“We all need to feel and see the beauty. And aesthetics and design are the solutions to this problem.” Those are the words of interior designer Yana Pryaldana and you couldn’t agree more with them. Especially when it comes to a kitchen, for we all know you eat with your eyes first.
Interior designer Yana Pydalna, based in Sacramento (CA), USA.
Picture of the kitchen from Yana Prydalna’ project House in the Poland located in Poland, Warsaw: “Light beige colours combined with delicate wood. The texture of the stone on the floor smoothly transitions to a functional kitchen island.”
As Yana says, “it is not necessary for a designer to decorate your space, but it is necessary to consult a specialist if someone does not have a sense of aesthetics.” Her work is based on a wabi-sabi (from the Japanese philosophy which embraces the “imperfect, impermanent, and incomplete” in its sense of beauty) and modern perspective.
Here you will find some simple steps for those who are not convinced they want to go through a complete redecoration project yet, but still desire to keep their kitchen space looking good and refreshed.
1. Embark on the imagination journey
Right now your kitchen may seem a little outdated and you recently fell in love with a new style you saw in a magazine or at a friend’s house, but you can’t figure out where to start. Well, start by visualizing the change. What caught your attention on that specific design you saw? Or perhaps you still need to look up for new references in order to imagine the transformation.
This is an extremely important moment for you to truly ask yourself what style fits your dream of a modern kitchen. Don’t worry if you begin to space out. This is the time to be creative! Other pragmatic issues can wait.
“(...)like skating on ice, like pyramids in the white sand, every vertical intervention was considered as raising a monument from scratch, standing alone in this ocean of natural light.” Project designed by French architect Clément Lesnoff-Rocard and photographed by Simone Bossi.
A glimpse of the amazing kitchen/ living room from the modern project AP/ Leninskii by yad design
2. Notice the difference
Some people tend to think changing their interior surroundings is too hard or expensive. And because of that most usually find an excuse not to get it on. On that topic, Yana advises those who always avoided home decorating due to their inexperience: “Too many people confuse decorating a house and doing architectural design. These are two very different things. Decorate is (hang a picture, put vases, put pillows on the sofa, put unusual plates on the kitchen surface). Decorators do these things. These are the individual specialists we work with who create the atmosphere. These are mood things. Architectural design is the concept of all materials, furniture, wall configuration, wall configuration tied to facades, fireplace ledges and columns, adding beams and space organization. I think if people see a difference in that then there will be a solution to the problem.”
Not every interior design transformation involves heavy-hands-on work. Know yourself, know your limits and expectations and then decide which is the best way to go. (Photo by NeONBRAND on Unsplash)
3. Consider the essentials
Yana also refers to two necessary points on the transformation process, two aspects you must not forget to consider when thinking about changing your kitchen – or any other space in the house really. Those are:
- Its Ergonomics;
- Aesthetic perception design concept. [analysing if each of the aspects converse between each other]
Specifically in terms of the kitchen ergonomics, she also mentions “it is very important that there is plenty of space on the surface for cooking and in the correct order of objects.”
All gadgets placed in strategic positions in order to provide practicality (Photo by Edgar Castrejon on Unsplash)
An example of good circulation in the kitchen, with a broad surface for cooking. (Photo by Becca Tapert on Unsplash)
4. Simple as that
After seeing some of the most extraordinary designs, from artists all over the globe, you still want something minimal at the time being. One of the interviewee’s suggestions is to “add a few shelves to the ceiling and cover them with facades to remove from view the extra things and the breakage that people often leave on the upper modules of the kitchen.”
As she says about her work with clients, Yana focuses on simplicity: “I work with very unusual people who want to feel simple. Some of my clients tell me: - How can a space be so simple and so beautiful?! This is my principle. Wonderful simplicity. And all.... No secrets and special knowledge:
The idea of my style and design is to convey to people that the simple can be majestic and attractive. We should not live in golden palaces, we should live in spacious but very simple buildings. Always simplify!”
Look how much cleaner the kitchen looks with the shelves installed, hiding all utensils (Photo by Rune Enstad on Unsplash)
5. Be a decorator yourself
We’ve discussed the differences between interior design, architecture and interior decoration. You can still be hesitant to permanently change your kitchen and that is alright too. So you might start with a tiny little step. Why not decorate? You can either hang a picture or wall art, add vases or place “unusual plates on the kitchen surface” before taking the next step.
Beautiful ceramic art: Undercover Imari Plates to decorate either the table or the walls
Picture of the Water is not enough...' Canvas taken by Kim “Love this artwork in our kitchen! We have the medium size canvas on our wall.”
