Remodeling Your Kitchen on a Budget
November 29, 2010
It is easy to look at magazines featuring amazing kitchens and dream of having one just like it. It’s not quite that easy though and the problem most people have is money.
The phrase ‘kitchen remodeling’ might be synonymous with ‘very expensive’ but it doesn’t have to be. There are a few great ways to ensure your new kitchen designs can be within your budget.
The first thing to do is to think about your floor plan. You might want to have an island fitted in the centre of the kitchen or change the layout in another way.
One option which can increase the space of your house without having to have an extension is to take down an exterior wall. This will probably lead to changing two rooms in your house and can increase the property price too.
What about a gallery kitchen? These kitchens aren’t as pokey as you might imagine. You can always attach your kitchen to the dining room to make a special living space which is roomy and comfortable.
If you want a hassle free way of just putting something down and having done with it, what about an island? Islands are simple to fit and they don’t have to match the rest of the kitchen.
Easy Kitchen Planning and Remodeling
You only get one chance to plan your new kitchen so take your time. It is important to understand the different aspects of your new kitchen’s design.Kitchen Work Triangle
The kitchen work triangle of the kitchen is an imaginary line drawn from the centre of the fridge to the centre of the sink to the centre of the stove and back to the fridge again. The triangle should be a maximum of 26 feet and no single leg of the triangle should be shorter than 4 feet or longer than 9 feet. The work triangle should not intersect an island by more than 12 inches.If you have only one sink, it should be between or opposite the refrigerator, cooking surface or preparation area. This is so you won’t waste steps, be interrupted by foot traffic or be cramped.
Some people feel that the work triangle is too restraining for some kitchens. If there is going to be more than one person cooking, an L shaped kitchen design might work better.
Kitchen Countertop Heights
You should have 2 heights of kitchen countertop, one between 28 and 36 inches from the floor and one 36 to 45 inches from the floor. This makes the kitchen better for cooks of different heights, cooks who might want to sit down and bakers who want to knead dough at a lower, more comfortable height.Make sure no appliance, entry or cabinet blocks anything when opened. If you have an island cabinet, nothing should hit it when opened. Between 42 and 48 inches is a good minimum planning distance between cabinets.
Kitchen Accessories
You should include at least 5 storage or organizing items. Maybe include pull-out shelves, tall cabinets, raised base cabinets, storagebins, pull-out pantries, roll-out bins and lowered wall cabinets.Windows and Skylights
These should equal a minimum of 10% of the total square footage of the living space including the kitchen or the kitchen itself.Kitchen Cabinet Design
How to Plan Kitchen Improvements ?
November 29, 2010
If you want to improve your kitchen it is vital to plan it properly. If you don’t plan well, you might end up with an expensive bad kitchen which you are unhappy with.
In the past, kitchen design planning involved the stove, sink and fridge work triangle and the work surfaces took second place. Today there is a lot more to think about. Do you want a modern style kitchen? Do you want a rustic style kitchen with a kitchen pantry? Do you have your own ideas about how to blend styles to give your kitchen your own personal touch?
It is common these days to see professional style kitchens entering the domestic scene. Kitchens are a fashion accessory in some ways and there is more choice than ever these days. It does however take a lot of planning to create the perfect kitchen and there are various things to think about before you start, including your budget, your personal tastes, the space you have available and more.
Ask yourself a few questions before you start your new kitchen plans. Are you going to be cooking for large numbers of people regularly? Do you want your kitchen to be a place for people to congregate during a party? How many people in your house will cook? Does someone in the house like baking? Do you like spending a long time cooking or do you prefer making quick and easy recipes?
You might want to leave the planning of your new kitchen to a kitchen planner rather than do it yourself. This is cheaper than you might think. Home Depot, B&Q and similar places have staff with plenty of knowledge so if you purchase some appliances you might get free kitchen planning help from the shop.
Don’t go overboard. You might think that expensive marble would look nice as kitchen surface but if you want to move house in the future, you can’t take it with you and the price of a modestly priced house won’t include the extravagant outlaying you have made in the kitchen.
Kitchen Remodeling Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
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PermalinkKitchen Styles – Modern
November 29, 2010Modern
With a modern kitchen you should expect slick, polished finishes and modern windows and timber joinery. Stainless steel is widely used in modern kitchens. The lighting is normally recessed into the ceiling or halogen lights can be used.
Kitchen Styles – Art and Crafts Kitchen
November 29, 2010Art and Crafts Kitchen
An arts and crafts kitchen relies on a natural look with good quality craftsmanship. Recessed panel doors with thick frames feature in an arts and crafts kitchen and you can contrast the finish of the door frame against the panels.In an arts and crafts kitchen you might see natural, neutral colours, clean strong lines, mullioned glass doors, rich woods, stained glass lighting fixtures and windows and recessed or inset panel cabinet doors.
With a Shaker kitchen, which is similar, you might see beech, maple, birch or oak veneered wood. Inset flat panel doors go better with a Shaker kitchen style and you can use wide rails in the cabinet frame.
Kitchen Styles – Country
November 29, 2010Country
A country kitchen is often welcoming and bright, featuring woven baskets, painted and glazed cabinets and decorative moulding and shelving.In a country kitchen, you might see checked, striped, floral, plaid and gingham patterns, antiques, handmade items, metal or chicken wire cabinet inserts, beadboard and calico or chintz window coverings.
In a French country style kitchen you might find oak or cherry cabinetry, framed cabinets in recessed or raised panels, pantry and plate racks and decorative shelving.
In a traditional English country kitchen the cabinet design is normally square and accented by curves. Natural cabinets in oak or pine are popular. A large wooden mantle range hood, intricate moulding and wood cutouts in valances look authentic in an English country kitchen.
For a farmhouse kitchen, use light or dark stained wood and use heirlooms or antiques for authenticity. For a cottage kitchen, you can use driftwood-like finishes for a seaside flavour. For a lake flavour, you can use darker wood but keep it natural looking.
Other country styles include Swedish country, garden country and Tuscan country.
Kitchen Styles – Old World
November 29, 2010Old World
An old world kitchen should hark back to its pre 17th century European style. The raised panel cabinetry is often painted and might have beadboard, cracking, cup and dish racks, bun feet and valence legs.In an old world kitchen you might see stone floors and walls, furniture-look cabinetry, mosaic tiles, copper or pewter accents, rich deep colours, plaster or brick walls and appliances hidden behind panels.
Tuscan is another old world style. A tuscan kitchen relies on natural materials. The cabinets will often be cream, earthy or yellow. Other old world kitchen styles include French chateau, Italian villa, Dutch cottage, Mediterranean, Castle, Gothic and Normandy cottage.
Kitchen Styles – Rustic
November 29, 2010Rustic
A rustic kitchen will often feature a regional flair. You will see leather pulls, knotty alder, hickory or pine, wood panelling, wooden ceiling beams and rich, warm earthy tones.
Kitchen Styles – Traditional
November 29, 2010Traditional
A traditional kitchen has an elegant and formal look like the European and American homes of the 18th to the early 20th centuries.Features in a traditional kitchen might include natural materials like stone or wood, antique appliances and fixtures, raised panel
cabinet door styles, rope and crown moulding, corbels and fluting and cabinets in mahogany, cherry or walnut.
An Italian style traditional kitchen will rely on elegant cabinetry with onlays, rope moulding and custom carved reliefs. These cabinets are usually painted cream and have intricate raised panelling.
A Victorian style traditional kitchen will feature Cathedral arch doors, raised panels and ornate trims and mouldings. Heavy, dark woods are usually used for Victorian style cabinets.
For a Georgian style kitchen walnut, cherry or mahogany woods give a formal finish. Stacked cabinetry to the ceiling, heavy crown moulding and square panel raised doors are common. Black accents are often seen.
Other traditional kitchen styles include Federal, Queen Anne, Early American, Manor, Shaker, Edwardian, Neoclassical, Colonial, Farmhouse, Regency, Cottage, Cape Cod, Bungalow and Plantation.
Kitchen Styles – Transitional
November 29, 2010Transitional
A transitional kitchen will have elements of contemporary and traditional design. A transitional kitchen is eclectic and combines manmade and natural materials, textures and finishes.A mission style kitchen might be made transitional by adding bamboo flooring. A tuscan kitchen might be made transitional by using steel appliances or having some high tech lighting. You could have a cherry style kitchen with contrasting paint colours. The sky is the limit with transitional kitchens.
Transitional fixtures and mouldings are not elaborate but should have some degree of ornamentation.
Kitchen Styles – Contemporary
November 29, 2010Contemporary
For a great contemporary kitchen, rich wood finishes, high tech appliances and luxury gloss is the look you need to aim for.
Floor to ceiling cupboards give you plenty of storage space, leaving the worktops uncluttered and wraparound surfaces that link the sink, worktop and splashback look great too.
Custom Kitchen Cabinets, Maximizing Storage Space...
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