Essentials for Creating a Gourmet Kitchen

Even if you used to hate cooking, when you become a parent the kitchen is the room where most time is spent. Suddenly, you went from chopping up vegetables for a salad or reheating leftovers from the restaurant to spending an entire day cooking and preparing meals and snacks for a week after a trip to the grocery store. You might even find yourself getting excited to tackle a new recipe occasionally. Now that you have a new found love for this room, it is only fitting that you actually create an inspiring gourmet kitchen. You don’t need to do any serious renovating to create the gourmet kitchen you have suddenly been dreaming about.

• Backsplash – A dated or dull kitchen can receive an instant facelift with the right backsplash. The selection is huge, so be prepared to spend a little time making your decision. Subway tiles are very popular right now for this purpose. Stone and stainless steel are also popular used alone or simultaneously.

• Slate Counters – Slater countertops will also make your kitchen look like it’s been remodeled. Slate is one of the most coveted materials used in interior decorating, if you simply don’t have the time or desire to have new counters installed, you can shop for slate fountains instead. There is no reason a water feature can’t be on display in a kitchen. Besides, the sound the cascading water will help keep you calm when your experimental recipe is just are not turning out the way it should. You can pick one up from online stores like SoothingWalls.com.

• New Appliances – You don’t want to replace appliances before necessary, but if you’re in the market, you are probably wondering if you should go with white, black, or stainless steel. This really is a decision only you can make. Black appliances are extremely popular right now, but if they don’t match your current space then they will look awkward. Stainless steel offers a rich appeal, but sometimes you just can’t beat white. On a side note, you may want to look for a range between 49 and 60 inches, so you have more space to work with.

• Lighting – Swap out that drop ceiling light for track lighting. Above the table, consider adding a new pendant light.

• Gadgets – New gadgets will definitely inspire creative cuisine. A few include Vacu Vin Pineapple Slicer, citrus zester, spiralizer, Vitamix (any model), Excalibur dehydrator (any model), mandolin, julienne peeler, salad spinner, garlic press, and a Belkin Kitchen Stand and Wand for your tablet.