On trend: Exposed kitchen cabinets

Photo: cambriastyle.com

This is one trend that has had staying power. I see it as an easy way to define a colour scheme for a kitchen that lacks personality. It goes well with all kitchen styles, especially industrial chic.

Do this if:

• ·      You want to create an unaffected look – think casual urban or simple country living
• ·      You want a low-cost update for an uninspiring kitchen
• ·      You need easy access to your most-used kitchen kit
• ·      You want to create a focal-section amongst your cabinetry

Photo: curlby.com

Beware: This is a high-maintenance look. You will need to dust regularly, keep shelves neat at all times and you may find yourself needing to replace mismatched sets to create uniformity.

How to pull it off:

1. Discipline! Pick a theme and stick to it. Limit yourself to 2 colours (3 is probably pushing it) and be strict with yourself. Anything more and you will have a look that is difficult to pull off without seeming cluttered. You can play around with a palette e.g. white and cream; blue and green; red and white… and create a playful, fresh or muted finish.

Photo: shelterness.com

Photo: artisanspecialties.com

2. Consistency: Choose a look and make sure each item you display complements it i.e. do some styling – e.g. terracotta, glazed pottery, Danish blue and white, metallic…

Photo: theinspiredroom.com

3. Be discerning: Only show your pretty crockery – displaying Tupperware with curry stains or chipped cups with no saucers does nothing for mankind. Those can go in the pantry or your closed storage below the bench.

Photo: blogs.homes.com

EXAMPLE OF WHAT NOT TO DO
Photo: roomzaar.com

4. Refinish cabinetry if necessary (repaint, fill holes from removed hinges, replace old cabinets with neat shelves). This style draws attention to your cabinets so you have to make sure your shelves show off your crockery attractively. Idea: Removing cabinets altogether and replacing them with simple shelving from a hardware store is a great, potentially cost-saving alternative.

5. Keep it simple: Keep the rest of your kitchen décor (accessories, artwork etc.) simple – don’t take attention away from your tasteful crockery. This will create a cluttered look that will destroy the fresh, unaffected look you are trying to achieve.

Photo: apartmenttherapy.com