Top Luxury Kitchen Design Ideas

The kitchen has always been the heart of the home and has emerged as a multifunctional space, catering for all our needs. A modern kitchen design is where we dine, work, entertain and relax in addition to preparing and cooking food.

The world of kitchen design has responded to this lifestyle shift by embracing open plan living. A functional kitchen remodel has sufficient storage, workspace, and seating areas that are unified by a style that suits the overall house interior. There are several ways you can transform a kitchen design into a luxurious space that works for you. By investing in a high-end kitchen, you make your life easier, but also add value to your home. Here are our top ten luxury kitchen remodeling ideas.

1. Make Space for a High Performing Kitchen Island.

Islands are ideal for so many things in a kitchen design, not least serving as both a both a functional and style focal point. Plan your kitchen design around a large island that can function in several different ways. It can be where you prep meals on a durable but aesthetic work surface which can also be a place to serve food and drinks to guests. Your island is capable of storing cooking equipment, recipe books and even pet bedding, leaving floor space clear. Cantilevered islands can be segregated into zones, with lower areas for seating. You can even extend the lower counter into the living area adjacent to your kitchen design, making a clever dining space that unifies an open plan design. 

Or, in a very large kitchen remodel include more than one island, with one designated for entertaining and the other for food prep!

Appliances such as dishwashers or built-in coffee machines can all find a home in a tailor-made island. For the ultimate kitchen appliance upgrade, add The Galley Ideal Workstation to your island (or anywhere in your kitchen design for that matter!). This is more than a kitchen sink, with customizable sizes, styles, and accessories to fit every kitchen remodel. It will change the way you live and work in your kitchen, and enhance your home life for years to come!

2. Decide on a Lighting Scheme at the Planning Stage of your Kitchen Remodel.

Lighting is essential but how you position it, with the right choice of fixtures, is what takes your kitchen remodel to the next level. A large, open plan design needs lighting to be multifunctional, yet stylish and inviting. Plan your layered lighting at the beginning of your remodel so you’re not disrupting newly finished walls and ceilings. Skylights and large windows are perfect for flooding your remodel with natural light. The most important thing to consider is strong lighting over workspaces.

After that, try to keep lighting to a minimum by using fixtures that work in different ways and can be controlled by dimmer switches. Try track lighting, which can be moved, or recessed ceiling lights that swivel to focus on different places. Light items you want to display such as art or glass cabinet contents. Why not uplight your island for an elegant floating effect? For a luxe touch, invest in impressive decorative lighting such as a designer lamp or statement pendant. It should work with your kitchen’s style but be something special that you love. Switches in high-end metal finishes put the finishing touch to your luxury kitchen lighting scheme.   

3. Countertops Raise the Bar.

Choose the most high-end countertop material you can afford to make your cabinets and island look as luxurious as possible. The key is to choose a durable material, so it retains its beautiful appearance and is easy to maintain. Marble is a classic choice, but quartz is exceptionally durable and can imitate marble very well. Granite takes slightly more maintenance than quartz but is a stylish and quality choice. Wood can look stunning in the right shade and finish. Dark tones go well with light cabinetry. Another option is to go for a pop of color on your island and then ever-popular grey, taupe or white on countertops.

4. Make Your Backsplashes a Focal Point.

Backsplashes are coming to the fore this year especially in line with the trend to replace upper cabinets with open shelving. Covering the backsplash area in a continuous slab is a huge trend. You can choose to make an impact with an expensive material, as it’s just one wall section but can go right up to the ceiling to create a stunning focal point. Resin, marble, copper, wood and quartz are some materials being used in a range of shades and finishes. The lack of grout also makes this type of backsplash low maintenance.

Large format tiles are also stunning, with a range of patterns and colors, but you can also keep the color scheme monotone but dress it up with interesting textures. Or stick to a smaller tile but use this surface to inject some color into your ktichen design. Finish this area off with a top of the range extractor hood to compliment your backsplash. The latest models are art pieces in their own right, coming in dramatic shapes, sizes, and materials. 

5. Customize Your Storage for a High-End Look.

Everyone’s storage requirements are different, so the best way to cater for your needs is to plan storage solutions with a kitchen design expert. At Woodmaster we have a wide range of options to suit your needs and style. Full length wall-to-wall cabinetry is very popular and perfect for concealing all kitchen essentials while retaining a sleek look. You can integrate large appliances like refrigerators and dishwashers into your kitchen design as well as concealing garbage and recyclables for a streamlined appearance.

Small appliances can be contained in appliance garages or put on appliance lifts within cabinetry to be easily raised to countertop level. Pull-out racks, lazy susans and drawer dividers are some other internal solutions that can be utilized anywhere. A pantry is unbeatable for storing food and kitchen items that are used less often. Finally, anything on display on countertops or shelving should be kept in a container to compliment the style of your luxury kitchen remodel.

6. Try a Chic Color Combination.

Color brings character and warmth to a kitchen, but how do you get a high-end look? White never fails, but this season sees rich, opulent shades in kitchen design. Navy, dark green, plum, deep red, chocolate brown and black are all in vogue and can be combined with lighter or contrasting shades on upper cabinetry or islands. Blush pink and mid-blue are also on trend and less intense. If you don’t want to commit to a lot of color then use accents shades on light fixtures, drapes, upholstery and accessories. When it comes to color, blend as much or as little as you want into your kitchen design, but keep your palette to a minimum for an elegant look.

 7. Choose High-End Cabinet Doors.

Kitchen cabinets dictate the overall style of your kitchen remodel. Go for a quality material for a high-end kitchen design. As mentioned, current trends in kitchen design are embracing sleek, full height kitchen cabinets, especially touch-release, to give a streamlined flow throughout your kitchen remodel. Reclaimed wood is popular for these types of cabinets but they also work well in a high shine finish, either in white or an intense color. Classic, shaker doors are always a good choice and can be updated by going for a dark shade like navy or black.

Cabinet pulls, like jewelry, accessorize your design and change the look of any cabinetry, so don’t be afraid to try an unusual material to make a big impact. Matte black or brass pulls are excellent choices as they are both on trend and high quality. Go for a brushed finish to contemporize brass and pair it with cooler toned cabinetry to let it stand out. Black is an excellent contrast to white doors, and leather is another trendy look for hardware. Whatever you choose will make a huge difference to your kitchen design style if it is well thought out.

8. Go with Your Dream Faucet.

As with cabinet hardware, matte black and satin brass are the latest trends for faucets. These, along with gold and copper, are more likely to bring luxury to a design than ever-reliable chrome or nickel, though the latter are always a classic choice. Your faucet doesn’t have to match your cabinet hardware, just compliment it, so choose what works with your sink. Large, commercial style options with pull down spray faucets really make a statement and curvy bridge style faucets are the perfect blend of farmhouse and modern kitchen design. Sensor-operated faucets and models that release boiling or carbonated water are all expensive choices but are perfect in a luxury kitchen design where form and function combine to make life easier.

9. Don’t Scrimp on Flooring.

A luxury kitchen remodel needs flooring that won’t easily damage or disintegrate. As a high traffic area, especially if you have kids and pets, kitchen flooring must be durable and ideally easy to maintain. The good news is that there are many hard-wearing and aesthetic options to ramp up the style and functionality of your kitchen design. Concrete, terrazzo, bamboo and hardwood are all different but durable materials that can give you the look you desire. Ceramic flooring is hardwearing and can imitate many materials that might be less durable. Why not mix and match different types of flooring to create zones in your kitchen design? For a really luxe touch, add underfloor heating so whatever material you choose will never be cold underfoot.

10. Technology Can Be Your Future.

There’s no doubt that incorporating technology into your kitchen design makes it a more efficient and desirable place to be. Timed appliances, heat and lighting, smart refrigerators that order supplies as well as trash cans that keep track of discarded bar codes can improve your life immeasurably.  Aesthetically designed appliances that connect to devices give the best of both worlds. You can leave a stylish coffee machine out on your countertop, or better yet include a built-in model, and trust it will have your morning coffee ready when you appear. A smart oven that has dinner ready when you are means that your kitchen design is working for you. Embrace the many benefits that today’s technological advances have to offer and incorporate them into your high-end kitchen remodel to make a space where you can work, entertain and relax in style.

Check out our kitchen design gallery to further inspire your remodel. At Woodmaster, we combine our experience and knowledge of design to make each project work for our clients. Contact us today to embark on your luxury kitchen remodel.