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4. Consider Thermofoil or Laminate
You don’t always have to go with an all-plywood construction. Thermofoil and laminate are both excellent budget-friendly options.
Thermofoil is a type of plastic finish applied to a medium-density fiberboard or other type of engineered wood core. It’s durable and easy to clean, and costs significantly less than wood. Laminate is likewise much less expensive than wood. It generally holds up well over time, though it isn’t as strong as wood. It’s more susceptible to moisture as well.
There are a few considerations to make if you decide to buy thermofoil or laminate cabinets. You will need to place delamination heat shields near your range. You may also want an all-plywood sink base or a sink mat for extra protection against moisture.
As a bonus, you can use the extra savings from laminate and thermofoil to add details to your cabinetry, including crown molding, corbels and a decorative door style.
This article was originally published by a www.houzz.com . Read the Original article here. .
5. Forgetting About Function
When planning your remodel, make sure you put your kitchen’s busiest areas — the sink, stove and fridge — in practical locations that are relevant to one another while allowing enough space for people to use and access them comfortably, Findlay says.
When choosing cabinetry, make sure the doors won’t block your workflow when they’re open, she says. “The last thing you want is your fridge and cupboard doors banging into each other every time you open them!”
Solution: Plan your kitchen layout as far in advance as possible, and choose your appliances before you start looking at cabinetry, Findlay says. “This will allow you to fit your units around your appliances, rather than the other way around, giving you a seamless look that’s both smart and space-efficient.”
Tip: Think about how many people live in your home and will be using the kitchen at one time, she says. If it’s going to get crowded, you may have crammed too many elements into the kitchen layout and may want to consider scaling back.
This article was originally published by a www.houzz.com . Read the Original article here. .
This New England couple bought their Grand Cape-style house knowing they’d eventually remodel the dated kitchen. The parents of three daughters thought the overall layout worked, but they disliked the visually heavy aging wood cabinets and awkward two-level island. They wanted something light and bright, but specifically not a white kitchen.
For help, they hired designer Jackie Friberg of Granite State Cabinetry and interior planner Shayne Mitchell of Orchard Hill Interiors. Now, perimeter cabinetry in a pale gray-blue adds sophisticated and soothing style. A new one-level streamlined island in natural black walnut visually warms the space and provides enough seating for the whole family. Concrete-look perimeter countertops and a quartzite island countertop add interest. Painted nickel-gap paneling and a classic open plate rack cabinet bring charming touches. Updated appliances and a revamped bar area enhance function.
This article was originally published by a www.houzz.com . Read the Original article here. .
This 1800s farmhouse in Dover, Massachusetts, had lots of original charm but also had undergone several renovations over the years. The homeowners, parents of two young boys, needed help adapting the kitchen to work with their 21st-century lifestyle. “I would describe my clients’ style as traditional but clean and unfussy,” interior designer Jeanne Barber says.
The existing kitchen was generously sized but had a lot of wasted space. For the new layout, Barber considered things like improving the traffic flow between rooms, accommodating gatherings and creating a way for the young children who live here to grab drinks and snacks in a spot outside the work triangle. She aimed to blend modern conveniences with traditional elements, and she did so skillfully, giving the kitchen what she calls “mood and soul.”
This article was originally published by a www.houzz.com . Read the Original article here. .
This 1800s farmhouse in Dover, Massachusetts, had lots of original charm but also had undergone several renovations over the years. The homeowners, parents of two young boys, needed help adapting the kitchen to work with their 21st-century lifestyle. “I would describe my clients’ style as traditional but clean and unfussy,” interior designer Jeanne Barber says.
The existing kitchen was generously sized but had a lot of wasted space. For the new layout, Barber considered things like improving the traffic flow between rooms, accommodating gatherings and creating a way for the young children who live here to grab drinks and snacks in a spot outside the work triangle. She aimed to blend modern conveniences with traditional elements, and she did so skillfully, giving the kitchen what she calls “mood and soul.”
This article was originally published by a www.houzz.com . Read the Original article here. .
In 2011, design-build pro Jared Lewis and his wife, Katherine, moved into their 1962 traditional-style home in Scotts Valley, California. Over the years, the couple updated the house in phases to create more of a coastal cottage style. In 2017, they built an 8-foot addition for a new open-concept kitchen and dining room.
But after living with the kitchen for a number of years, they felt that while many of the elements looked and functioned fine, the bright white cabinets and blue island base dated the space. Seeking more warmth and a current look, they teamed up with designer Kerry Gillette, who used Houzz Pro software, for a refresh.
Now creamy white cabinets and a soft beige paint on the island base create a warm and inviting style. New rustic wood ceiling beams and wood-look flooring add more warmth. The flooring material and stools upholstered in performance fabric introduce durable details that stand up to frequent guests.
This article was originally published by a www.houzz.com . Read the Original article here. .
2. Gorgeous Countertops
Counters help define your outdoor kitchen’s style. “Choose a stone [or other material] that ties the whole look together or provides a fun accent,” says Kara Gorski of Landed in Alexandria, Virginia.
Practical considerations. Add plenty of countertop area around the grill. “No matter how small an outdoor kitchen is, it needs to have adequate counter space,” says landscape designer Deborah Gliksman of Urban Oasis Landscape Design in Los Angeles. Douglass recommends leaving enough room for utensils as well as your cooked and uncooked food.
New York-based landscape designer Todd Haiman says you’ll probably need to seal the countertop when it’s installed and then reseal it every few years. “Fats from cooking as well as staining from metals left on top of it can stain it, and the elements can take their toll,” he says.
Finally, make good use of the cabinetry the counters sit on. It’s a prime space for storage as well as other amenities, such as an undercounter refrigerator.
Find a landscape contractor near you on Houzz
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1. Buy Easy-Clean Appliances
It’s understandable to be dazzled by the performance or look of a smart new kitchen appliance, but Eva Byrne of Houseology suggests that you also consider potential purchases with a view to keeping them clean.
“Choose a [range] that’s fuss-free and easy to wipe down without needing any exotic lotions or solutions,” Byrne says. “Have a good look at details, such as the knobs on your oven, to make sure there are no hard-to-get-at nooks. Knobs that are too close together mean you can’t get a cloth between them, for example.”
Designer Nicolle Whyte agrees and suggests choosing an induction cooktop, “as it’s flat, easy and safe to clean.”
Furthermore, Louise Delaney, design manager at Cameron Interiors, says, induction cooktops save you from having to clean the grates and other parts found on gas cooktops.“We recommend choosing appliances with cleaning programs included. Let your appliance do the cleaning for you!” She suggests choosing ovens with pyrolytic cleaning functions (which heat the oven to high temperatures to burn off residue), steam ovens with automatic steam cleaning and drying programs, and coffee machines with automatic cleaning.
Find a kitchen designer near you on Houzz
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Whether an island is a dedicated workhorse or just for show, it’s often the centerpiece of a kitchen. And by extension, the lighting above it plays a central part in the look and feel of a kitchen design. These 10 pendant lights over islands present a range of possibilities, but all have that extra-special something that enhances the overall design of their spaces. Have a look, then let us know in the Comments which one is your favorite.
1. Bell Curves
Copper pendant lights scaled just right for a large island bring a warm gleam and curved lines to this fresh farmhouse-style kitchen in Ontario, Canada, by designer Aniko Nicholson. They join gunmetal sconces, a polished nickel faucet and other metallic elements in adding lively notes to the calm wood-and-white design. Note too how the inset window frame over the sink speaks to the copper finish of the pendants and creates a pulled-together feel.
Read more about this kitchen
2. U Got It
Artisan Katy Skelton created the dramatic U-shaped light fixture in this Southern California kitchen by Linette Dai. Its bar is wrapped in white leather for an unexpected and luxurious touch. The pendant is artfully hung at a level that accentuates both the solo upper cabinet behind and the lines of the tray ceiling above. And it manages to make a statement without taking away from the bold Arabescato Corchia marble on the island top and backsplash. All in all, it’s a lovely finishing note for a polished urban Zen space.
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3. Under the Big Tops
Kids doing homework at this spacious island in a British Columbia, Canada, kitchen by Lori Steeves of Simply Home Decorating will have plenty of light for reading, thanks to lighting that includes three large pendants. Their black-and-white finishes sync up beautifully with the black cabinets and range hood, white countertops and walls, and elements in the nearby breakfast area. The pendants have the only brass elements in the room, adding shine and helping establish a focal point. They also play nicely with the light wood stools below.
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4. White Caps
Designer Michael Ferzoco of Eleven Interiors believes that lighting is the most important part of any room. For this Massachusetts homeowner, a big fan of midcentury modern style, he capped off his crisp blue-and-white kitchen design with striking white dome pendant lights. Their warm metallic interior brings shine and draws the eye, even from the adjacent dining area and living room (not seen) in the open plan. And check out how those four stools below visually balance the pendants without being rigidly symmetrical.
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Browse dome pendant lights
5. For Love of Country
Brass elements throughout add to the warm welcome in this charming Vermont kitchen by designer Lauren Miles. The pendant lights have an aged version of the metal on the stem, above 16-inch linen drum shades that, along with the white oak island countertop below, establish the kitchen’s center without hogging the spotlight. Their clean, modern lines help keep the countryside-inspired kitchen design from tipping over into full-on farmhouse.
Pendant lights: Stillwater in aged brass, Rejuvenation
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6. Shine On
The stems of these three pendants artfully emphasize the verticality of the cabinets and pantry door in this London kitchen, visually boosting the kitchen’s height. It’s a subtle but masterful move that comes courtesy of Robert Burnett of Kitchens by Holloways and Elizabeth McFarlane. The designers chose a gold finish as well, which brings the black-and-white design to life and nods to the gold-tone cabinet pulls nearby.
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How to Get Your Pendant Light Right
7. Art of Subtlety
With oil-rubbed bronze, cased white glass shades and clean lines, these teardrop-shaped pendants suit their midcentury modern surroundings without being too on the nose. Their shapeliness acts as a counterpoint to all the linear elements of this Vermont kitchen — by Britt Mee of Vermont Interior Design and Rachelle Lazzaro of OAK Design Project — and their darker base color has a grounding effect on the white island expanse below. Plus, they’re subtle enough to let that gorgeous green backsplash tile have its moment.
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8. Grace Notes
Pendant lights don’t have to be oversize or flashy to be standouts, as these slender metal-and-glass versions show. This is the kitchen of Minnesota designer Mary Maney of Crystal Kitchen + Bath, and she repeated the pendants’ coloring in the island base, the range hood and the back of a glass-front cabinet to evenly distribute warm notes throughout the white-dominant space. The overall effect is of traditional elegance without a whiff of stuffiness.
Pendant lights (similar): Connor one-light, Capital Lighting Fixture
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9. Delicate Balance
An angled black-and-brass piece surrounds a white glass shade in these two pendants, for an artful look that dials up this Massachusetts kitchen’s wood-forward design. The round part peeking out references the scallop-shaped backsplash tiles and offsets the linear ceiling beams, while the overall delicate design balances out the boxy island below. Note too how Kerri Reesey of Kindred Designs carried the black from the pendants to the chairs for a united front.
Pendant lights: Blaine, 16 inches, Rejuvenation
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A good estimate on the total cost, properly divided into each stage, is imperative for this plan to work.
If your plan is simple and includes new appliances, new paint and some new hardware, then the estimate will be easy. Go to an appliance store or go online and price out the appliances. Get that painting bid for your cabinets and walls. Count up the hardware requirements, price out your selection, and there you have it. Three simple stages and not much risk (as long as you confirm your appliance selections fit their respective spaces — more on that later).
In larger, more complex jobs, though, it’s difficult to properly price things out without some experience, as kitchen remodels can potentially involve framers, finish carpenters, drywallers, electricians, plumbers, tile setters, slab fabricators, painters and possibly even foundation contractors, roofers, insulators and more.
The point is that it can be challenging to properly estimate a phased remodel, or any remodel, but you need to have a go at it and keep refining and updating as needed. Contractors are experienced at the task, but if you are estimating on your own, make sure you get bids for every subcontractor task and price out the fixtures and materials. And, if you can, try to get some consultation from someone with experience.