room has to not only look good, but it also has to be functional. The kitchen is usually one of the larger investments in a home and, as such, it is a critical area when it comes to remodeling your home. Whether you are thinking about remodeling your kitchen to prepare to sell your home or just because it is outdated and does not suit your current lifestyle, there are some key things that you can do to breathe new life into this essential space. Try to incorporate just a few of these newest trends into your remodel and you can have a brand new look without breaking the bank.
1. Countertops: Tops When it Comes to Being Eco-Friendly
Today’s hottest kitchens look beyond the normal granite and stone that have been a staple of kitchen design. Today’s cooks and home buyers are looking for something different, yet desire all the function and ease-of-use of granite. Recycled glass tops are available in a great range of colors and patterns. Selections from Vetrazzo are made from old cola, wine, beer and liquor bottles and are a great way to be stylish and eco-friendly. Wood countertops, such as those from Grothouse, are available in renewable woods such as bamboo, and offer an eco-friendly solution with a traditional look. Think about adding one of these exciting new countertops to an island, bar area or desk area to give your kitchen the style and excitement it needs, while also being environmentally responsible.
2. Vent Hoods: Art
for the Kitchen
If the kitchen is the heart of the home, then the cooktop and hood have always been at the heart of the kitchen. Today’s kitchens feature state-of-the-art hood ventilation systems that not only offer superior performance, but also provide terrific “eye candy,” as well. Forget the old, tired microwave and hood vent combination; throw out the matching wood hood. Today’s hoods feature stainless steel, hammered copper, limestone and even glass, wrapped up in slicker designs that can fit any style of kitchen.
Yes, today’s hoods are as functional as they are artful. Companies such as Elica offer contemporary shapes and styles not even dreamed of several years ago. Wonderful old-world stone hoods from Francois & Co. offer terrific function and provide incredible drama and architecture in any kitchen. All of today’s hoods feature the latest in LED lighting, easy-to-clean grates and filters, and quiet fans so you can enjoy conversation with family and friends.
3. Hardware: Not Just Your Mother’s Brass Knobs
For the simplest and least expensive way to give your kitchen a boost, try one of the many terrific hardware pulls and knobs that are available today - there are almost as many choices as there are kitchens. Whether your tastes are clean, simple and modern or traditional and ornate, there is new cabinetry hardware waiting for you to try. Some of the coolest new trends involve streamline chrome designs incorporating glass or other earthy materials.
Atlas Homewares features many new styles that combine the traditional with a hint of something modern. How about lucite, leather or rattan? All of these materials are available to give your kitchen a unique personality. Remember, you can mix two or three styles within one kitchen; for instance, glass doors can have different hardware than others, or the island can become a focal point with its own unique knobs or pulls. Just remember to keep finishes similar and you can’t go wrong.
4. Cabinetry: Traditional
with a Twist
One of the latest trends that seems to be here for the duration is simpler, more streamlined cabinetry. If you want to make a major change to your kitchen, nothing does it better than new cabinetry.
Today’s newest kitchen trends take us to simpler door styles: simple doors with no panel or a simple flat panel, and drawers void of details. Think sleek, simple and smooth. And yet these kitchens are far from the cold, modern look that you might expect. This new look incorporates warm traditional woods, mainly stained dark; simple details, like coved crown moulding; and traditional finishes, such as stainless steel and glass. It is in the balance between the warm woods of yesterday and the sleek, clean styling of today that creates the look of today’s kitchen. The stainless steel of today’s appliances is finding its way onto the cabinetry itself, with steel frame glass doors and stainless hardware. Glass, a traditional material, becomes very current when used to create floating shelves or when frosted for cabinet door fronts. The dark cherry wood of the past has been superseded by dark coffee-stained, green/renewable woods such as bamboo and lyptus.
When thinking about remodeling your kitchen, remember this: it has to function for lifestyle and cooking habits, but at the same time it can be modern, up-to-date and a focal point of your home. With just a few new items, your outdated, tired kitchen can look like a brand new work of art. 
Would you like to have your design dilemma considered for an upcoming issue? Just send an e-mail to designerguy@haskellinteriors.com.
Hank Matheny, ASID, IIDA is the owner and principal designer of Haskell Interiors Design Collection located in historic downtown Cleveland, Tennessee. www.haskellinteriors.com.