Introduction

This week we’re taking a look at a stunning contemporary kitchen located in Austin, Texas that makes a bold aqua blue statement. Designed by the talented team at Kitchens by Wedgewood, this space dubbed the “Aqua Knockout” incorporates unique finishes, textures, and details for an overall wow-factor that is undeniably eye-catching. With its mix of warm woods, sleek surfaces, and pops of aqua accent pieces, this kitchen manages to feel both refreshing and timeless.

Below we’ll explore what makes this exceptional kitchen design work, from the gorgeous custom cabinetry to the high-end appliances and attention to every finish. We’ll also outline some key takeaways you can apply to your own kitchen remodel or design plans. Whether you’re looking for inspiration on bringing in colorful accents, ideas for mixing materials, or how to layout a functional, open concept cooking space, the Aqua Knockout has plenty of impressive features worth noting.

Keep reading for an inside look at this week’s stellar kitchen of the week!

Custom Cabinetry with Pops of Aqua

The cabinetry is truly the star of this kitchen, creating visual interest through the unique combinations of style, color, and finish. The main cabinets have a muted gray-blue stain that pairs beautifully with the aqua blue accents. Sleek, handleless cabinet fronts maintain a minimalist, contemporary vibe.

Several upper cabinets have glass fronts to provide openness while also showing off some of the fun aqua decor inside. The vent hood cover and island cabinets are also accented in a darker aqua tone for plenty of pop.

Other cabinets showcase the natural wood grain, bringing warmth to balance the cool aqua shades. Using this mix of aqua colors and natural wood allows the space to feel both modern and organic.

The detailing on the cabinets also stands out, from the diagonal wood pattern on the hood to the slim vertical panels on select uppers. The combination of shapes, lines, and visual textures keeps the eyes moving throughout the space.

Integrated Appliances and Sleek Hardware

To continue the clean, streamlined aesthetic, the appliances in the Aqua Knockout kitchen are fully integrated behind cabinetry panels that match the rest of the cabinetry design. This creates a unified, almost built-in look.

The major appliances include a Bertazzoni range, Bosch dishwasher, and SubZero refrigerator and freezer. Top brands known for performance and durability were chosen to ensure this kitchen can keep up with the demands of an active household.

The fixtures and hardware also contribute to the contemporary style, with matte black and bronze finishes that pop against the lighter cabinets. Slim, modern cabinet pulls and sleek faucets keep the look cohesive without overly ornate traditional elements.

Quartz Countertops and a Mosaic Tile Backsplash

The countertops in this kitchen make another strong design statement, combining the clean look of white quartz with the vibrant pops of a mosaic tile backsplash.

The bright aqua, green, and navy mosaic tiles in varying shapes reflect light in an eye-catching way and tie into the accent cabinet colors beautifully. The tiles cascade organically across the entire backsplash surface, including along the vent hood. Their multi-toned, multi-shaped design provides plenty of visual interest.

Contrasting the lively backsplash is a pristine white quartz countertop with faint grey veining. The crisp white enhances the light, airy vibe of the space while keeping the focus on the gorgeous tilework. It also provides the perfect complement to the warm wood elements.

Spacious Island for Gathering

As the central hub for entertaining and casual meals, the Aqua Knockout kitchen features an oversized island that seats 5 comfortably. The ample countertop space allows for food prep and serving, while the eat-in element creates a social atmosphere.

The island pairs cabinets in a whitewashed driftwood finish with the vibrant aqua colors seen throughout the kitchen. Slim, vertical wood panels on the ends add linear texture.

Beneath the island, open shelf storage provides easy access to cookware. The openness maintains an airy, less cluttered feel.

With its expansive surface area and contrasting colors, the island becomes a functional and visual highlight of the space. It invites people to gather while offering plenty of room to cook, entertain, and dine together.

Luxury Finishes Down to the Details

It’s clear no detail went unnoticed when designing this spectacular kitchen. All the luxury finishes, from the cabinetry to lighting to flooring, provide visual interest while also standing up to everyday use.

The gorgeous white oak flooring offers texture and warmth to anchor the space. It has an extra wide plank style and lightly distressed look that ensures it will age beautifully.

Recessed lighting provides optimal task lighting for prep areas while sconces and pendants add in stylish accent illumination. The lighting design is layered, much like the cabinetry combinations.

Even small touches like the slivers of decorative glass used on select cabinets elevate the entire look and feel. Every hardware piece, mosaic tile, and finish come together flawlessly thanks to thoughtful, intentional design.

Takeaways for Your Own Kitchen Remodel

While the Aqua Knockout kitchen may seem out of reach for the average homeowner, there are still many lessons that can be drawn from its impeccable design when approaching your own kitchen refresh or remodel.

Use color confidently. The vivid aqua accent pieces show how even small doses of bold color can make a dramatic impact. Don’t be afraid to go for an unexpected pop.

Mix materials and finishes. Combining warm wood, sleek glass, eye-catching tilework, and metallic hardware creates visual depth and interest. Play with different textures.

Pay attention to details. The little touches like mosaic tile inlays, open shelf storage, and decorative lighting take the design to the next level. Focus on the finer details.

Choose quality appliances. Focus your budget on investing in pro-level appliances that can handle constant use and stand the test of time.

Incorporate space to gather. Having room at the island or table to sit and share a meal is a great way to enhance functionality.

Conclusion

The Aqua Knockout kitchen is certainly one for the inspiration boards, thanks to its flawless blend of high-end finishes, elegantly contrasting colors and materials, and attention to every design detail. This light-filled, expansive kitchen with a bold pop of aqua makes a statement while still maintaining an inviting, relaxed vibe.

While recreating this exact look may not be realistic, there are many terrific takeaways when it comes to creating your own spectacular kitchen design. From smart storage and quality appliances to the creative use of color and finishes, the Aqua Knockout serves as an exceptional example of the impact thoughtful details can make.

We hope you enjoyed this week’s kitchen of the week tour and found some useful inspiration for your upcoming kitchen projects! Be sure to check back next week as we explore another gorgeous kitchen design.

Heading 1: Design Elements that Make the Aqua Knockout Kitchen Stand Out

The Aqua Knockout kitchen is a stunning culmination of thoughtful design elements that elevate the space into a showstopping contemporary kitchen. From the color palette to the mix of materials to the high-end finishes, several key features give this kitchen its wow-factor style.

Unique Color Combinations

The vivid pops of aqua blue are undoubtedly the star of the show when it comes to color. But the way those vibrant accents are combined with warm neutrals and natural wood also contributes to the kitchen’s one-of-a-kind aesthetic.

The main cabinetry has an understated gray-blue stain, allowing the bolder aqua accents to really capture attention. The aqua plays off the muted cabinet color in an unexpected way.

Other cabinets are left with a light natural wood finish, injecting warmth and texture to balance the cool tones. The wood pairs beautifully with the bright white quartz counters and white-washed driftwood island.

By thoughtfully mixing aqua with various woods, crisp white, and soft neutrals, the kitchen has depth and visual interest. The colors enhance each other rather than compete.

Unique Cabinetry Details

The cabinetry shows off exceptional craftsmanship through the small custom details that accumulate to make a big impact.

The elegant glass cabinet fronts provide concealed storage while maintaining an open, airy feel. The diagonal wood pattern on the striking vent hood makes a sculptural statement. Slim vertical wood panels on the island and other cabinets add linear texture.

The muted gray-blue stain on select cabinets allows the lovely natural wood grain to show through for dimension. The absence of hardware keeps lines clean but cabinet accents like glass and metal mesh inserts provide style.

The upper cabinets with varied heights, widths, and details create asymmetry in a way that feels harmonious rather than haphazard. All the custom elements come together flawlessly.

Mix of Materials and Textures

By combining a wide range of materials like wood, glass, metal, stone, and tile, the kitchen achieves visual and tactile depth.

The gorgeous mosaic tile backsplash steals focus with its bursts of color and varied shapes adding heaps of texture. It complements the sleek white quartz countertops beautifully.

Metal pendants and matte black hardware contrast nicely with the wood cabinetry while harmonizing with the stainless steel appliances. Every material provides interesting visual and tactile properties.

The mix of natural and human-made materials strikes an artful balance. Textures like wood grain, metal mesh,Stone, and mosaic tiles make every surface dynamic.

Thoughtful Lighting Design

From the accent pendants to recessed spotlights to decorative sconces, lighting helps set the aesthetic and function of the Aqua Knockout kitchen.

Focused recessed lighting ensures the prep and cooking surfaces have bright, even illumination, while the decorative fixtures provide ambient and accent lighting.

The trio of bell-shaped pendants centered over the island complements the rounded edges of the island while the sconces mirror the slim vertical lines on the cabinetry. The lighting design reflects the kitchen’s details beautifully.

The combination of task, ambient, and accent lighting creates the perfect mood and functionality for how the kitchen space is used day to night.

Luxury Appliances and Fixtures

The kitchen is designed for both beauty and durable functionality, thanks to the selection of top-tier appliances and fixtures.

High-end brand names like Bertazzoni, SubZero, and Bosch were chosen for their reputation for quality engineering and performance.

The appliances feature sleek, integrated designs that allow them to disappear seamlessly behind cabinetry panels. This contributes to the clean, built-in aesthetic.

Everything from the Dornbracht faucet to the drawer pulls are premium pieces built to stand the test of time and frequent use.

The luxury-level appointments ensure the kitchen’s sophisticated style aligns with functionality for the homeowners’ active lifestyle. Beauty meets performance.

Heading 2: Designing an Aqua-Inspired Kitchen: Tips and Ideas

Love the look of this vibrant aqua kitchen but want to translate the style into a more attainable remodel? Fortunately, there are ways to incorporate similar aesthetic elements while on a real-world budget and timeline.

Here are several tips for designing your own gorgeous aqua-hued kitchen.

Select Aqua Appliances and Accessories

Bring in pops of aqua through appliances and accents to keep costs contained compared to custom cabinetry. Look for a retro aqua fridge, range, or dishwasher.

Or add small appliances in aqua like a stand mixer, toaster, tea kettle or blender. Incorporate aqua-hued access.ories like cannisters, utensil holders, towels, rugs, curtains or cafe chairs.

Install an Aqua Tile Backsplash

A vibrant backsplash is an affordable and dramatic way to incorporate aqua into the kitchen. Look for glossy aqua subway tiles or handmade art tile for a burst of color.

To save costs, install the backsplash yourself instead of a contractor. Watch online tutorials for guidance.

Paint Cabinets or Islands Aqua

For budget kitchen makeovers, one simple yet effective update is painting existing cabinetry in a bold aqua shade. Use a high-quality cabinet paint and proper prep and application technique for best results.

Or go bold by just painting an island or base cabinets aqua to anchor the color. Add new hardware for extra flair.

Use Aqua Glass Cabinet Doors

Swap out existing cabinet fronts for new aqua-colored glass doors to give them a fresh modern look. Check for cabinets boxes in good shape before just replacing fronts.

Installing the glass fronts and new hinges yourself will cut down on labor costs while still making a noticeable change.

Incorporate Aqua With Neutrals

Balance vibrant aqua with muted neutrals like warm whites, light woods, and soft grayish blues. Neutrals will keep the overall look soothing while the aqua provides pops of fun.

Mix aqua and white quartz countertops, pale blue-gray walls, and natural wood flooring. Incorporate aqua art, accent pieces, and textiles.

Add Aqua With Colorful Mosaic Tiles

Mosaic sheets with multiple colored tiles like aqua, white, grays, greens can be tiled across a backsplash or used as an accent. The varied colors and shapes will create depth.

For affordability, stick to standard machine cut mosaic tiles rather than more expensive handmade Moroccan tiles.

Heading 3: Design Elements that Make a Kitchen Appear More Spacious

When revamping a kitchen, making the space feel open, airy, and expansive is often a key goal. The Aqua Knockout kitchen does an exceptional job achieving this through strategic design choices.

Here are some of the elements that lend this kitchen its spacious aesthetic:

Seamless Transitions Between Rooms

The kitchen flows openly into the surrounding living areas thanks to a shared flooring material and lack of dividers. Removing walls helps it feel more expansive.

Using the same flooring style from the kitchen into adjacent rooms enhances flow. Maintaining a consistent color scheme also blurs room divisions.

Ample Windows and Natural Light

Abundant windows boost the spacious effect by allowing plentiful natural light to stream in. Positioning the kitchen near exterior walls with large windows prevents a dark, cramped feel.

For more light, consider expanding window sizes, converting a wall into a bank of windows, or installing skylights. Light colors also reflect light effectively.

Visually Light Fixtures and Colors

Incorporating elements with light, airy visual weight enhances spaciousness. The glass cabinet doors, bell-shaped pendants, and light quartz counters seem to take up less visual space compared to darker finishes.

Stick to light furniture pieces as well. If using color, paler muted shades will feel more open than bolder hues in a small kitchen. White or soft neutrals open up rooms.

Open Shelving and Glass Cabinet Doors

Minimizing solid, opaque cabinet fronts helps prevent a closed-in look. The glass cabinet doors create transparency while still concealing contents. Open shelves give an airier feel.

If a fully open design is not possible, consider swapping just a few cabinet fronts for glass doors strategically. Or remove a door or two to create open display space.

Uninterrupted Floor Plan and Sightlines

Avoid chopping up floor space with multiple walls, half-walls, and architectural dividers. Keeping sightlines open enhances the sense of space.

The Aqua Knockout kitchen uses a wide open concept floor plan. An oversized island leaves room to circulate rather than overcrowding the space.

Mirrored Backsplashes or Surfaces

Strategically placing mirrors will optically double the sense of space. Try a mirrored backsplash or place a mirrored section behind the stove area.

Accent areas only with mirrors since covering the entire kitchen may feel busy. Carefully consider placement so mirrors don’t cause glare or become a cleaning hassle.

Heading 4: Clever Storage Solutions to Try in a Kitchen Remodel

Kitchen functionality hinges largely on having ample and well-designed storage space. When planning your kitchen remodel, implementing creative storage solutions can help maximize usable space.

Here are some clever storage ideas to consider:

Include a Pantry

Dedicate space for an organized walk-in pantry to eliminate kitchen clutter and contain provisions. Include shelves, cabinets, drawers, and vertical storage systems to hold everything from dry goods to small appliances.

Use Cabinet Organizers

Take advantage of every cabinet inch by including organizers such as pull-out shelves, tiered drawers, rotating trays, and inner vertical racks. Have a strategy for where items will go.

Hide Waste Bins

Keep trash and recycling bins concealed but easily accessible. Install pull-out garbage cabinetry, drawer bins, or side compartments for cans. An organized waste station prevents messes.

Incorporate Deep Drawers

Replace standard cabinets with deep drawers to hold everything from bakeware, serving pieces, plastic containers to mixing bowls and pots vertically. Utilize vertical storage space.

Add a Charging Drawer

Include at least one shallow drawer designed specifically for storing batteries, tech accessories, cords, small electronics and gadgets. Keep these items organized but accessible.

Install Pull-Out Cabinets

Upper and base pull-out cabinets provide easy access to contents pushed towards the back. No more crawling into cabinets to grab what you need.

Use Tiered Wall Storage

Take advantage of vertical wall space for open shelf storage using floating shelves, rail systems with S-hooks, or wall mounted racks at varying heights to stack items.

Hide Appliances You Don’t Use Daily

Appliances only used occasionally can likely be stored out of the way most of the time. Dedicate space for them in butler’s pantries, lower cabinets or closets. Free up counter space.

Heading 5: Factors to Consider When Planning a Kitchen Remodel

Embarking on a full kitchen remodel brings many details to consider from budget to layout to material choices and more