Thursday, 26 November 2015

Inspirational Kitchen Cabinet Ideas

Kitchen remodeling is incomplete without kitchen cabinets. Kitchen cabinet design includes everything from the layout of your cabinets to the materials and finishes you use to complete the desired look. If you are looking to renovate your kitchen, you need to consider many things.

Where will you place the cabinets?
Open floor plans are a common trend these days. You need to choose between the trendy cabinet placement or stick to a more traditional layout. Using cabinets both above and below the kitchen counter can create a divide between your kitchen and living or dining room in a more traditional way. Placing a cabinet in an island in the middle of your kitchen will allow for the more open floor plan of a modern kitchen.

What material will you use in your cabinet design?
A wood cabinet is the most preferred choice. Some other alternative finishes available are stainless steel, laminate, and solid surface. More exotic woods and higher-end materials like stainless steel or glass can increase the cost of your kitchen cabinet design.

Choosing the right door style
Door style plays an important role in kitchen cabinet. It commonly defines the style of your kitchen. Modern cabinets have a more streamlined design featuring straight, clean lines without extra ornamentation. Traditional cabinets often include raised panel doors, or they might feature details like wainscoting or curved posts.

Debunking Home Improvement Myths

Home renovations take know-how and inspiration. Who does not wish to make his home beautiful, relaxing and comfortable? While you start your home remodeling project, there are many myths you need to unshackle. Let’s find out those home remodeling myths and the tips on what not to do while adding value to your homes.

Myth 1: Any improvement is a good one.
Many people believe that any home improvement idea is a good one. Stop there! Not all home remodeling concepts are created equal. When making a renovation, keep in mind that you might want to sell the place one day. Your ideas may not go well with the future owners’ lifestyle.

Myth 2: I can handle it all myself.
This is a misconception. You cannot remodel your house yourself because you are not an expert at it. Doing it yourself may save your money but you need to set limits. Professional help is much required in a field which is not your forte.


Myth 3: Adding a swimming pool will add value
Many homemakers believe that introducing a swimming pool and/or a hot tub is a sure seller. This may not be always true. Climatic factors or location will decide whether adding a swimming pool is required or not. In most areas of the country, adding a pool is a scary proposition. It's a big liability and will demand a lot of maintenance work in the off-season. Think long about building a pool, it may end up in money wastage.

Myth 4: Follow the latest home improvement trends
Many homeowners think it's a good idea to follow the latest design trends. But it is not true always. What is in trend today may be outdated tomorrow.

Wednesday, 25 November 2015

Kitchen Remodeling: Add value to your kitchen

Do you wish to remodel your kitchen? Are you clueless about where to start from? Different homeowners maintain different ideas about remodeling their kitchen. Some wish to change kitchen appliances, some feel they need to expand space, some collect inspiring kitchen photos or some simply wish to upgrade their kitchen. These amazingly innovative ideas can spark up your desire of remodeling your kitchen.

List your priorities before making the final plunge. Think about how many people will be gathering and cooking in the kitchen. Does your kitchen need an addition? A little research from showrooms, books and magazines will help you decide how you use your kitchen, and also help you find the correct layout and features that fit your household’s lifestyle.

Decide the scope of the remodeling work and figure out your initial budget. Budget and scope keeps on changing during the design process. You don’t need to know what everything costs, you don’t need to add or introduce as many as changes in one go.

A professional’s help is much needed at some point. Professionals help you with everything. From contracts and permits to space planning, budgets, choosing finishes and fixtures, shopping, ordering products, helping you set up a temporary kitchen, and managing your project from start to finish, they set the stage for kitchen remodeling.

Your kitchen is the heart of your house, more than just a stunning backsplash and gorgeous cabinets. Integrating thoughtful tips when planning your kitchen remodel will make your kitchen easy and functional.

Tuesday, 27 October 2015

Kitchen Flooring and Cabinets: Reach a balance

A great kitchen is one that has a cohesive design and all the crucial elements of the kitchen work together in some way. When renovating or remodeling a kitchen space, homeowners often struggle with the problem of matching the two most important elements of their kitchen – flooring and cabinets. To ensure that your kitchen looks the way you want, you must consider these tips while selecting your flooring materials and cabinets:
  • Style: Coordinate the style of the flooring material and kitchen cabinets. For example, slab style cabinets and floor tiles with clean edges work best together. Kitchen cabinets with pronounced wood grain need a wooden flooring style to stand up to the cabinets.
  • Pattern: Not every tile pattern can go well with your custom kitchen cabinets. Often decorative cabinet designs work beautifully with patterned floor tiles. You can also select plain floor tiles and raised panel cabinets for creating a contrast in pattern style.
  • Color scheme: Matching the color scheme of your kitchen floor and cabinets depends on the type of kitchen you're building and your preferences. Contrasting the cabinets with the flooring material color is a good idea if you want to set them apart. You can even select multiple shades of one color (such as darkest shade for cabinets and light shade for floor) to accentuate your kitchen.
In designing kitchens, the more things match, the lesser are the chances that your eyes will be drawn to a specific point. This suggests that contrasting flooring material and cabinets are ideal for creating your dream kitchen.

Factors to consider when designing kitchen floor plan

How should your new kitchen look like? What makes a kitchen perfect for your family? When you’re building a custom kitchen, these questions must be answered first before you even contact a kitchen designer. Designing a kitchen floor plan is often a complex task but it should be designed in a way that suits your needs now and in the future too. You must consider these three factors for creating a personalized space plan and a user-friendly kitchen for your family:

Function
– Triangle vs. Workstation: For efficient movement in a kitchen, stove, refrigerator, and sink are placed in a triangular fashion. If your kitchen has small space, then the triangle layout will work for your kitchen. For bigger kitchens, workstation layout works better wherein each standard station is designed around a major appliance.
 
Budget: The cost of remodeling a kitchen can be astronomical unless you begin with a firm budget. Set a maximum budget for the crucial elements of your kitchen including cabinets, countertop, and flooring while designing floor plan with your kitchen designer. This will prevent you going beyond your set budget.
Style Preference: Some homeowners embrace the more closed-off kitchen layout, but these days’ new kitchen designs reveal a different approach – open-concept kitchen. You can get creative with both kitchen layouts but you need to select the kitchen design that is budget-friendly and meets your family needs.

Off course, aesthetics are important for your kitchen, but function is even more important. Consider these three factors while designing kitchen floor plan with a kitchen designer so that you can maintain a balance between aesthetical design and functionality.

Tuesday, 15 September 2015

Unique Ways to Create a Modern Kitchen Design

Looking for inspiration for your new kitchen remodeling project? Kitchen is a sanctuary for your home that serves multiple purposes for your daily activities. A kitchen is a cooking area where you cook, eat, and socialize with friends and family; it can be a homework station, a craft corner, or a mini home office place. These ideas will help you give your kitchen a well-deserved facelift and a modern touch.

  • Remove upper cabinets: You’ll not face storage problems by removing upper cabinets. You can go for open shelving to store and showcase kitchen essentials. You get more visual space and the chance to add decorating elements by removing upper cabinets.
  • Open-plan living makes the transition from kitchen to dining area or living room smooth and interesting. Get really creative with open-plan kitchen designs. Install a kitchen island with storage options that can serve dual purpose for you: storing kitchen items and an instant eat-in place.
  • Lighting is the main element of modernizing a kitchen. You can install lights under your cabinets, but these days modern custom kitchen cabinets come with lighting options so you don’t need to do the lighting work yourself. A dimmer switch should be installed in your kitchen so that you can change the mood while cooking, enjoying family dinner or just relaxing for a mid-day snack.  

Just remember that your kitchen should look nice and welcoming to guests when you implement your kitchen remodeling ideas. With these modern kitchen design tips and little creativity, you can modernize your old kitchen to make it inviting once again.

Retro Kitchen Design Ideas to Spice up Your Home

History tends to repeat itself in a cyclical nature, and that doesn’t exclude home design. Retro kitchen designs can give nostalgic homeowners the vibe of old-fashioned cooking area mixed with current design elements. Retro kitchens have made a comeback in recent times and are adding retro charm to contemporary homes. Check out here how retro cabinets, colors, flooring, and appliances contribute tremendously to the kitchen’s retro-style charm:

Retro kitchen cabinet designs: Midcentury modern cabinet designs feature streamlined lines and highlighted geometric shapes. They are sleek and seamless yet give the vintage feel. Another popular retro cabinet design is 1950s American style. This design features exaggerated curves and sharp angles mixed with futuristic space-age elements.

Retro kitchen colors: Funky and playful colors often add to the classic retro feel. Popular colors for retro theme include orange, blue, white, red, and yellow. 

Retro flooring: It’s pretty easy to bring the cool retro back in your kitchen with black and white tiles. Parquet floors that have chevron or herringbone design also add to the retro style.

Retro kitchen accents & accessories: You can mix retro furniture pieces and futuristic accessories to complete the retro look. Artworks, clocks, poster with vivid colors, modern barstools; these vintage-style accessories can take the retro design a step further in your kitchen.

Hire one of the reputed kitchen designers for renovating your kitchen to give it a stylish blast from the classic retro period. A kitchen designer will help you select nostalgic color schemes and delightful retro designs that are perfect for your existing kitchen style. Travel back in time and spice up your home with retro kitchen design!