Top 5 Must-Haves for a Luxury Kitchen

This post is sponsored on behalf of Howard’s and Monogram, however, all opinions are my own.

Does 2021 include a new kitchen for you? Your tired old kitchen is ready for an overhaul. You saved your favorites on Pinterest, Houzz, and Instagram – and want to do it ALL!  But then there’s a budget. Well, let me help you focus on what I think are the top 5 must-haves for your dream TRUE LUXURY kitchen. I am excited to share my top 5 must-haves for a luxury kitchen.

1. Luxury Appliances.

This is for sure the all-time #1. There is NO luxury kitchen without the best appliances. However, that doesn’t mean you need to spend $20,000 on a range. The key is beauty + style + function +quality. And guess what, I found it! It’s no secret that I have been designing my latest luxury kitchens with the Monogram line at Howard’s. I fell in love with the beauty of the two style lines that Monogram offers – the classically glamorous Statement Collection and the gorgeous, clean, modern Minimalist Collection. However, what really is impressive when stepping into a kitchen with this particular line is that you are getting restaurant-grade appliances but with hand worked, gorgeous high-end touches.

The Monogram Professional Range is hands down the biggest showstopper I have put into a kitchen to date. Details like the edge-to-edge handles and the solid brass accents instantly give the kitchen the most decadent feeling. Pair that range with the Monogram 48″ Smart Built-In Side-by-Side Refrigerator with Dispenser and a custom panel built-in dishwasher. Want to go full-on ultimate kitchen? Then you install the handcrafted Smart Hearth Wall Oven. So, you have – you guessed it- brick oven pizza in the kitchen. The custom paneling really sets a kitchen like this apart too. It really creates such a unique kitchen that isn’t just a different version of the neighbor’s down the street. 

2. The Lighting. 

Not only is it important for the function of the kitchen of course but lighting really sets the mood and ambiance of the kitchen. You can’t have a gorgeous kitchen without it. Also, very importantly, it’s really hard to change once it’s been put into motion, so you really need to nail it in the planning stage.  

Pendants are the glamorous “star” of kitchen lighting. They are such a draw for the eye that the type of pendant chosen really sets the design tone. 

But what is true luxury in the kitchen is that extra lighting that isn’t “typical”. Under the cabinet, toe-kick lighting is something I incorporate into my kitchen design to take a kitchen “up a level” …. And it’s also a nice night light for midnight snacking!

3. The Pantry.

If you are like me, I can endlessly scroll Instagram looking at beautifully organized large pantries. It’s like living in a dream world.  A well laid out and organized pantry is one of the biggest gifts you can give yourself when designing a kitchen. Count yourself lucky if you have the room to create a pantry space that you can walk into.  But most homes today don’t allow for that. Creating a space with great shelving, and lots of it, and a really functional organization system is so important to create a truly usable AND dream kitchen. Sometimes that means grabbing space by utilizing unused nooks, corners, and closets, the key really is optimal storage organization. It doesn’t have to cost an arm and a leg. Ikea has great systems – don’t overlook it!

4. The Ultimate Beverage Station

If you are like me, beverages are a big part of life! Coffee in the morning and sharing a glass of wine with my husband or friends in the evening makes me happy. 

One of the top requests from clients is to make their kitchen unique and special. Having a beverage space in a kitchen footprint is a real treat – and a really fun space to play with design. It’s really nice to have more storage – cups, glasses,  and of course prep for drinks out of the kitchen work zone and storage for drinks of course – of course I love the Monogram Beverage Center for this (link)! it can also become a really beautiful focal point in design but choosing different but complementary countertops, colors, and finishes. It can add so much interest to a space and be the icing on the cake of a beautiful kitchen!

5. Finally – Countertops.

So many to choose from! From practical and stain-resistant to outrageous. I could be a designer that just focuses on kitchen countertops, there are so many options! 

Zinc is non-porous, easy to clean. 

Quartzite is super durable and very low maintenance. Wood is even an option and ups fun eclectic vibe. Concrete can be really pretty, modern, and interesting. 

But my personal all-time classic favorite for a LUXURY kitchen is….

MARBLE! 

Marble is beautiful and will never go out of style – it’s been used since Greek and Roman times, need I say more? Marble fits into really any style kitchen but really takes everything up a notch, and in my opinion, is worth the extra upkeep and work. But I also don’t mind imperfections on items as they age.

Whatever you choose will make a huge impact on the looks and overall feel of your kitchen. Don’t skimp here if you are putting together your dream kitchen!

So, there you have it friends! 5 Must-haves for Luxury in the kitchen. Hope this helps YOU visualize your dream kitchen! To read more about kitchen design click here.

XOXO, 

Bethany