Kitchens are the hub of the home and withstand a great deal of use. They’ve become the place we spend most of our waking time in the house, becoming much more than just somewhere to cook – they’re a hive of socialising, recreational use and relaxing – so naturally, they deal with a great deal of wear and tear.
Even more so for bustling family life, a kitchen is put through its paces when it comes to the little things like crumbs or spills, to more permanent damage like scrapes and scuffs. It’s essential that your kitchen can live up to the everyday challenges of a busy lifestyle and keep looking as good as the day you installed it – one thing we’ve found is that a darker kitchen can bring with it enhanced practicalities and benefits. Intrigued? Read on…
Clever disguise
Acting as an interior design optical illusion, dark work surfaces, cabinetry and flooring are ideal for disguising any mess before you have the time to clean them up. Especially useful for bustling family life when its difficult to stay on top of the never ending chaos, darker surfaces reduce the visibility of those scattered crumbs and accidental spills.
Material matters
Consider also the materials you choose to make up your kitchen. A quartz worktop, for example, is far hardier than laminate, likewise real stone floors in comparison to vinyl, so the quality of construction is important. Investment in quality products the short term equates to greater longevity of your kitchen and less money spent in upkeep and maintenance, or even replacement of fittings that have become damaged.
Four-legged companions
If you are a paw parent, then your beloved pet will be just as much a part of the family as your human children. But our beloved furry friends bring a new wave of mess and dirt, with muddy pup prints to worry about in addition to your sticky-fingered children. Opting for darker colours helps to disguise shed fur or any muck brought in from outside.
Style and substance
But there is no reason that having a family should mean the sacrifice of aesthetic interiors. Choosing a dark kitchen perfectly combines practicality with a statement look that creates ambience to offer a space you really do want to spend time in. Dark colours add warmth and character needed in a family home. Farrow and Ball give ideal advice for choosing paint colours, suggesting to either embrace a sumptuous palette with rich tones or lighten the look by painting higher elements such as walls with white or soft greys to lighten the overall look.
Finishing touches
It doesn’t all have to be dark – elements such as accessories and hardware can add a touch of luxury, by replacing stainless steel taps and handles with brushed brass, upgrading appliances and adding in characterful artwork or furniture.
Are you being drawn over to the dark side? Read our guide, The art of darkness: How to design the perfect dark kitchen, to inspire your own renovation project.
Images Source: Caesarstone
