Choosing the Best Design Elements for Your New Home – Kitchens
Designing the Heart of Your New Home – The Kitchen
If you’re buying new construction in the Savannah, GA area, you may be surprised by the amazing variety of design elements you can customize when it comes to finishing your new home. Gone are the days of cookie-cutter kitchens with little to no input from the buyer. At Ernest Homes, our Design Studio is filled with options for almost every detail, so you can create a kitchen that works beautifully for the way your family really lives.
Because there are so many choices, it can feel a little overwhelming at first. Use this guide to help you narrow down your priorities so the style of your new kitchen and your family’s needs stay perfectly in sync.
Countertops: Form, Function and Budget
While you may be tempted to choose countertops by looks alone, it’s important to think about durability, maintenance and cost as well. Different materials offer different benefits:
- Natural stone such as granite, marble, limestone and soapstone is durable, heat resistant and available in a wide range of colors and patterns. It’s a classic choice that never goes out of style, but softer stones can chip or crack more easily and all natural stone requires regular sealing. It is also one of the more expensive options.
- Cultured stone (quartz) is engineered to look like natural stone with added pigments and resins. It offers a uniform pattern, is heat, scratch and stain resistant, and does not require sealing. The trade-off is that it often costs nearly as much as natural stone.
- Solid surface countertops such as Corian mimic the look of stone without the same level of maintenance. They are seamless and repairable, but can scratch more easily and may scorch if hot cookware is placed directly on the surface.
- Laminate countertops are typically made of plywood covered with a thin layer of plastic resin. They’re budget-friendly, heat, scratch and stain resistant, and modern printing technology can give them the look of stone, metal or wood. However, deep scratches or burns can’t be repaired and the top usually has to be replaced. With laminate, you’re limited to drop-in sink options.
- Other specialty options include butcher-block wood, poured concrete and stainless steel. Wood adds warmth and is great for food prep but needs regular oil treatments. Concrete offers a custom look but must be sealed. Stainless steel is highly durable and reflective, helping a smaller kitchen feel larger.
Cabinets: Storage and Style
Cabinets can consume up to half of your kitchen budget, so choosing the right ones makes a huge difference. Think about how much storage your family needs, how tall or short household members are, and how you want the space to feel.
The first big decision is whether you’ll go with framed or frameless construction:
- Framed cabinets have both a box and a face frame, with doors and drawers attached to the frame. This is a traditional look that many homeowners love.
- Frameless (European-style) cabinets skip the face frame, attaching doors and drawers directly to the cabinet box. This design offers easier access to the interior and creates a clean, modern aesthetic.
Next, consider finishes and colors. A bright, sun-filled kitchen may look great with deeper wood tones or bold hues, while a darker room might benefit from lighter cabinets that reflect more light. Options range from rich stained woods and pebbled grays to crisp whites and painted colors that tie into your overall design scheme.
If you like a curated, organized look, glass-front cabinets can showcase matching dishes or glassware. Extra-tall upper cabinets are ideal for maximizing storage, and don’t forget to include cabinets above the refrigerator for those seldom-used items.
Microwaves and Everyday Appliances
The microwave is a small appliance with a big impact on your layout, so plan its location early. Mounting it above the stove is common, but that placement can be difficult for younger children or anyone who prefers a lower reach. Countertop placement keeps it accessible but takes up work surface.
Alternative solutions include microwaves set on pull-out shelves, built into base cabinets or integrated into a wall or pantry. You can also decide whether a simple reheat model meets your needs or if you’d like a combination unit with convection or grill features to add even more flexibility.
Layered Lighting That Works as Hard as You Do
Good lighting is essential in a kitchen where chopping, cooking and cleanup all happen in the same space. Start with bright, general overhead fixtures that evenly illuminate the room. Then add layers of task lighting where you need it most:
- Under-cabinet lights to brighten countertops for food prep.
- Dedicated lighting over the sink for safer dishwashing and clean-up.
- Lighting in pantry closets so you can easily see what you have on hand.
Dimmer switches are a smart upgrade as well. They allow you to keep things bright while cooking and then soften the light when you’re entertaining or winding down at the end of the day.
Bring Your Kitchen Vision to Life
Designing a new kitchen is a big decision, but it should also be fun. The team at Ernest Homes is here to walk you through countertops, cabinets, lighting and appliance options so you can create a space that feels like the true heart of your home.
Ready to start planning? Visit our Design Studio to explore finishes in person, or browse our available homes to see how thoughtful kitchen design is built into every Ernest home.
