It’s both the most important and most expensive decision in your kitchen remodel: what cabinets and countertops should you choose? For many homeowners, deciding on a pairing can be a difficult decision, only made that much harder by the nearly endless number of options, colors, and styles out there. In this article, we’ll review just a few of the ways you can find countertops and cabinets that fit and work together.
Set your style and vision ahead of time
While you don’t need to have every aspect of your kitchen remodeling project nailed down before you start shopping, it’s best to begin your search with a basic concept and style in mind. For example, if you tell a kitchen designer or contractor that you want a “farmhouse-style kitchen,” they’re going to point you in the direction of natural wood cabinets and white granite countertops, along with that signature farmhouse-style oversized white ceramic sink. In contrast, if something more modern is your taste, they might suggest white cabinets with black quartz and a white, subway tile backsplash. In other words, your general design concept isn’t the end-all, be-all of your project, but it does set the general direction.
There are a wide variety of kitchen styles and design packages out there. Just make sure whatever you choose doesn’t clash with the rest of your home. After all, that farmhouse-style kitchen might look cozy and authentic in a display room but might seem out of place if the rest of your home features modern furniture and neutral colors. When looking at materials, think about whether or not they’d fit in your living room, bedrooms, or bathrooms. That should give you a good idea if everything is going to fit together or not.
Choose one star of the show
Perhaps more than any other aspect of your kitchen or home as a whole, your countertops and cabinets make a strong visual statement. However, one of the most significant issues is when both are simultaneously trying to be the visual focal point. You can avoid this by working with contrasts in both color and style. Thinking about an exotic black quartz countertop? Pair it with pure white cabinets so that it “pops.” In contrast, natural wood cabinets with a lot of grain and knots are best paired with pure white quartz.
As you might imagine, there’s a nearly endless number of combinations at play here. Our advice? Work with a kitchen design professional who has experience helping homeowners plan their kitchen remodels. They’ll be able to point you toward what works and, perhaps more importantly, steer you away from what doesn’t. A second opinion is a must when making such a substantial and significant investment in your home. RPM East Valley can help you get connected with a trusted design professional.
Take samples home with you
In addition to making sure your new cabinet and countertop choices work together and fit the general aesthetic style of your home, you’ll also want to make sure that they look right in your home. You’d be surprised at the degree to which light—both natural sunlight and lamplight—impacts how countertops and cabinets look and play together. If you’re shopping around, ask for sample pieces of your favorite combinations to take home with you. Then, on the weekend, view these sample pieces together in the kitchen at different points in the day. You may want even to consider taking photos of what they look like under different types of light.
If your kitchen has natural light from windows or a skylight, take into consideration what the countertops and cabinets look like at dawn and dusk. Darker cabinets and countertops are maybe even darker at these times of low light. In contrast to sunshine, you do have greater control over what kind of lights you have in your kitchen. Experiment with bright lights hanging where pendant lights would over the kitchen island. If possible, you want to see your countertop and cabinet choices from all angles before settling on your preferences.
For even more design ideas to inspire your kitchen plans, check out this infographic from Superior Stone & Cabinet in Phoenix, Arizona.
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