Archive for July, 2011

Expanding Kitchen Style throughout the Home

Sunday, July 10th, 2011

The kitchen is considered by many to be the true “heart of the home” since it is where families gather to share meals, conversation and updates about their day to day lives. While efficient function is absolutely critical in kitchen design, the style of the kitchen is important as well so that the kitchen feels welcoming, comfortable and attuned to your lifestyle. Since so much time is spent in the kitchen, it’s only natural that the kitchen style can easily spill over and influence the style in adjacent rooms and throughout the entire living space. Here are two favorite kitchen styles and ideas for letting their design inspire other spaces.

The Comfy Country Kitchen

The country kitchen has been a long popular choice in kitchen design styling and enthusiasm for this style never seems to diminish. The rustic familiarity and comfort of a country kitchen bespeaks of family gatherings and homey togetherness, so it’s no wonder that there is a desire to carry the same mood to other areas of the home. The centerpiece of a country kitchen is a big farmhouse table that provides plenty of space for family meals, homework, games, activities and sharing muffins and tea with a good friend. In spacious kitchens, the farmhouse table can be included right in the kitchen, but if the kitchen is smaller, then the adjacent family room can be the prime location for the table, effectively making the dining room an extension of the kitchen. Do this by echoing the same colors, patterns and furniture styles from one room to the other. Decorative items like similar candle sconces and holders and artwork can be used to make a seamless transition. A great storage piece in the dining room, such as a hutch or sideboard, can store dinnerware, glassware and serving pieces, freeing up space in the kitchen. You can even extend the same decorative style and color palette into a living room or family room, and this approach really makes sense if the rooms share an open floor plan: You’ll create the illusion of more space while presenting a nicely coordinated visual cohesion between the spaces.

The Contemporary Kitchen

If contemporary design is more your style, you can feature this style in the kitchen and carry it through to other spaces. A contemporary kitchen typically features sleek finishes like stainless steel along with a monochromatic color backdrop such as black and white or gray. This neutral clean palette allows you to get creative with bold punches of accent color. This accent color can then be echoed in adjoining dining or living spaces and where it may be used as a primary color to visually connect the areas. You can also echo the sleek stainless steel finishes and black and white palette in adjacent rooms by using them in accessories like lamps, tables, area rugs and wall decor, like abstract metal wall art. The overall effect is the perception of one larger, cohesive space with visual continuity throughout. A stylish effect can be created by “ping-ponging” colors in opposition: For example, the main black and white palette of the kitchen becomes the accent color in the living or dining space; and the bold primary color of the dining or living space works as an accent color in the kitchen.

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3 Kitchen Floor Plans that Work

Saturday, July 9th, 2011

Everyone wants a stylish kitchen of course; but if a kitchen doesn’t work well and if it’s not efficient, you won’t be happy cooking or spending time there. While the latest appliances and amenities contribute to kitchen functionality, the core of kitchen efficiency is defined by its layout. While discount wall decor and candle sconces and holders can help portray your kitchen style,  when the layout is optimized, a kitchen is very enjoyable to work in even if it doesn’t include every bell and whistle just coming out of kitchen design shops. While it’s advisable to use a professional kitchen designer to gain maximum efficiency when laying out a kitchen, nearly every kitchen design – from the grandest Tuscan style kitchen with a brick pizza oven to a simply efficient galley kitchen found in an urban apartment – is based on one of the following three layouts.

The L-Shaped Kitchen

One of the most convenient and compact kitchen layouts is the L-shaped design. It provides a tight work triangle – refrigerator, stove and sink – that makes efficient use of even the smallest spaces. In most cases, an L-shaped kitchen is designed with the refrigerator and sink on one wall and the cook range on the adjacent wall. Since two adjacent walls are used in the layout, workstations can be created throughout the kitchen without making any work areas too distant from the triangle, saving unnecessary steps. Leaving one wall of the kitchen free also leaves room for a small table area or built-in snack bar.

The U-Shaped Kitchen

The U-shape is a great layout for either a small or spacious kitchen. In this design, countertops, appliances and storage utilize three walls of the room – hence the “U” shape – and the maximum amount of work space is made available. The U-shaped design is also a good choice if your goal is to create a kitchen with multiple work stations because it allows to designate, for example, a baking area near the range as well as a prep area by the sink. The U-shape is also popular with families that like to cook together because it gives each cook ample room to work without getting in some one else’s way. The U-shape also provides a great amount of storage since three walls can be filled with upper and lower cabinets. In most cases, the work triangle in a U-shaped kitchen is configured by placing the refrigerator and stove opposite of each other on the parallel walls with the sink on the center wall.

The Galley Kitchen

A gallery kitchen is also known as a “corridor” kitchen and is the typical configuration used for small, narrow spaces such as kitchens that are typically found in apartments and small homes. A galley kitchen gets crowded quickly if more than one cook tries to work at one time, so it’s not family-friendly but works fine for a single person or couple. The design is arranged on two parallel walls, with the range and refrigerator typically placed on one wall and the sink aligned between them on the opposing wall. To gain the most efficiency from this layout, the stove, fridge and sink must each placed on one point of a work triangle.

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Kitchen Sinks that Contribute to Kitchen Style

Friday, July 8th, 2011

The sink is an indispensable element of any kitchen. Without it, a kitchen simply cannot function. However, just because kitchens sink is all about function and practicality, that does not mean that it has to be without style. In fact, the style of sink chosen can make a great contribution to the style of the kitchen and it can work as a point of fashion.

Sleek, Convenient Under-Mount Sinks

Under-mount sinks do come in a variety of styles, however many of them are designed to evoke a sleek, contemporary vibe in a kitchen, so it’s a perfect choice for a home that sports abstract metal wall hangings and modern wall mount candle holders. This style of sink is mounted beneath the countertop and there is no sink ring or obstruction between the sink and countertop; this makes clean up very easy and you’ll never again have to scrap out gunk around the perimeter of the sink. You can find them in any color and made from a variety of materials from granite or stainless steel to resin composites that easily blend with natural stone countertops for a very sleek look.

Integral Sinks

An integral sink is one that is built as a continuous unit containing both the sink and countertop. There is no visible seam and cleaning up the countertop is a matter of one continuous swoop from countertop to sink and down the drain. They are made from stone and composite materials and are a great choice for contemporary kitchens. They also can be found in rustic looking finishes when made from stone or stone composites, so they provide a convenient and functional, yet appropriate look for country or rustic style kitchens.

Character-Laden Farmhouse Sinks

Farmhouse sinks are a classic choice for traditional, Old World, rustic, Tuscan and country style kitchens. Farmhouse sinks feature front aprons that offer lots of character and rustic appeal. They are larger than regular sinks and are great for soaking and washing big pots and pans. Many farmhouse sinks feature smooth apron fronts, but carved and decorative fronts can also be found.

Versatile Vessel Sinks

Vessel sinks have been popular bathroom fixtures for quite some time, but they are now finding their way into the kitchen. They are also know as basin sinks and installed on top of the countertop, rather than beneath it. While often associated with contemporary styling, they come in many styles, such as modern glass and metallic finishes; but vessel sinks made of stone, porcelain or marble can offer a touch of antiquity to a more traditionally styled kitchen.

Handy Prep Sinks

Prep sinks are often used as a second sink in a busy kitchen and serious cooks love them. While they can be attached to a full sized sink, many cooks prefer to have them in a separate location within the kitchen so that prep work can be done while someone else is using the main sink.  A prep sink set inside an island or breakfast bar is also convenient when entertaining, offering a separate area for bar and beverage set up.

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