If you’ve never dipped your toes into the wide world of podcasts, prepare yourself for your new obsession, Davids & DeLaat's weekly podcast: What's Up Niagara. 

Join us each week while we sit down and chat about What's Up in the Niagara Region. Listen in while we chat about everything from the local real estate market, real estate tips, local events, & what we love most: living and working in the Niagara Region. 

This week's episode introduces Beth Maricic. Owner of Beth Maricic Design, Beth sits down to chat with Shawn about the close relationship between interior design & real estate. Listen in while Shawn and Beth trade stories about guiding their clients to raising the value of a property through effective renovations as well as trading some tales about common mistakes they have encountered with interior reno gone wrong. 

In the spirit of this week's PodCast keep reading below to learn about kitchen renovations done right written by our Podcast guest & this week's guest blogger, Beth Maricic. 

Kitchens Done Right: Guest Blogger, Beth Maricic

Kitchens are the heart of the home. They should function with you in mind and they should never be boring. Here are my top tips for designing the perfect kitchen. They aren’t for everyone. Choose the ones that work best for you.

• Bringing Nature In: Kitchens need warmth. Wood brings warmth. Inject wood through floors, shelving, countertops, or furniture. Recycled or ethically sourced woods are my faves, like Ash and Black Walnut.

• Clean and Crisp: Bright white kitchens make me happy. I love Chantilly Lace OC-65 or Oxford White CC-30 on cabinets. To change it up, consider an off-white kitchen in Halo OC-46 by Benjamin Moore. Creams and off whites are a cool combination.

• Dramatic Kitchens: Drama, sign me up! Black or deep green cabinets add class, drama and a story. Black 2132-10 by Benjamin Moore and Tuscany Green 2140-20 are great options. Compliment with brass hardware and fixtures:  your kitchen will be a show stopper.

• The Colour Cure: Who isn’t happy walking into a kitchen with bright colours? Inject colour on your island, lowers, furniture, lighting, and art. Colour adds emotion and personality to a room. Blue is calming, green can inject creativity, researchers say. Consider combining a cool colour and a warm one into your bright white kitchen. Blue with red/pinks look fabulous, or greens and yellows. Don’t over inject the colors and balance with neutrals, like greys and whites.

• The Right Lights: Lighting is the jewel in every kitchen. They take a simple room and add personality. Lighting in a kitchen is like jewelry on a  black dress. Go big and bold with your island pendants. Mitzi lighting is a great source if you want to add colored pendants. Green, blue, pinks, they have it all.

• Little Touches: Interesting hardware, antiques, a wow piece of art, custom window treatments will add personality to your kitchen. Open shelving is the place for an antique scale, or colour pieces of china in your farmhouse kitchen.

• Backsplash Envy: Choose a timeless backsplash.  Remember it will be there for a long time. There is nothing worse than walking into a kitchen and saying hello to 1985! Herringbone, subway, or chevron patterns are elegant. Natural stone can be expensive, but they are my favourite timeless option. Like a cleaner look? Consider running your countertop along the back too.

Don’t be afraid! If you are nervous about going big with the finishes in your kitchen, consider pieces that can be changed out like hardware, window treatments, lighting, even your island can be repainted in the future. Of course, if you need a little coaxing or help putting it together, Beth Maricic Design is always here to help you.