Your kitchen plays a central role in your family’s life and is probably the place that everyone makes a bee line too throughout their day. What is the image you see in your mind’s eye when you think of your kitchen? What will stand out for people that visit your home? Given the importance of the kitchen to most homeowners, it’s no surprise that Americans are willing to invest most of their home improvement budgets renovating them. Remodeling Magazine states that homeowners typically spend between $71,538 to $133,000 on major kitchen remodels in their annual Cost vs. Value report in 2019. With that kind of investment, you should be making a statement that is memorable. Creating a focal point helps make that statement.

Kitchen Focal Points To Consider

It’s important to select appliances, cabinetry and design features that wow you and also display your personality. If you love Art Deco styles in other peoples homes or gravitate to that brushed nickel hardware when visiting a showroom, share that information with your kitchen designer. Her job is to create a kitchen design that portrays your individuality, not hers. Or if you simply must have a particular marble countertop or colorful cushioned barstools at the kitchen island as a key design element, she will need to know that information up front. Bold colors draw your eyes attention but too much of it becomes too distracting. We recommend one Bold Statement or two (at the most) in any color scheme. 

Jennifer Orr is a color specialist in California and wrote this post on Houzz a few years back. I believe this idea of having only one key focal point still holds up today. One of our favorites is to feature a custom range hood. Most of our clients are interested in luxury kitchen appliances and many of the high end models our clients favor are stainless steel. So, there is a need for an exhaust system that can stand up to the task at hand. 

Custom Range Hoods

Designers predict that 2020 may be a big year for range hoods. Copper, brass and powder coated range hoods are good ways to shake up all that stainless steel. Our friends over at RangeCraft have developed many attractive range hood shapes, and a few Avant Garde styles too. Zinc and stainless steel are typical options. Your backsplash tile colors should actually compliment your new custom range hood.

Bold, Colorful Backsplashes

Perhaps a backsplashes can be your focal point? A good kitchen designer knows that a tile backspash is much more than a shield for your walls. Colorful tile is a major 2020 kitchen trend and a great way to add stunning splashes of color. Most tile manufacturers are embracing this trend and have developed patterns that create subtle statements to bold “Look at Me” statements us kitchen designers can suggest. Don’t forget to incorporate these colors into the rest of your design.

Avant-Garde Kitchen Islands

Also in 2020, kitchen islands are getting top billing. Kitchen islands in white are very classy but what if we get a little creative with the color or the stools or the pendant lighting that shines down on these islands? Perhaps just the cushions you suggested earlier, maybe they have the ability to scream…sit here. Today’s islands feature more open space underneath their countertops. Besides crafting a clean look and feel for a fast meal, many of the islands we are designing are highly functional, store wine chillers and are staging the meal presentation for your Tapas party.


Focal points are essential elements in any room renovation. Tobias Design adopts fresh, innovative approaches to your kitchen remodeling. To learn more about what we can do for you, contact Tobias Design at (609) 466-1445.