The kitchen is no longer a place just for cooking or preparing food and American kitchens have seen a huge shift towards kitchens that are where the whole family spends their time. There\’s a reason the kitchen is the heart of the home, and that\’s because it\’s where everyone goes. Regardless of the size of the kitchen, guests and family members seem to flock to the kitchen, often filling it beyond capacity and leaving other rooms in the house empty. Modern kitchen design has seen that formal dining rooms aren\’t as important as they used to be, and because they have been falling out of style, modern kitchen design for 2012 is trending towards the timeless look of an Italian family kitchen. Go for open spaces and efficient storage space design for your kitchen to accomodate the family as well as traditional kitchen needs.
You don\’t need to be Italian to enjoy an Italian-inspired kitchen design. American kitchens are rapidly changing to reflect the realities of our home life. In fact, your kitchen no longer needs to follow any standard. Just because a specific kitchen design was popular in the past or among your neighbors doesn\’t mean it\’s appropriate for your home or your needs. Italian kitchens are large and open, allowing everyone to at least be able to view the activity in the kitchen, if not be a part of it directly, and there\’s room for everyone to lend a hand. Eating in the kitchen has always been popular, but now it\’s being planned for with eat-in islands and bar stool peninsulas.
Creating a realistic view of your kitchen will make it easier to work in and facilitate your home life. Your kitchen design should represent your style preferences, your cooking habits and the amount of time you actually spend in your kitchen compared to other rooms of the house. Take the time to go over your kitchen habits: is breakfast always eaten in the kitchen and dinner usually at the table? Would you like your dining table to be in the kitchen or separated by a bar? Will you sometimes need additional food preparation space when entertaining, but don\’t have the square footage to add on to the kitchen? Open kitchen designs solve most of these questions and allow for maximum flexibility.
When creating an Italian-inspired kitchen, don\’t forget about color. Italian colors are vibrant, bright and food inspired, which are ideal for kitchens. Light and colors reflect natural light, which you ideally want to have plenty of, to seem more spacious and airy, and this can greatly help small kitchens. Being in your kitchen will seem more exciting with bright colors. Use food as an example: tomatoes, bread, basil and lemons are classic Italian ingredients that create inspiring moods and encourage the family to gather in the kitchen.
Italian kitchens are also famous for their tiles. Although most American kitchens use tile countertops, your kitchen can still get a classic Italian look without using tile on your countertops. Tiled back splash is a great complement to Italian style, and will help your kitchen contribute to a unified theme or offer a contrast. Tiles come in many colors and selecting several for your kitchen can tie in appliances, cabinets and colors all at once. Your Italian-inspired modern kitchen will look great for 2012 but will remain a timeless look.
Want to find out more about kitchen remodel, then visit Kitchen Designer San Diego site on how to choose the best kitchen designs for your needs.