What Makes a Kitchen Look Expensive? 5 Tips From Our Designers

If you’re dreaming of a seamless, custom-built kitchen, but on a budget, the good news is there are clever design tips you can follow to achieve a luxurious look for less.

When thinking about how to make your kitchen look more expensive, the key is to focus on these three areas: functionality, style and how pleasurable it is to use.

Read on as we share five tips to help you do this, from our experience creating kitchens with clients across West Wales.

1. Understand the ‘Rules’ of Your Theme

Whether you go for cottagecore, Scandi minimalism, or industrial chic, the first principle of thinking like an interior designer is understanding the ‘rules’ of your theme.

While some people might find rules restricting, the truth is that they can be incredibly liberating and make it much easier to define the look you’re going for.

If you’ve ever stepped into a homeware shop and felt overwhelmed by the choices, you can probably see how setting a distinct aesthetic for your kitchen will help you make confident styling decisions without overspending.

For example, if you were going for a maximum-impact black kitchen, a good way to start would be by choosing black ovens, fridges and appliances with lighting and metallic accents for balance.

On the other hand, an organic modern kitchen will need you to choose an autumnal colour palette, with clean lines and natural textures. Read our guide to organic modern kitchens here.

We can help you design a kitchen to your chosen theme, from German kitchens to shaker and traditional styles. Get in touch to book your free design consultation.

Each design theme has its own ‘rules’. For example, we designed this luxury black kitchen with handleless, graphite matte black door fronts for extra impact.

2. Think About Cohesion

Now that you’ve committed to a style and understand its design language, everything becomes easier. The next step to designing a kitchen that looks expensive is to think about cohesion.

If you know you’re looking for muted tones for Scandi or reclaimed textures for industrial, even the thrifted or second-hand pieces you choose will look intentional and high-end. What matters more is how these pieces work together.

Don’t underestimate the part the small items play in creating a cohesive look, most of all those that are displayed on your countertops or on open shelves. Coordinating trays, soap dispensers, cookware and utensils can help to give a finished look.

Similarly, when chosen thoughtfully, items like cutting boards, hand towels and some appliances can be accents within your overall design.

How to Prevent Visual Clutter in Your Kitchen

Of course, anyone who has a kitchen knows these are busy places, and that it’s easy for clutter to build up. If you want to keep your kitchen looking luxurious, we have an answer for you: think cabinets.

Plenty of fridges and dishwashers come panel-ready and can be disguised within your existing cabinetry. You can also use cabinets known as appliance garages to prevent items like toasters and blenders from cluttering your worktop.

Ensuring lots of storage space, as we’ll go into later, is also a great way to avoid kitchen clutter. This means you can choose to display only the items that you want to and that fit within your chosen theme.

From ornamental vases and plates to grey slate and timber oak finishes, this contemporary German kitchen is cohesive in its style.

3. Know When to Spend and When to Save

While being able to invest in quality pieces will make your kitchen look expensive, the trick for those on a budget is spending money on the areas that really make a difference. A good rule of thumb is to think about surface area.

For example, kitchen cabinetry, appliances and surfaces like floors and walls can take up large areas of your home. These are the places that will draw the eye in your kitchen and are places where a little extra investment really can count.

If you want to make a statement in your kitchen, we love brands like Nobilia for classic German design and 1909 for a more traditional style. You can find more of our favourite kitchen brands here.

And where, you’re probably asking, can you save? Smaller items, from vases and bowls to candles, help to style your kitchen, but you don’t have to spend much on them. We find charity shop thrifting, Facebook marketplace and vintage fairs are great ways to find hidden gems that complement your design theme.

This rustic chic kitchen features a timeless shaker style, with the key investment being in the gorgeous bonsai green cabinetry and elegant quartz surfaces.

4. Upgrade Your Fixtures

If you want to give your kitchen an immediate luxe feel, one secret is to upgrade your fixtures. While we don’t often think about our kitchen’s taps, handles and lighting, the truth is they go a long way to defining the overall feel of your kitchen.

If you can’t afford high-end models, even mid-range fixtures will make a big difference. The key is just to go a level above budget and think about the fixtures you’ll enjoy using in your everyday life.

Going for well-designed alternatives can instantly transform a space without having to replace your entire kitchen. For example, we’ll often add Quooker boiling water taps to our designs as they add luxury to both classic and modern kitchens.

A trio of industrial metal lampshades and a boiling water tap add style and luxury to our contemporary grey handleless kitchen design.

5. Layer Textures for Depth

Layering textures in your kitchen adds depth and helps to soften all the hard surfaces that naturally come with countertops and appliances.

You can do this through decorative details, such as:

• Linen curtains

• Artwork

• Vases

• Flowers

• Trays

• A long floor runner to add length to the room

• A floating shelf to display choice pieces

Remember, you don’t need designer items. When it comes to adding texture and depth, look out for natural materials and neutral tones. Local makers, Dunelm and H&M Home are all great places to look.

When it comes to your overall kitchen design, wood surfaces will naturally add texture and warmth. Even if you can’t invest in solid wood, wood veneer can be just as good - just make sure to use the same wood across your kitchen to avoid the dreaded ‘wood clash’!

Inspired by the famous Blue Lagoon in Abereiddy, this ocean blue shaker-style kitchen uses oak, plants, open shelves and beach pebbles to add texture and interest to the design.

How We Can Help

Want to make your kitchen look expensive on a budget? We hope our post has left you feeling inspired around the clever design tips you can use to achieve a high-end look and invest in the areas that matter.

If you want to go a step further, we can help you design your dream luxury kitchen. Get in touch for a free consultation.

For more advice, head to our blog page or get in contact about our renovation services.

Written by Alice Ojeda, for Cwtch Haus.