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

 

 

Trends in Appliances

Though some interior design trends come and go, other style elements become instant classics. Take stainless steel, as one example. Often associated with commercial kitchens, neutral in terms of color and aesthetic, stainless appliances and counters now work in almost any application. Other kitchen fashions last only a short time or are quickly deemed impractical. So what are the current hot items to have, what’s on the way out, and what is here to stay? 

One appliance must-have right now is a built-in or integrated refrigerator in high-end kitchens. Many manufacturers make them, and you have the option of wood panels to blend with surrounding cabinetry to make the fridge look like a piece of furniture, or you can buy them in stainless steel to be a shining accent in your kitchen. Also trendy are old-fashioned style refrigerators put in traditional and/or whimsical kitchens, or installed in contemporary spaces to add visual interest. These refrigerators are great when they’re paired with an old-fashioned style range like an Aga, La Cornue, or Bertazzoni, all of which come in fun colors to match the refrigerator.

To read the entirte artcile please visit http://www.cultivate.com/articles/appliance-trends

 View more kitchen projects 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.