Picking out finishes

Tip 1. Inspiration Board!

Create a secret board on Pinterest and pin away inspiration images ! Then narrow that board to your favorite 15- 20 pins. Afterwards, study the pins and look for common threads and themes. For example, sometimes a dominant theme is dark countertops or all the photos have pictures with white cabinets and light oak floors. So when you start the actual design processes you have this information as a starting place and then you can build on these common themes through out the design process.

TIP 2: Know YOUR Numbers.

I know this is not the fun part. But you really need to know your budget. This will save you a lot of time and disappointment! So make sure your contractor has broken down you budget into line items. You can always tweak the budget but you need to have a good idea of what you are wanting to spend on your finishes.

TIP 3. Find your person

If you are not using an interior designer, I highly suggest making an appointment with a flooring specialist before you walk into a flooring store. Having a good flooring specialist to help educate you about the products is very important. I will be honest there are some that are no so great. And it makes a huge difference. It might take a little shopping around but it is totally worth it. Ask around. If you are using a contractor they usually have a go-to person.

Tip 4: What to bring when you head to the flooring store.

Floorpan
Budget
1-2 inspiration photos.
Cabinet layout if possible

Before you visit the flooring store, print off two of your favorite kitchens that really translates the style you are wanting to achieve. This will help the flooring specialist ALOT. Now just keep in mind once you step foot into the flooring store you are going to be surrounded by a million CHOICES. Take a deep breath and get your blinders on.

Tip 5: Where to start

Before I walk into the flooring store I know if I am going to do a paint grade cabinet, wood stain or combination. I don’t know the exact color but I have a pretty good idea of what I want the cabinet color to be.

FLOORING: Usually the very first thing I pick out is the floor. This sets the stage for the rest of the kitchen. Now that you know your budget start looking at the floors in your budget. Your flooring specialist will be able to help you with this. What ones are you drawn to? Talk to a flooring speciality about durability as well because that will play a factor too. Grab 2 samples
Countertop. Look at your inspo pictures. Are most of the countertops you pinned a marbled quartz or do they have a lot of movement in them? Grab 2 samples
Backsplash: Go back to your photos. What backsplash did you pin a lot of? Hand cut subway or are all the backsplashes a nice clean look with the quartz carried to top. Grab 2 samples
Now that you have gathered all your samples, it’s time to look at them at see how they play together. Try narrowing down the floor first. Once you have picked out a floor you love then find a countertop you love and then pick the backsplash. Take home the samples and look at them in your house. Live with them for a few days. Just count on seconded guessing your decision but 9-10 my clients usually always go with the first one they pick out. ;). OH and by the way STAY off of PINTEREST and INSTAGRAM for the next couple of months. Trust me on this one ;).

Tip 6: Gather the samples

Have the flooring specialist order samples for you. They usually can get smaller samples so you don’t have to lug around the big flooring boards. I like to put them in a ziplock bag and throw them in my purse so I have them on hand.

Tip 7: Picking the metals.

Once you receive your samples in the mail, now it’s time to decide on your metals. Meaning the hardware, appliances, plumbing and lighting. A way to keep this really SIMPlE is pick ONE metal that you really love and then another metal to accent with. A total of two metals. The good news is 90% of the time any metal will work. ( I like brass, polished nickel, black and chrome ) If you love brass - pick brass as your main metal finish and then accent with another metal finish

For example: You could do all your hardware and plumbing in brass. But your lighting in a polished nickel or black.

*For the plumbing fixtures you can order 2x2 square samples of the finish. You can order these are the suppliers website.

Tip 8: Save the Paint for Last

The last step is the paint color. This is also usually when I pick the actual cabinet color as well. If I know I am going to be doing white cabinets it will be easy to find a white that will work because- now I will have all my samples in front of me and I can pick the best white for my cabinets. This goes for the wall color too!

Hope these tips help make your remodel or new build a little more enjoyable and less stressful!

See you next week!

Hayley

PS. Did you know kitchen finishes are our speciality? Want to learn more? Schedule a discovery call with me here!