How to design your own kitchen

Start Easy

1. Clear your counters
2. Paint the walls or change your cabinet colors
3. Get color inspiration from the foods you eat most

Fun Kitchen Design Ideas

1. Add history with vintage, antique or just plain old stuff
2. Give yourself an interesting backsplash 
3. Add colorful window treatments  
4. Try a rug

Tuning Up Your Lighting

1. Show off your countertops with under-cabinet lighting
2. Set your own mood with a dinner switch

NADIA GELLER: Hi, I'm Nadia Geller, interior designer for Homestyler. Today I'm going to give you some great ideas on how to refresh your kitchen.
You can spend just a little and make some nice updates, or you can spend a lot and create a whole new environment.
{Try new hardware, lighting, rugs or curtains.}
If you're looking for subtle changes, try new hardware on the cabinets, new lighting, or change your throw rug and curtains.
{Use flowers in season} Even changing your flowers and plants can help.
{Small things can have a big impact} Small things can have a big impact.
When I want to make more dramatic changes, I like to start by visualizing my ideas with a home design program.
{www.homestyler.com} This one is Homestyler.
It's free and it let's you experiment with a lot of ideas before you actually spend any money.
For example, you may have always dreamed of updating your appliances to stainless steel.
Use Homestyler to see if you like the look by trying different appliances, brands, and placements.
Try out different styles and finishes until you find something you like.
Another kind of big thing to do is to change out your floor.
Try something light and something dark.
Which one looks best to you?
There are plenty of things you can do that aren't as involved, like painting the walls a new color.
There are literally hundreds of different wall treatments and paint colors for your kitchen.
Use the program to experiment with your favorites.
This may be the biggest time saver yet, and there's no commitments and no regrets.
Save your designs so you can look at them again and again.
Maybe you'd like to try something that will make a big difference without being too much work.
Try painting or refacing your cabinets.
This will dramatically change the look of your kitchen.
Get inspired by the food you love best.
Most people are attracted to the colors that are the same color as the food they like.
For me, this is a perfect shade of green.
{Inspiration to refresh your kitchen, Change paint color or add wall treatments}
{Reface your cabinets for a dramatic change, Get color inspiration from the foods you love}
{www.homestyler.com}
Have fun making over your kitchen
I'm Nadia Geller.
To start designing your dream kitchen today, go to homestyler.com}
{To start designing today, go to www.homestyler.com}

NADIA GELLER: Hi. I'm Nadia Geller, interior designer for Homestyler, and I'm going to help you choose a kitchen design for your remodel. It may seem overwhelming at first. But today we'll break it down to a few basic elements you need to think about.
 
First off, consider the four basic kitchen designs, like this one with an island. There is also galley [Galley Kitchen] U-shaped [U-Shaped Kitchen], and L-shaped [L-Shaped Kitchen]. This is your biggest decision right here, so you should make it your first. I always like to visualize my ideas using design software. There are some good ones on the Web now. [www.homestyler.com] This one, Homestyler, is a free online program that lets you design your kitchen in 2D and 3D so you can get a pretty good idea of what your kitchen will look like. If you're stuck for ideas, start with one from the gallery of pre-made designs.
 
Now to the appliances. I'm going to experiment with different brands and finishes and play around with different combinations. Consider your work triangle, the space you cover when you're going from stove to sink to refrigerator. What is the most natural and efficient for you? Use the program to explore where you want the appliances. It can really help erase any indecision you may have.
 
Once you've decided on a layout and your appliances, it's a good time to visit a showroom. Be sure to print out your designs and your itemized product list directly from Homestyler and bring them with you. There you can touch and feel the appliances' surfaces and fixtures and see if they really live up to your expectations. You may feel differently after you've seen the real thing. Above all else, your kitchen should save you time and effort. With that in mind, take inventory of your kitchen's appliances and tools. Hanging pots and pans from above can be a great space saver, but if you're on the short side you cook a lot, this may not be a good solution. Think of the things you use most, and make sure they're easy to get to. And storage. Make sure you have a place for everything, like the coffeemaker. Are you okay with it out on the counter, or do you want an appliance garage for it?
[Choosing A Kitchen Design] [www.homestyler.com]
[Choose from the four basic kitchen designs]
[Remember your work triangle--sink, oven, refrigerator]
[Take inventory of your storage needs]
[Geller] Now you're on your way to a fabulous new kitchen that suits you and your family perfectly.
 
I'm Nadia Geller. To start designing your dream kitchen today, go to homestyler.com