Kitchen Design Suggestions
How many times have you flipped through a copy of one of the home improvement or home decorating magazines? I would venture to say that every issue has at least 10 photographs of some type of kitchen setting. Some of these may be in ads but no doubt they are there.
Heavy Traffic
Great architects and interior design people locate kitchens near the center of most houses. They recognize that this room is the center of activity. You need to recognize that your kitchen floor, cabinets, countertops, etc. will be subjected to accelerated wear because of the heavy traffic through and in the room. Often it may only cost 10 to 15 percent more money to get substantially better quality in cabinets, flooring, paint and other items.
Form Follows Function
I suggest that you spend the necessary time to research all of your design options. People often confuse "design" with "decorating". They are NOT the same. The color of paint or style of wallpaper has little to do with how efficiently you will operate in your kitchen. Your kitchen may look great but if it does not function well, you will be unhappy. The decorating theme should be an extension of your personality. However, don't place top priority on the look and style. Here is how I would accomplish these tasks.
Seek Professional Help
There are many complicated aspects of actual kitchen design that are impossible to include in this bulletin. Thousands of pages have been written on cabinet placement, types of cabinets, the work triangle, appliance tolerances and such. There are professional kitchen designers who have mastered these elements. They know exactly how to get the most from your kitchen space no matter how big or small it is.
Avoid flaws and mistakes when planning your new kitchen. Use my Kitchen Remodeling Checklist as your remodel guide. I offer a 100% Money Back Guarantee.
One of my newspapers - The Dayton Daily News - sponsored a design contest. They had homeowners nominate their kitchens for a free design makeover. Four Dayton Ohio area kitchen design companies submitted designs for the contest. It was absolutely amazing how the Certified Kitchen Designers (CKD) manipulated the tiny spaces into highly efficient kitchens. Hire a CKD to develop your plan. You should spend your time selecting cabinet styles, colors and paint!
Islands - A Potential Oasis
If your kitchen has enough space for an island - a kitchen usually needs to be at least 13 feet wide for an island - you are in luck. My wife Kathy and I happen to have an island that is two feet deep by six and a half feet long. It is fantastic. I have built islands that contain bookshelves, eating bars, the primary sink and cooktops. My neighbor has an island that is seven feet by six feet! I constructed it five years ago during a major kitchen rehabilitation project. The kitchen designer used cabinets and complimentary trim that make the island look as if it is a piece of furniture.
Dressing up Cabinets
One of the coolest things I have done with a simple wall cabinet is to order it without the door panel. The cabinet comes with a door frame with or without grids. I then order a piece of hammered clear glass from a local art glass studio. The look is dynamic. If you have attractive dishes or other items you wish to display behind the glass doors, this is an excellent way to achieve it. If you are really ambitious, you can install mini-lights inside the cabinets to cast a warm glow at night time.
Are you building a new house with tall ceilings? Think twice before you add soffits over the top of the cabinets. Why not install a matching crown molding around the room made from the same wood and stained to match the cabinets? Higher end cabinets usually offer this as an option. Use the top of the cabinets to display baskets filled with seasonal dried flowers. Have your kitchen take on the mood of the season. Cabinet tops are excellent flat surfaces that allow you to add eye appeal to your kitchen space.
