If you’ve resolved to remodel your kitchen this year you may be looking for some of the hottest trends in kitchen design and new ideas to make the space functional for cooking, storage and entertaining. We are always looking for the latest trends too.
We thought we would share some of the best resources we’ve found to help homeowners plan their kitchen remodeling projects. We scour a variety of media in search of great kitchen design ideas including magazines, television programs and the latest online websites for homeowners and designers. Here are some of our favorites:
1. Neal’s Design • Remodel Showroom
Why not start by visiting our showroom to see kitchen design ideas implemented? Our 5,500 square foot showroom features kitchen displays created by Certified Kitchen Designer Connie Hampton. Products you will find include Woodmode and Brookhaven cabinetry, countertop options, flooring, tile, hardware, fixtures, moldings, kitchen furnishings and accents. We offer seminars to help you plan your project and we have an online “Idea Center” where you can find information about home design trends and ideas from our blog. You can also download our “Homeowner’s Guide to Kitchen Remodeling” which discusses setting a budget and establishing priorities for your project.
2. Better Homes and Gardens Magazine
Generations have relied on Better Homes and Gardens Magazine for home design ideas. BH&G was first published in 1922 and is the fourth best selling magazine in the U.S. according to Wikipedia. The magazine’s publisher, Meredith Corporation, also publishes a number of special interest magazines under the BH&G brand that provide information about kitchens and baths, storage and whole house remodeling. The BH&G website is free and fun to browse with many great resources you can download. BH&G is a source for product information including appliances, cabinets, flooring, furnishings and paint colors.
3. Midwest Living Magazine
Meredith Corporation also publishes Midwest Living Magazine. Founded in 1987 and printed six times a year (bi-monthly), the magazine has a readership of over 4 million and is targeted to residents of 12 heartland states offering regional lifestyle content. ML has great photography and a free online site that you can search for kitchen ideas and other topics such as food, travel, home and garden.
4. House Beautiful Magazine
What sets House Beautiful apart from other publications is its focus on American interior designers. On the HB website you will find tips about kitchen design, planning and even interior color options.
5. HGTV
HGTV has many great programs and a website, HGTV.com, featuring projects designed by some of the best interior designers in the country. The website includes videos from shows and how-to-do-it information. The content is easy to browse and changes daily. Photos are in high detail. The Designer Portfolio features hundreds of innovative kitchen designs. Hearst publications introduced HGTV Magazine to the market in 2011. In 2012, five issues were published and 10 issues are planned for 2013.
6. Houzz
Many homeowners find Houzz – a website for home design, remodeling and building – to be very helpful for collecting ideas and sharing them with their contractor. The website allows you to browse photos by room, style and metro area (e.g., Cincinnati). If you set up a free account, you can create “Ideabooks” by adding favorite photos of projects you find on the site. The content on Houzz continues to grow everyday as architects, interior designers, builders and consumers add photos and blog articles to the site. Check out Neal’s Houzz page. We’ll be adding to it in the upcoming months.
7. Pinterest
Pinterest is a social media scrapbook that allows you to create pin boards of images of interest to you. It was developed in 2009 and launched in 2010 so it’s a relatively new website with a growing interest. If you’re planning a remodeling project you can create a free Pinterest account and collect photos of design ideas and products from virtually anywhere on the Internet. In our blog articles, you’ll find “Pin It” buttons attached to photos, which makes it easy for you to add directly to a “board” in your account. Check out some of our boards on Neal’s Pinterest Page.
8. National Kitchen & Bath Association
NKBA has an online “Inspiration Gallery” that you can browse to see some incredible kitchens in a range of styles equipped with some of the latest products on the market.
We hope that you find this list helpful in gathering ideas for your own home. We would like to invite you to meet with one of our project consultants or designers to discuss your project. We love to answer questions and share ideas.
