Designing a kitchen is an expensive project that involves making important decisions about this central room in the home. All the more reason to choose a timeless design that will outlast fads and keep working for you for years to come. Whether you are remodeling or building a kitchen from scratch, here is everything you need to consider to design a kitchen that will stand the test of time.
MEET THE EXPERT
Helen Parker is creative director of deVOL, the United Kingdom-based manufacturer of gorgeous kitchens for the ages.
Forget Trends
It’s easy to get caught up in the urgency of trends, but designing a timeless kitchen is all about tuning out the fleeting style obsessions of the moment to focus on what will endure.
“Trends, I hate that word because it gives people the excuse to keep making rash, sometimes expensive changes to their homes, only to regret it or tire of it in a few years’ time,” says Helen Parker, creative director of deVOL, the UK-based manufacturer of swoon-worthy, timeless kitchens. “I think this way of decorating and styling your home is gradually becoming less of a thing as people become more sustainable and more aware of waste and providence. And most importantly, realizing that style is about longevity.”
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Mix Old and New
One of the easiest ways to design a kitchen that will stand the test of time is to base your design on kitchens that have already stood the test of time. Look back over the last century and you can identify which kitchen styles, layouts, materials, appliances, and decorative elements seem to transcend time.
Parker believes that constantly updating décor “is such an old fashioned and ill-considered way to make a room that feels like home,” adding: “At deVOL, we have always loved the old and new mix and the essential art of buying good quality, lifelong items for your home.”
Mixing and balancing old and new elements will ensure that your kitchen design doesn’t look like either a vintage time capsule or a trendy space that will be dated by next year. Timeless kitchens look like they have always been there, but are functional and well maintained enough to feel perennially fresh and current.
