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How to Blend Your Kitchen Design with Your Living Space

Ivory painted kitchen cabinets with stained walnut island, bar with floating shelvesHaving the kitchen connected to a living area has its benefits, such as interacting with guests and family while cooking or keeping an eye on the kids while doing the dishes. But one of the challenges can be โ€” how do you make the rooms feel distinct but still complementary? Here are some tips on how to successfully blend your kitchen design with your living space.

โ€œWhether youโ€™re choosing a more open-concept approach to improve traffic flow as part of your remodel, or updating an existing layout, the goal is to make the spaces feel separate yet connected aesthetically,โ€ says Normandy Designer Kathryn Oโ€™Donovan.

Using similar materials, styles and colors is a simple place to start. For instance, consider choosing cabinets and furnishings with similar lines and features.Ivory kitchen with stainless steel appliancesย โ€œStatement pieces like your kitchen island can be customized with details like cabinet feet that complement your living space style, whether thatโ€™s traditional or modern,โ€ Kathryn says.

The nuance comes in the details, Kathryn points out.

โ€œFor example, open shelves are a great way to tie two rooms together,โ€ Kathryn says. โ€œThey allow for some continuity, but the items you put on the shelves can also help distinguish the individual spaces. Similar materials, different styling.โ€

In a recent project, Kathryn redesigned an existing kitchen peninsula to add shelving to the side facing the living area. The couple then populated the shelves with art items and books that catered more to the feeling of their living space. โ€œBy taking the paneling off that side of the peninsula and doing open shelves, it created more of a formal vibe,โ€ Kathryn says. โ€œThe peninsula now has one character, but two personalities.โ€

Another way to blend your kitchen design with your living space is to add a separate element like a bar, with similar aesthetics, which acts as a transition between spaces both conceptually and visually.

Do you have a vision for an updated kitchen and living space with flow and continuity?ย Set up a time to talk with Kathrynย to discuss your ideas for a kitchen transformation. To get regular design ideas and tips,ย subscribe to our newsletter, or follow us onย Instagram,ย Pinterestย orย LinkedIn.

Modern off-white kitchen with island and peninsula

The Trend of Green Kitchen Cabinets, From Basic to Bold

Kitchen with stained island and lower cabinets, blue/green painted upper cabinets. Featuring subway tile and quartz countertopsMore greens in the kitchen can be a good thing, and not just spinach and kale. Color has found its home again in kitchen remodeling, and the green kitchen cabinet trend is going strong, with the color linked to feelings of relaxation.

โ€œAs people become more comfortable adding color back into their kitchen designs, weโ€™re seeing calming tones like blue and green, and also blue-green variations,โ€ says Normandy Designer Bryan Brisky. โ€œGreen kitchen cabinets are trending โ€” green is one of those colors that can feel earthy, neutral or bold depending on what shade you choose.โ€

The shade of green and how much cabinet area you cover creates a wide variety of options. And when adding color, you donโ€™t have to go big or go home.

Green island in a white kitchen looking into the colorful dining room beyondโ€œWhen considering color for a room, a small section can still have a big impact,โ€ Bryan says. โ€œIf you want to add green to your kitchen cabinetry, you donโ€™t have to do all the cabinets. You can pick the island, or perhaps just the top cabinets or the bottom cabinets. Maybe youโ€™d like to add a pop of color to a separate area like a pantry cabinet or coffee bar.โ€

Or you can choose to go full tilt with all your cabinetry, including your range hood. Depending on whether you go with a bold or subtle shade, and the design elements you choose, green can fit into any aesthetic.

โ€œFrom rich greens to spring greens, these can fit into any kitchen style, from modern to farmhouse to traditional,โ€ Bryan says. โ€œThe final look depends on your overall selections, from cabinet style and hardware to backsplash and flooring.โ€Kitchen with stained island and lower cabinets, blue/green painted upper cabinets. Featuring subway tile and quartz countertops

If youโ€™re feeling adventurous and are totally in love with a particular shade, there is also the color drenching route.

โ€œColor drenching is also trending, where the majority of the room is one color,โ€ Bryan says. โ€œBut even in that case, you can choose different shades of a color, along with patterned and textured tile, to create depth and visual interest.โ€

Color isnโ€™t the only way to put a personal stamp on your kitchen design. Set up a time to talk with Bryan about how to make your next kitchen practical and jaw-dropping all at once. Any day of the week, you can find design inspiration on ourย Instagram,ย Facebook,ย Pinterestย andย TikTokย accounts. Check out ourย photo gallery of past projects for more design ideas as well.

Rainforest green cabinet with glass panelsย  White kitchen with gold accents and green island cabinetry ย  Blue green painted kitchen cabinets with medium stain maple cabinets

Forest green kitchen with white beadboard, and quartz range backsplash ย ย microwave drawer in green kitchen cabinets

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