Make Room: Designing a Luxe Kitchen

Designer, Lindsay Maki’s tips for designing a kitchen.

By Janaye Barabin

Lindsay Maki has been interested in design from a young age. She recalls an early childhood memory of her father telling her she could design her own bedroom however she wanted. Maki was fascinated by watching her dad bring her ideas to life. Since, she has graduated with a bachelor’s and master’s degree in architecture from Tulane University. Currently, Maki is the Director at McWalters Collaborative Architecture and Design, with over 25 years of experience and an extensive portfolio. So, it’s evident that Maki knows her way around designing a kitchen space.

Kitchens are the Heart of the Home
Maki stresses to never underestimate the importance of the kitchen.

“A kitchen is much more than the utilitarian space where you cook and eat. In some ways I believe it’s a very soulful space,” says Maki. It’s where families come together, and it can be the greatest expression of love and caring for someone. It’s a very nurturing place. I think most people often overlook the kitchen as a room.”

Celebrate the Complexity and Function
Kitchen utensils don’t have to be tucked away in a drawer. Display your functional kitchen supplies in works of art.

“Figure out how to celebrate and do something special with all those little requirements,” Maki says. It’s about elevating the ordinary. I think that’s the key, just really thinking about it as a room and not just a space. A space is just square footage and function. A room has soul.”

Establish a Budget and Stick to It
Deciding on a realistic budget may be difficult. There are a lot of different factors that can affect your budget, but Maki offers a tip that can help you get started.

“There are a couple of really good websites where you can go in and make a shopping cart,” says Maki. Everyone knows what they want in an ideal world, so you can make your dream shopping cart and then your scaled back cart. I think that’s a reasonable place to start.” 

Set your Kitchen with a Mood Board
When it comes to design, inspiration can come from anywhere. Making a mood board is a great place to start. “Start collecting images,” Maki says. Eventually you’ll start to see a pattern, or different styles emerge. There could be an image of a bathroom that you love but you want the kitchen to feel like that.” 

Color Your Palate
There are a lot of ways to bring color and character into your kitchen. Picking a color scheme may be overwhelming, but Maki suggests starting with one object. 

“It could be a bowl or a piece of art or even a rug,” says Maki. It could even be the cover of a book or magazine. You only need a minimum of three colors to have a color palette, so it could be any set of colors that you love and makes you feel something. From there, it’s easy to start pulling key colors if you start with an object you love.”

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