1.) Appropriate Storage: Ample storage space provides the opportunity for a neat and tidy kitchen. The options available in today’s cabinetry give homeowners a variety of ways to stay organized. These options include recycle bins, spike racks, pull-out trays, full extension drawers and cutlery dividers. These options help you follow the ever-important mantra of andquot;a place for everything and everything in its place.andquot;
2.) Hiding Places: A common trend in today’s kitchen design is being able to hide appliances and unsightly items such as trash cans. Today, homeowners are hiding trashcans behind decorative cabinet doors with roll out capabilities. Special counter top storage cabinets are also available to store appliances, such as mixers, toaster and blenders, behind closed doors. Being able to tuck these items away reduces the cluttered look of the countertop and appears clean and tidy.
3.) Space Makers: Homeowners today are keen on using every square inch of their cabinet space for slide-ins and pull-outs. Also popular with homeowners are large pull-out drawers for pots and pan. With these unique additions, maximizing the organization of your cabinets is easier than ever before.
4.) Natural Countertops: Natural materials such as granite and quartz are strong choices for countertops because of their lifetime durability and low maintenance appeal. In spite of their cost, they have become increasingly popular choices for perimeter counter tops, islands, and peninsulas and bar tops. The biggest challenge for granite and stone products is their porous nature, which requires a sealant.
5.) Decorative Counters: Right in line with the choice of natural countertops is decorative counters. While in the same category, these choices are distinctly different. The selection of decorative countertops applies to the type and style of stone you choose. With the countertop being the focal point of the kitchen, you can amplify the look and feel of your kitchen with the right countertop selection. A manifest of its natural formation in the earth, no two slabs of granite are the same. With hundreds of colors and an endless range of possibilities, selecting the countertop with the right decorative edge is a must for your kitchen remodel.
6.) Dual-Fuel Range: Dual fuel ranges provide the perfect combination for cooking aficionados. With a cooking range fueled by natural gas and an electric oven, you have the best of both worlds at your hands. With the capacity to surface cook with gas and bake and broil with electric, you have the optimum temperature controlling abilities suitable for each type of cooking.
7.) French Door Refrigerator: Among the trendy and sleek trends of today is the French door refrigerator. These refrigerators feature two side-by-side doors as the fridge area and a large bottom drawer for the freezer. Appealing features include extra-large deli storage areas, beverage chillers and various other organizational amenities depending on the model chosen. While the latest trend in color is the stainless steel models, these refrigerators are also available in classic colors of white, black and bisque.
8.) Induction Cooktop: Although expensive, induction cooktops are the latest trend in the cooking industry. With induction technology, it is possible to boil a pot of water in 30 seconds. Induction cooktops use electromagnetic energy to heat the food inside the pan rather than heating the pan itself. If you have a busy on the go lifestyle with little time to cook, an induction cooktop is a must have for your kitchen!
9.) Classy Dandeacute;cor: Small decorative touches can make a big difference in your kitchen. Years ago, kitchens were very sanitary and free from decorative appeal. Today, homeowners are using kitchen dandeacute;cor to highlight the quality and appeal of their home. Options for adding dandeacute;cor include ornate tile backsplashes, textured finishes and overlays. Lighted cabinetry or spotlights to showcase specialty dishes or dandeacute;cor have become increasingly popular as well.
10.) Your Own Island: Nothing beats having your own island in the center of your kitchen. Islands are a common theme in many kitchen remodels and the trend continues to be strong, primarily due to their functionality and usefulness. Kitchen islands can serve as additional working space or cooking space by adding a cook top. They also provide a decorative edge by providing space to display decorative pieces that give your kitchen that extra touch. A recent trend in kitchen islands is to accent the cabinetry in a different finish from the other cabinets, providing a touch of versatility and class.
Kitchen Renovation ideas
When you need to renovate your kitchen there are many things you can do to make it more impressive than it is currently. Like the bathroom, the kitchen is one of the rooms in our house that changes the fastest as it is reliant on technology which is constantly advancing. At the same time as a room that we use so often and in such a practical way, new innovations are constantly being devised to help make the kitchen an easier place to work and get things done.
So how can you employ these new innovations in order to make your kitchen into something more attractive, more practical to work in and more like the kind of kitchen you want to be in and that is something of a house of tomorrow.
Well there are many ways to do this. First of all you might want to consider some of the new appliances available for kitchens that can make yours more effective and useful. For instance maybe you’d like to use a food dispenser in your sink in order to chop up foods and prevent the sink from getting clogged. At the same time this will then allow you to quickly and easily poor your waste down the drain rather than having to worry about doing it over a chopping board then throwing it away.
You might also want to consider some of the options for your more mundane fittings – for instance your kitchen cabinets, countertops and flooring. The countertops and flooring for instance you may choose to make out of some kind of expensive stone – this could be marble, granite or anything else that will be more resilient and better looking than carpet or laminate flooring. Similarly for your cabinets you might want to choose bigger ones, or more attractive ones, or features such as soft closing mechanisms to prevent slamming.
On top of these changes you will then need to think about how it’s all going to fit together and what you want your actual layout to be like. Your cabinets and countertops will define where you work in the kitchen and how much space you have for preparation, so think logically about how to maximize your use of what’s available.
There are various common formations for countertops that many people use. For example you might choose to use the ‘L’ shape design which sees cabinets on two adjacent walls – one set down the length and one set down the width. This saves you a lot of space to move around in and it gives you the corner of the L where you can work and reach countertops on either side of you and in front. These kinds of ‘work zones’ are great for improving productivity.
Other layouts for your kitchen include the ‘U’ shape layout, the corridor and the island. The best option for you will depend on the size and shape of the room you are working with, as well as permanent fittings like radiators and stop taps – but remember you can always create more space by knocking down walls or removing these things if you want to make your renovation more complete.
Kitchen Design to Match Your Lifestyle
Beyond the obvious, a kitchen may be used for different reasons – an area for socialising, for showing off the latest cooking gadgets, for preparing large meals for groups or even just making your friends envious of the luxury fitted kitchen you’ve just had installed.
If you are thinking of remodelling your kitchen design, start with analysing your requirements. The first step to suit your lifestyle is to gauge personal preferences, such as defining:• cooking area
• storage space
• placement of dining table
• traffic area
• dishwasher installation
• telephone and answering machine set up (if you spend a lot of time there)
• access to food waste and recycle bins
• display racks for silver or glass-ware
• lighting requirements
Once you have discovered all your requirements, invest time in market research. Read home décor magazines or watch home improvement television shows to have a better understanding of what products are available in the market. Alternatively, you can search over the internet. Read through the articles from expert interior designers or watch home décor videos from the comfort of your home. Make a list of products that are essential for remodelling to match your lifestyle. This will also allow you to prepare a rough estimate of the remodelling expenses.
With a better understanding of kitchen design requirements and available products, you should sit back and prepare a detailed layout. The key is to choose the most desirable items and find interesting placements for those items to add to the aesthetics of your design.
Traditionally, the appliance-triangle structure was considered as the best approach where the sink, the fridge and the cooker are placed at three different points to form a triangle. For example, one can place the sink and the cooker at two ends of the counter. Install the fridge parallel to the counter to form a triangle. However, the microwave has now become an integral part of modern kitchens. If these geometrical figures are hard to decipher for you, simply prepare a layout that allows free movement between the devices that are extensively required for preparing daily meals.
After the basic homework, it is time to dwell upon the aesthetic details. Select textures, colours and styles for every component of the kitchen. Remember, flooring and the counter texture make the greatest impression. Every investment also gets translated into the overall resale value of your home.
Interior designers can provide expert consultation on the best combination for your lifestyle and daily needs. However, if you are facing a serious time crunch, consider buying predesigned luxury kitchens. These are available in a variety of forms to suit the individual requirements of every customer.
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