HAVE YOU EVER been plopped down in the middle of a strange city with no idea of how to get where you needed to go? For many people, designing a kitchen is just as disorienting. Where do you even start? 

If you are navigating a remodel or new build without the help of a professional designer, here are three suggestions that will help you plot a course to your new kitchen.

First Step: Choose a Destination

Why do designer kitchens look so clean and coordinated? Because professionals design with a plan. They know where they’re going and they have a map and a route to get there. You can do the same.

First, choose your destination — the kitchen style. Do you want traditional or modern, lots of decor or minimalist, warm or cool? Write down the words that best describe your dream kitchen and use them to search the internet for inspiration. Soon you will have found your style destination.

Second Step: Create a Roadmap

Once you have your destination in mind, it’s time to create the roadmap — the color palette. With a bazillion colors to choose from, this may seem overwhelming, but it doesn’t have to be. Designers know that the key to great design is simplicity. That’s why they follow this simple formula when building a kitchen color palette: choose one primary color and two complementary colors. Here’s an example.

In this simple palette, a soft white is beautifully accented by various shades of gray from the tile to the island. Black countertops frame the room like a piece of art, while the dark chocolate brown floors inject a complementary dash of color.

A neutral color palette serves as the perfect canvas for exciting pops of color, like a brilliant bouquet of flowers, colorful cookware or other decor. If you get tired of those colors, they are much easier to switch out than cabinets, countertops or flooring.

Third Step: Plan Your Route

So now you know where you’re going and you have a map to get there. The next step is to choose your route — design the kitchen in the proper order.

Decide on colors for the basics — countertops and cabinets, floors and walls — first, before you choose appliances, backsplash or tile, hardware, fixtures and decor. It may be tempting to design your whole kitchen around your favorite ceramic rooster, but that would be a mistake.

If you are contemplating a partial remodel, the route may already be chosen for you if the floor, wall, or cabinet colors cannot be changed. But if you have a choice, experts say, choose the countertops first. Why?

Quality countertops often contain subtle shades and hues or complex patterns. Natural stone slabs will also have color variations. That being the case, it’s much easier to match flooring and cabinets to countertops than vice versa. If an adjustment needs to be made to the tint or shade of the color palette in order to match the perfect granite slab, it’s cheaper to do so before the cabinets are painted rather than after.

Finding your way around a kitchen design is easier when you have a destination, map and route in mind, and WilgusIQ is happy to help you on your journey. Our website and sales staff can support you in choosing countertops that match your lifestyle and color palette. And if you purchase a slab from our onsite inventory, we’ll also take care of it until it’s time for install. Please contact us for more information or showroom hours.