Kitchen Design - Secrets Revealed

Backsplash Trends

The humble backsplash isn’t just for practical purposes anymore. Besides catching water and dirt from touching the walls behind sinks and stoves, backsplashes can also make a strong design statement. But what was once fashionable is no longer much used, and backsplash trends have changed over the past few years.
There are many backsplash treatments available, but tile still remains the favorite. Keep in mind, however, that tile trends are ever changing. Tumbled marble and small square glass tiles are not as popular as they once were. Stone tiles are still in, but the treatment of the stone, along with its size, shape, and color, has all changed. Where stone mosaics were once all the rage, it’s now all about installing stone tiles in a uniform color, either cut very small or very large, and either of the same or varying sizes. Instead of the previous focus on the interplay of color, the current focus is on the play of shadows as the light hits this beautifully simple yet textured wall.

Glass tiles (other than the small square ones) are still popular. If small tiles are desired, choose ones that are irregular in shape, rather than 1-2” squares. Larger, rectangular glass tiles that range from 3x6” to 12x24”, and any size in between, are now available and very popular in contemporary kitchens. This type of tile opens up a space, creates less interruption with grout lines, and adds to a pared-down style of kitchen.  To make a glass backsplash that’s even more restrained, use glass sheets that are back painted in whatever color you desire.  These are made by glass specialty shops—but not all shops can do this successfully, so be careful who you choose to do this work. Read the full article at http://www.cultivate.com/articles/backsplash-trends

To view more backsplash images click here.

How Budget Affects Your Design

Whatever your budget, from small to sky-high, it’s entirely possible to get a gorgeous new kitchen. The key is finding a great designer—someone who has a passion for excellence, an eye for creativity, and the ability to discover what will work best for you. Even projects with extremely high budgets can turn into disasters without a skilled professional to help guide design choices, while projects with more modest funds can have beautiful outcomes with the right help.

 Don’t be daunted by so-called “high-end designers,” either. There’s nothing more satisfying than having someone who thinks that they can’t afford design services walk into a showroom and discover that they can redo a kitchen within their budget. Some hard choices might have to be made, and some concessions allowed, but it’s possible to spend the same amount or slightly more money by working with a talented designer as you would shopping by yourself at a big box store and, as a result, get much more bang for your buck!

How is this feasible? Consider the design process. First, a designer might sit down with you and draw your current kitchen on paper. You would talk about your likes and dislikes of your present set-up, as well as discussing a wish list and anything else the designer should know. After working together for an hour, a design plan could be created that would show how your ideal kitchen would function, where the appliances would be located, and which appliances might work best.  After establishing a floor plan, the designer would have an idea of linear footage of cabinets, countertops, and the types of appliances needed. Using all these details, the designer could then work up a project cost estimate with budget limitations in mind.  Once a designer’s services are retained, the final design and price would be set.

Read the entire article here.

For more kitchen & bath ideas visit us at www.jennifergilmerkitchens.com

 

 

Ideas for a Breakfast Table in a Tight Space

Many times, clients want to have a breakfast table to accommodate four to six people, but their space is limited.   When a table is in the kitchen, it’s required that another five feet in addition to the table size is available.  This is because when the chairs are pushed back, they inevitably will take up another 30” for the person to be able to get in and out.  This is the minimum space to allow, a little large space is better so that when the chair is in the out position, a person will still be able to walk by, or the chair won’t hit a wall, island or peninsula.    

Banquettes are a great idea since the bench eliminates the need to have an additional 30 – 36” for clearance.  This also keeps the table closer to the wall and out of the way.  A banquette does not necessarily have to be set up against a wall, consider putting it on the back of the island.  This idea works especially well when the kitchen is open to the family room.

 

Try nestling a table into the back of the island and put the table on casters so that when more space is needed, the table can be pulled out to accommodate more people.  This solution is cleaner and looks great in a contemporary kitchen; it also works in tighter spaces than a banquette since the seat of a banquette will take up a minimum of 21 additional inches.  It’s important to plan for the table pulling out, make sure that there is enough room to do so or that furniture, a chair for instance, isn’t too close or can  easily be moved out of the way.  Stools can be tucked under the table against the island so that when the table moves forward, the chairs are automatically in position and ready for use.

Wood Tops are All the Rage!

October 14, 2009

In recent years, wood and butcher block counter tops have made a come back.  These countertops are not like the ones that you grew up with, they are new and improved.  Well, I can't say "new" since they have been used for hundreds of years, but, what is new is that they come in a variety of standard and exotic wood species.  Most people relate butcher block with maple since that has been the most used wood for this purpose.  Now, you can tailor your wood top to match or blend with your cabinets and other countertops.  Other wood species to consider are walnut, cherry, oak and for more of a punch, check out teak, bamboo, wenge, mahogany, zebrawood, eucalyptus, bubinga, rosewood and more (see pics below)...  There are three different applications for the construction of these wood tops, end grain, edge grain and flat grain.  To learn more about this, go to www.glumber.com which is the Grothouse Website, the leading company in quality wood tops.

Iroko Wood Top  

Mahogany Wood Top

Wenge Wood Top    

In the past, the maple butcher blocks that most of us are familiar with, they didn't hold up that well.  The reason for this is that a top coat varnish was applied in an effort to protect the wood, however, this top coat would break down in time with knife cuts and burns.  Once the varnish is penetrated, it opens a wound in which water, food and dirt can seep in which can be destructive to the look and function of the top.  The secret to a long lasting beautiful wood countertop is to not put any top coat finish on it, simply oil it with mineral oil.  Some people think this is a drawback, but I have a wood top in my kitchen and it's a simple and quick process - certainly well worth the look.  If a knife should cut it or a burn occur, simply lightly sand it and then oil it again.  It's important to continue oiling the top every couple of months or so, this helps the wood to stay healthy and less penetrable to liquids.  In contrast to what you may have heard about wood being unsafe because it's being porous which may lend itself to absorbing or holding onto germs, the reality is that wood is very safe.  It still has it's natural enzymes in the wood which actually breaks down food particles almost overnight, a fact that few people know about!

 Walnut Wood Top

 

Teak Wood Top

 

Cherry  Wood Top

 

There is a furniture finish called "Durata" that can be applied to the counter, this finish will resist any and all water, but, it can show scratches.  This finish is best used on a counter surface which will not be in an area of heavy use, perhaps on a table, a desk or an accent area.

Visit the Grothouse Lumber design gallery to see the many options that are available for your new wood top.  Make sure to use a reputable Kitchen Designer to create the design around this wonderful material. 

Q & A with Jennifer Gilmer - New Kitchen Design Trends

Check out this excerpt from an interview with Jennifer that ran in a few nationally syndicated newspapers last week...

Cooking with Kitchens

Kitchen designer Jennifer Gilmer shares trends and tips for updating and improving your kitchen

September 18, 2009 8:58 AM

By Barbara Ballinger

CTW Features

Jennifer Gilmer, CKD, is an award-winning designer whose eponymous Washington, D.C. firm has designed more than 1,000 kitchens in a variety of styles and won more than 15 national awards, including the “Pinnacle of Design” for the best overall space at this year’s annual National Kitchen & Bath Association convention in Atlanta.
With kitchens remaining many homeowners’ favorite rooms to remodel, there’s a stronger chance of recouping dollars spent on this investment than several others. Here Gilmer discusses the latest trends, including how to pare the high cost of remodeling and her latest venture, Kitchen Design OnLine, which helps homeowners plan their dream kitchen wherever they live.

Question: You're used to designing fairly high-end kitchens. What are the essentials that differentiate them from lower- and mid-range kitchens?

Answer: Better quality kitchens have more character, like open shelves that float or are suspended by cables, pantry cabinets or islands designed to look like furniture, stacked cabinets almost to the ceiling with interesting moldings and thicker countertops. They also have built-in refrigerators, double side-by-side instead of stacked ovens and more specialized appliances like steam/convection ovens. Finishes are also more custom, such as milk paint, crackle and exotic woods. Backsplashes are more intricate or custom. Lighting is improved with smaller low-voltage recessed cans or an antique chandelier over an island or table.

Q: You've recently developed KitchenDesignOnline.net, where you help homeowners bridge the gap between high-end showrooms and home improvement stores by providing design plans online. How does this work?

A: I developed the idea after hearing people talk about not being able to find a good designer at the discount cabinet store where they were planning on buying cabinets. Our service offers a few levels of design from basic drawings to detailed plan views, elevations and a three-dimensional drawing.

A client fills out a questionnaire about the style they prefer, appliances, their lifestyle, number of family members, number of cooks, entertaining needs, et cetera. We also ask clients to measure and sketch their kitchen, and we have a section on our site that explains how to do this. Once that sketch is uploaded to our site, we draw the existing space and send back drawing(s) to be checked. We work on the floor plan until they’re satisfied.
Next comes elevations. The process continues until clients approve the final design. They can take it to the cabinet showroom where they’ll purchase cabinetry or use the design to shop around and choose a cabinet dealer.

For the full article, click here 

Ocean Oasis Kitchen - National Award Winner 2009

 

 

This project is situated on the Atlantic coast, and, the house was built by the top real estate agent in that area.  It was very important that her house has all of the features that her clients are looking for when they want to purchase their beach house.  She wanted to have open spaces that took advantage of the beautiful view, yet, it had to be warm and cozy.  She also wanted to have a unique cabinet design since she was tired of seeing the predictable “shaker” style cabinets in cherry that have been so popular for the last 10 years. 

She saw in my showroom the door style that she wanted, a unique, sculpted door with an Asian flair.  She also loved the walnut wood which is very rich and warm and different from any other kitchen she has seen.  She loved the 2” thick Valley Gold marble in this display, and, even though it was risky as far as its maintenance, she was willing to take the risk.  We decided to incorporate quite a bit of frosted glass in order to bring in the soft blue/green color of the ocean into her home.  With the materials selected, we were ready to move on to designing her kitchen. 

 

The Kitchen was open to the family room, and, did not have enough space for a table to be freestanding out in the space at all times.  We had the challenge of getting a table that could seat at least 6 people in a space where we really didn’t have room.  Also, the dining room is behind the range, and did not have a view of the ocean.  The only windows in this room were on the side of the house, looking at the neighbor’s home.  She shares her home only with her husband and their dog, so, she didn’t require a lot of refrigeration, so, we reconsidered the big side by side refrigerator which was in the original plan.  She also liked the idea of hiding the oven and microwave since her kitchen was so open to the family room.  Then, she wanted a pantry, however, the wall that was left for that had a window in it which cramped the pantry space.  These were the design challenges for this space.

We decided to have a butcher block table made to match the walnut on the cabinets, and, it had to be a large one, 72” round.  In order to have it fit in the space, we have it “attached” to the island most times, but, the casters make it possible to move it out when she has more company.  Under the table and attached to the island is a built in booth which is automatic seating and allows for the table to not have to be pulled out too far when in use.  We could not center the island in the room, so, instead, we centered this very large and beautiful table.  The asymmetry that was created really complimented the mild Asian style of the kitchen! 

 

 

To solve the closed off dining room, I recommended that we delete the walls on either side of the range and put “floating” shelves suspended by cables which would serve both the kitchen and the dining room both in function and style.  This worked like a charm!  

We eliminated the large refrigerator/freezer unit and instead, we used a 27” built in Sub Zero all refrigerator on the side closest to the sink and complimented that on the opposite side with a tall cabinet which houses the oven and microwave.  This balanced and tidied up that elevation using some ingenuity so as to keep the space open and airy.  The Sub Zero freezer drawers are next to the refrigerator under the counter.

The pantry problem was resolved by incorporating the window inside it.  By creating very large slider doors with frosted glass, the window added some beautiful natural light so as to have the pantry glow during the day.  The soft/blue green color of the frosted glass is further complimented by the backsplash tile, a perfect combination.

A good designer enjoys designing challenging spaces. Seek the help of a professional kitchen designer in your local area, or, work with a designer from the comfort of your own home at www.kitchendesignonline.net.

 

Thoughts on my own kitchen

This is my very own kitchen.  The room is an addition to the house which has floor to ceiling sliding glass doors in the family room side.  In the kitchen, I opted to not have any windows with the exception of the clear story windows above the pantry.  To be able to obtain the design, it was necessary to not have windows in the kitchen (not a good view on that side of the house as well).  

 

To make up for the lack of natural light in the kitchen, I added back painted full glass panels on the backsplash.  The color is a light yellow/green, so, when the hood and under cabinet lights are  turned on, the entire backsplash glows!  In order to get outlets on the backsplash, I added a fairly high, about 9" backsplash of the honed black absolute granite in which the black outlets were installed.  The island also has the same black granite, but, it's also surrounded with wenge butcher block.  A sliding butcher block board can slide over the sink to increase counter space when needed. 

The pantries not only store food but they also house the steam/convection oven and microwave.  When in use, the doors bifold and slide back so that the entire space can be opened and left open during food preparation.  Putting the counter inside this pantry allows me to store and use some countertop appliances in there as well.  The custom hood lines up with the ceiling beams and is very wide and spacious to accomodate the 36" gas cooktop, deep fryer and grill/griddle. 

This kitchen isn't a really large one, yet, it stores all I need and functions beautifully.  A medium sized kitchen is all that one needs, and, they are more functional since it isn't necessary to cover a lot of ground when preparing dinner and when cleaning up!

Additional pictures:

 

 

 

Making Small Kitchens Work

Small kitchens can be challenging, but, it is incredible the ways in which you can open it up more to make it seem larger or how you can pack the space with storage and appliances and still have a great looking kitchen!

Think about taking down a wall to open up the kitchen to the dining room or family room.  There is no need to push the kitchen out into the adjoining room, just simply taking the wall down and putting in a peninsula of base cabinets and countertop will make the kitchen seem much larger.  Maybe adding some floating shelves above this peninsula where dishes, serving bowls and platters can be stored would be a good idea to make up for the wall cabinet space that is lost by taking down the wall.  Use of a pot rack can conserve precious storage space in large base cabinets.  Also, consider reducing the depth of cabinets so that they can fit in lighter spaces, like behind doors or next to windows.  You can also explore sinking cabinets into walls where it's possible in order to get some additional storage.  Make sure that the cabinets have layered storage such as spice racks or canned storage on the backs of the doors.  Order extra shelves which allow for more storage since typically there is much wasted space in cabinets due to too much space between shelves.  To get more ideas visit KDOL's portfolio.

Using smaller, European appliances can help, for instance, a 24" under counter oven that has a rotisserie in it from corner to corner for cooking a large turkey will save a lot of room.  Any size cook top can go above this oven with a little design innovation with the cabinets.  For the hood, you can use a combination microwave and hood which doesn't always look the best, but certainly conserves space.  Smaller built in refrigerators are a great idea too, and, you can separate the refrigerator from the freezer by using under counter freezer drawers.  This will allow enough refrigeration space without taking up too much counter space.  Dishwashers can also be found in 18" wide and based on the design of the racks, they can accommodate a lot of dishes and glasses. 

A good designer enjoys the challenge of designing in smaller spaces.  Seek the help of a kitchen designer in your local area, or, work with a designer from the comfort of your own home at www.kitchendesignonline.net.