Buying new furniture for your kitchen can be a daunting prospect, especially if you're looking to try a different approach but can't quite decide on a specific theme. There are so many options available on the market today, making choices may be harder than you expect-you may find yourself wondering what kind of material you want, as well as what kind of colour or finish. Do you want it all to match or to create a more eclectic style? Once you have the answers to these questions, you should be able to make a more informed decision.
But what about those aforementioned options? What about the different types of cabinets, drawers, worktops and splashbacks available? Well, this is all down to your own personal preferences as much as it is about practicality-you need to consider how often you cook, how often you prepare specific varieties of food, and what kind of storage you'll need.
Worktops
If you're liable to order takeaways or buy pre-prepared food on a regular basis, it's fair to say you won't need much space for slicing and dicing ingredients-which means you're free to choose your worktops mainly on their aesthetic value rather than their function. However, if you enjoy cooking and aim to create fresh dishes from scratch most days, you'll find a worktop needs to offer enough space and support, and stands up to extensive use. Solid wood worktops offer robust durability and a stunning look, with numerous finishes available to suit all dcor styles and colour schemes.
Cabinets:
Another important aspect of kitchen furniture is the cabinets. Whether you need to store a large collection of drinking glasses and fine china, or you like to keep lots of fresh fruit and vegetables, cabinets come in all shapes, sizes and styles. No matter if you want a single large cabinet or you'd like to break your storage down into a few smaller units-including corner cabinets, ideal for using up some much-overlooked space-there are pieces to suit all needs. Whilst some are designed to allow items inside to be proudly displayed, there are others designed solely for enclosed storage.
Splashbacks
Splashbacks are a key part of many kitchens today, with a huge selection of materials and colours. Splashbacks provide protection for your cooking area and help to make your kitchen look more professional-they prevent juices hitting the wall, which can sometimes leave stains or require extensive scrubbing. Choosing these may be left until later, as you should have a better idea of how they'll fit in with the other colours and pieces you've selected.
Lance Morrison is a freelance writer and regular contributor to various diverse sites across the web. Amongst his many areas of interest are home furnishings, from kitchen cabinets to sofas; he uses sites such as http://www.solidwoodkitchencabinets.co.uk for research.