Remodeling a kitchen can provide some of the most rewarding returns on your living space, both improving your property and your quality of life. When considering a kitchen remodel, it may be tempting to pop a search like “Kitchen remodel” into Google, but if you’d like to think like a designer, you may want to go out of the box a bit.

Kitchen Renovation Ideas

Kitchens Based in Earthy Tones

Modern kitchens that rely on a mix of muted tones are restful to the eye and timeless. A palette of non-distracting colors like putty, slate, pewter, charcoal, and the like allow homeowners and guests to focus directly on the smells, tastes, and colors of the food itself. Modern kitchen surfaces have more variation than previously, with the authenticity of stone, glass, marble, as well as Corian and laminate, which can provide variety through surface texture, allowing muted tones to be the backdrop for the food.

Kitchens That Utilize Industrial, Ergonomic Sensibilities

Industrial-inspired kitchens have been in vogue for a while, and they will stay a part of the classic, modern kitchen layout for well into the future as they are based on a streamlined and functional esthetic. 

Multi-Functional, Streamlined Islands

Well-designed, freestanding kitchen islands serve many functions, from storage to food preparation to dining. They can be organically shaped like those in the Dune collection, minimalistic like those from Materika, or more traditional like those in the Vintage line. 

Timeless Pocket Doors

These features are great space savers and useful for blocking off items or activity from view, as well as isolating cooking smells. Handy for small kitchen remodel spaces, pocket doors can be incorporated in kitchen cabinet ideas, hide a pantry, or used as entry features, especially if the kitchen space doubles as a laundry space or an area for other activities.

Designs with Bridge Accessories

PEDINI has virtually minted this term to describe their trademark cabinets that span spaces either across walls or over workspaces in elegant, modern collections like the Arkè, Materika, Dune, Arts & Crafts, Artika, and K016 kitchens. 

Sophisticated Track Lighting and Task Lighting in the Kitchen

Most kitchen pictures for architecturally interesting designs show forethought in the lighting features. Sculptural chandelier designs featuring glass orbs and metals or recessed lighting can be used singularly or in tandem.

Reclaimed Wood

This material is startlingly stunning and honest and gives an inviting counterpoint to the sleekness of contrasting metals. It’s symbolically appropriate for kitchens, as wood has been fundamental to cooking with hearths and stoves throughout the ages.  

Brushed Steel with Mid-Toned Wood

 PEDINI celebrates hand-brushed steel’s subtleness, which complements natural woods with less glare than stainless steel artfully in the Xera, La Cucina Esterna collection, whether the buffed steel is used as an accent trim or the primary shelving or cabinetry material.

Glass-Fronted Cabinets

When kitchen layouts allow for more spacious expanses, glass cabinets work well to give a curated look to kitchen remodels. Care needs to be taken to consider the consistency of serving ware or other items that will be stored in these cabinets. This creates a degree of harmony for items perpetually on view. Glass cabinets can make an excellent transitional piece, marrying open kitchens to other living spaces like a dining area or an open loft design.

Outdoor-Styling for Kitchens

Either an actual or implied mix of inviting the outdoors in is an increasingly popular concept for kitchens. If you’re fortunate to live in an extremely temperate environment like South Florida, you can realize a year-round open-air environment like the CookEat design by Pedini. Try bringing an open hearth inside the kitchen or installing a mini greenhouse for herbs.

And Now for 10 Don’ts

As an added bonus, here is a quick list of 10 things to avoid when kitchen remodeling:

  • Don’t try to DIY on a big project like a whole kitchen makeover if you haven’t undertaken other smaller jobs.
  • Don’t get carried away with too much detail that can diminish the whole and make your project look “fussy.”
  • Don’t go with trendy colors. A tempered palette will have timeless appeal and be more restful for the eye.
  • Don’t over-do the stainless steel look, as you’ll spend a lot of time chasing streaks, and your kitchen may feel cold.
  • Don’t overlook ventilation needs.
  • Don’t fail to consider ways of hiding or disguising appliances like dishwashers.
  • Don’t omit sharing with your designer the heights of people planning to use the kitchen. This can affect the rise of kitchen food prep counters, seating, and more.
  • Don’t forget to let your kitchen designer know the “essential” kitchen activities and appliances you want to store in your kitchen. 
  • Don’t be afraid to use unusual materials in unusual places. Go ahead and put wood floors in the kitchen or a cow skin rug in the breakfast nook.
  • Don’t skimp on custom, built-in dividers when cabinets are built. You will appreciate them in keeping your kitchen stow-and-go ready. 

Takeaway

If you are located in the South Florida area, searching for “kitchen remodel near me” will provide an overwhelming number of results, including an array of contractors, handymen, and more. To get an idea of the range of the cost of a kitchen remodel, you may wish to view PEDINI’s post for insights into what to factor into design planning. Our Premium luxury modern kitchen design will teach you everything you need to know about luxury kitchens to help you envision the perfect space.

If you’d like an impeccably designed kitchen and are in the Miami or Fort Lauderdale area, take the time to visit PEDINI Miami’s showroom in Coral Gables, or keep your eyes out for the opening of the Fort Lauderdale showroom in 2021. And no matter where you’re located, you can take a virtual tour of some of PEDINI’s beautiful kitchens on YouTube, which illustrates just how timeless these kitchens are.