Keep The “Wow” Factor Alive by Creating a Timeless Kitchen

For many homeowners, their “forever home” and their dream home are not the same thing. Often, a forever home is the perfect size and layout, but the floors, surfaces, and paint aren’t what you’ve always dreamt of. If you find yourself in this situation, then remodeling is a great way to turn your forever home into your dream home.

Most homeowners don’t want to upgrade or remodel their home every five years. It’s expensive, disruptive, and time-consuming. If you want to fall in love with your kitchen day after day for years to come, create a kitchen that stands the test of time. Not sure how to do this? Read on for some tips on creating a timeless kitchen that will still wow you in 15 or more years. 

Say No to Super Trendy Spaces 

Trends are great. They are fun, cool, and chic… for a while. Do you remember the Brady Bunch kitchen? It had deep orange Formica countertops, dark brown faux wood cabinets, a seafoam refrigerator with matching appliances, and bucket seat chairs with garish orange cushions. 

The Brady Bunch kitchen sounds pretty bad now, but the colors and style were trendy, and many homeowners followed suit in the 1970s to create two decades of loud mismatched kitchens that did not age well. New owners could not wait to gut these once-trendy kitchens.  

Choose something functional and visually appealing, but not so “in the moment” that you will regret it in just a few years. 

Create Custom Storage 

Custom storage solutions in the kitchen help keep your space clean and easy to use. Consider adding custom storage solutions where you can hide small appliances to keep your counters uncluttered. 

You can even hide a full-sized pantry behind sleek doors or sliding panels to keep the spacious, clean feeling of your space. A full-size pantry with shelves and drawers gives you the space you need to store food, special occasion dinnerware, and bulky appliances out of sight. 

Complementary Appliances

Appliances are constantly changing and getting better and more convenient. One of the latest and greatest advancements is easy-to-clean stainless steel. This appliance finish is beautiful and ages very well. However, an entire kitchen of stainless steel appliances may feel a little too sterile to some homeowners. 

Be selective with the finishes and colors you choose. If you love stainless steel and want one or two pieces, try breaking it up with a dishwasher or refrigerator in a neutral finish. You’ll create a beautiful contrast that’s just the right amount of trendy to feel chic while still standing the test of time.  

Splurge on Quality Cabinets

Quality costs, but it also lasts. One of the best tips we can offer for creating a timeless kitchen is to invest in durable materials that will function well and stay beautiful for decades. When you purchase high-quality cabinets, they’ll be able to stand up to refacing in a few years if you decide that you want to change the finish, but not the layout. A cabinet reface is a quick, affordable update that can keep your space fresh with minimal demolition and a reasonable price tag. 

Kitchen Furniture 

Unique kitchen tables made from doors or pallets set a certain tone that you may love now, but you might grow tired of it after a few years. If you want to create a timeless kitchen, then choose staple pieces, like a dining table, that are more basic and classic in design. Instead of making your table the trend, make your table decor trendy. It’s easy and affordable to switch out tabletop decor with the season, but not so easy or affordable to purchase a new table every year. 

Simple Sinks 

Work areas like the sink are a great place to save a little money by choosing durable materials rather than something trendy. If you go with a decorative design for your kitchen sink, it may begin to look shabby after a few years of heavy use. Stainless steel and porcelain sinks are classic because they last for decades without degrading. Best of all? A basic sink won’t take away from your beautiful countertops and backsplash, which are the real showpieces of your kitchen. 

Plumbing Fixtures

High-quality plumbing fixtures can be a little pricey, but with regular cleaning, they can still look shiny and new after many years. Because replacing faucets is affordable for most homeowners, this is one area of your kitchen design where you may want to have a little fun. Try a dark, oil-rubbed bronze and swap it out in a few years for chrome or gold. Changing your faucet can give your space a new pop for a low price.  

Paint and Wallpaper

Bold wallpapers are hard to match to other decor, and they go out of style quickly. Worse, wallpaper can be a real pain to remove and replace. Instead of flexing your creativity with the wall design, focus on photos or wall art that you can swap out quickly. 

While most homeowners are comfortable painting their homes, choosing solid, subtle colors rather than dark or bright paint will help you stay in love with your space for many years.

Bonus: light-colored walls make your space feel more open and airy. 

Keep it Natural with a Great Countertop

The countertop is the showpiece of the kitchen and sets the style and tone for the entire space.  Natural stone surfaces, such as granite, quartz, or soapstone add elegance and class, durability, and a timelessness unlike any other feature. 

Laminate countertops may seem like a good option at first because they’re affordable, but they can become unglued from the particleboard after repeated exposure to heat and require replacement or extensive maintenance. The color can also fade in the sun or in areas of heavy use.

However, with minimal care, natural stone surfaces can still be as beautiful in three or four decades as they are the day that you have them installed. No matter your taste, there’s a natural stone that will suit your style. 

For example, soapstone is a gorgeous, deep grey, and each slab has a one-of-a-kind veining pattern. The stone is heat-resistant, crack-resistant, and doesn’t require much maintenance. Granite, on the other hand, can have a busier pattern that incorporates more colors. It’s a classic with homeowners because of its beauty and design versatility. In the last few years, quartz has become more and more popular because it’s even lower-maintenance than other surfaces. Plus, it’s man-made, so the design possibilities are endless. 

Create a Timeless Kitchen with Alpha Surfaces

We offer a wide variety of natural stone surfaces to suit any style or space. If you’d like to see a selection of our materials, stop by and browse our remnant collection. You can get inspiration for your timeless space, or use one of our affordable remnants to update a small surface in your home.