Finding Inspiration for Kitchen Design Ideas

Planning a new kitchen design can be a challenging and overwhelming process. This is a major decision—and you will have to live with the results for probably quite a long time. But there are so many different variables involved that the large number of options and combinations can quickly start to make you feel dizzy. You may also find yourself struggling to identify exactly what sort of design vision you would like best.

In this situation, it’s very helpful to have some ideas, examples or creative stimulation to help you think about the possible options you might like. You will likely need some help, and would be smart to rely on a variety of sources to serve as your creative muse. Fortunately, you can draw upon a wealth of resources, many of which are probably all around you. Design inspiration can come from a wide variety of sources.

Start with the obvious sources

To find examples that can jumpstart your creative kitchen visions, don’t overlook the obvious go-to resources. You can go old-school and look through design or home improvement magazines to check out pictures of recent projects. Keep in mind, the projects featured in these magazines are often very ambitious and often seem to have the luxury of an unlimited budget, so it may not be possible for you to recreate the look exactly. But if you find a general style you like, there are frequently ways to get the same basic look for less, using more affordable materials or supplies as a budget-friendly alternative.

Another easy and effective strategy is to visit showrooms (or websites) of suppliers and manufacturers that sell or produce kitchen materials and home improvement supplies. For things like paint and other decorative elements, you can often find samples or color swatches at a home improvement or design store.

Take advantage of technology

These days, you have some great tools literally at your fingertips when you want to research design ideas (or pretty much anything else). There are many websites and online databases where you can browse through a seemingly endless array of images of all different styles of kitchen, with virtually every type of theme and arrangement you can imagine.

You can also use a number of apps designed to help you try out different possibilities and combinations to get a good visual demonstration of how the finished results might look. As a bonus, it is often easy to share these images with others (including family members in your household who will have to live with that space) via email or text messages, so you can get some feedback or input on design elements you are considering.

Some home improvement stores and kitchen product manufacturers also have interactive tools on their websites where you can play around with different layouts and combinations and get a decent visual rendering of how the whole combination of choices would actually look.

Be open to inspiration from anywhere

When you are in urgent need of design inspiration, you can’t afford to ignore any sign. You must be on alert for any sort of element involving style, color or features that evokes a strong reaction, no matter where you may encounter it. A creative spark may come from a quick glance at something that catches your eye or grabs your attention. For example, you may be out at a restaurant or event and notice some design element or color scheme that really strikes a chord with you. If you have an immediate emotional or psychological reaction to something—no matter how minor or trivial that detail may seem—this is often a clue that you have stumbled upon an item that you connect with on an instinctive basis. This is something that can’t be planned or predicted. We often don’t know what we like until we happen to discover it accidentally.

This is often a much smarter strategy than trying to follow trends or jump on a new design bandwagon. That hot new style may seem cool and fun, but trends tend to be short-lived and you may quickly grow sick of it once the novelty wears off. On the other hand, something that connects with you on a natural level is much more likely to make you happy for the long-term.

Enlist your contractor’s input

The important thing is that your contractor doesn’t try to convince you to accept their pre-conceived vision which they come up with before they even me with you. This should be a collaborative process. The bulk of the ideas and vision should be yours, and your contractor can help refine or tweak those ideas, based on their professional expertise and first-hand knowledge of what is possible and which elements will work together well.

At Republic West Remodeling, we love the creative process of brainstorming with clients to come up with the perfect plan for their particular space. We strongly believe that each design should be unique and reflect the individual tastes and personalities of the people living there. We will never try to force you into going with a cookie cutter design. Contact us to discuss your kitchen design ideas.