Thomas Baugh asked:
Italian kitchens are famous around the world for their high level of style that doesn’t compromise in the slightest on functionality. But what makes a truly Italian kitchen?
There are two distinct types of Italian kitchens – classic and contemporary. So once you’ve decide you want an Italian style kitchen you then have to make the choice as to whether you want it to be more traditional or ultra modern.
Classic Italian kitchens are warm, inviting spaces that take us right back to old Italy. They’re the kind if kitchens you can see large families all cooking together in. They normally have wooden cupboards and a table in the middle of the room which adds to the family orientated quality of the kitchen. These kitchens are better suited to families and people that enjoy the more rustic style.
A contemporary Italian kitchen is ultra sleek and modern. The surfaces and cupboard doors will be much smoother and have cleaner lines. These kitchens are considered to be ultra hip and are often found in young couple’s homes or fitted in expensive city apartments.
What all Italian kitchens have in common is that they all obey a very basic principle and that is that they’re spaces you want to be in. An Italian kitchen is a joy to work in because everything looks and functions so well. Of course, there are certain features and materials that are traditionally used but it is this principle that underlies them all.
So if you really want to be authentically Italian, pick which type of kitchen you want and be sure to stay true to the one golden rule.
Renee Peterson asked:
Peninsula kitchens are similar to island kitchens. Where islands are accessible on all sides, though, peninsulas are only accessible on three. They work well in L-shaped kitchens that have lots of floor space but limited wall and counter space and usually extend perpendicularly from the main counter running against the wall.
The peninsula itself is many things in one. It is a table top as well as a countertop, with compartments located underneath for additional storage. In larger kitchens, it helps to minimize the work triangle, giving the cook a nearby surface on which to expedite the washing, cooking, and prepping process. At the same time, the peninsula diverts household traffic away from the work triangle, directing family through the kitchen on one side. They also make ideal dividers between the kitchen appliances and the eating area.
This does not mean that peninsulas exclude family and friends from activities in the kitchen. On the contrary, peninsulas often serve as snack bars, where guests can sit comfortably and socialize with the cook while waiting for a sit-down meal. Peninsulas accommodate seating for one to six people depending on their size. Family members can sip coffee and read the newspaper there while breakfast is cooking or use the space for sitting and gathering between meals. In this manner, peninsulas help to make the kitchen a pleasant hub for active lifestyles.
Since peninsulas do not close up the space between the kitchen and dining room, they help maintain an open feel between the two living spaces. In smaller kitchens, they can take the place of the kitchen table, while in larger spaces, they provide an area for quick, informal meals.
If you are planning to add a peninsula, it can be scaled to size of the kitchen. It is not, however, recommended for very small kitchens that don’t have the floor space. They can be equipped in a variety of ways to include or exclude cupboards, drawers, sink and stove top spaces, tabletop space, and accompanying stools. Though their material and design can vary widely, peninsulas usually have the same height and style as the existing kitchen elements and units. Peninsulas can be easily customized to have an original shape. They can be fitted into any corner of the kitchen.
Alycia Shapiro asked:
There comes a time in almost every little girl’s life where she wants to be exactly like her mom. This means that every little household chore is a new adventure, ranging from folding laundry to making a family meal. While these may seem like boring daily chores to a mother, they are exciting lessons that every little girl wants to take part in so she can be just like her mom. Toy kitchens and other pretend play products can provide little girls with everything they need to live out their adventures, and teach them lifelong lessons while they are having fun.
Imaginative play is great for any age child, ranging from toddlers all the way up to young adults. It gives children the opportunity to practice what being an adult will be like, even if they are pretending to cook a meal or checkout at a grocery store. It gives children the chance to open their mind and imagine what the world is going to be like, while allowing them to practice communication and social skills as well. Pretend play can help to trigger emotional and mental development as well, which are both key during a child’s first few years of life.
Kitchens are a great way to spark a child’s imagination. They come in a lare variety of different styles, colors, and designs, which makes it easy to find something that can fit into the d
Filed under Kitchens by admin on May 9, 2009 at 7:21 pm
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Vicki Duong asked:
When setting up a pool table in your rec room, basement or garage, consider this: it’s not easy playing pool in the dark. Skilled as you may be, playing pool without the proper lighting just isn’t feasible! The solution to this easily avoidable mishap: island lights. Some of you may already be familiar with island lighting since it’s usually used over the islands in your kitchen. In fact, most new homes already come with island lights, if not track lighting. Occasionally, bars and buffets in dining rooms are sometimes equipped with such lighting for both aesthetic and utilitarian purposes.
Island lights as mentioned earlier are usually fitted above an island in your kitchen. Usually found in the pendant lighting or ceiling lights section of your hardware or lighting store, island lights are nothing new and are designed to light up just about any room, not just your kitchen. Take for instance the pool table and rec room situation we mentioned at the beginning of the article. Billiard table lights can come in a variety of styles, such as linear chandeliers with two or three fixtures or even as horizontally styled ceiling pendants. Pool halls usually go for the latter of the two style options, with some even designed to have a lamp shade that centers the lighting directly over the table. At home, you have the freedom to choose that same style or go with something completely different and modern.
These same types of lighting can also be used in the dining room, usually over a bar or dining buffet. And as mentioned before, island lights and track lights can be used for both an aesthetical and utilitarian purpose. For the dining scenario, sometimes it’s best to go for a flushed ceiling mount fixture rather than the hanging alternative. Unless you have a dining room with a rather high ceiling, island lights over the dining table can make the room seem rather small and claustrophobic.
It’s important to think about what lighting will do to any part of your home, whether it’s the rec room, dining room, or even the kitchen. Luckily, island lights will easily solve your billiard tables and dining concerns.
Filed under Kitchens by admin on May 6, 2009 at 3:33 pm
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John Anthony Vanderkolk asked:
When modern homeowners talk about their dream kitchens it is interesting to note how frequently their descriptions are focused around a single luxury upgrade. For example, many homeowners view their dream kitchens as those outfitted with the most energy efficient equipment possible.
Unfortunately, the “green” movement is still a somewhat pricey one to buy into, especially where home appliances are concerned. This is quite frustrating for many, but there are now a lot of ways to find incentives that will allow the devices to quickly pay for themselves in only a short period of time. Their energy efficiency alone is often enough to warrant the purchase, but government rewards are available in many areas too.
Of course, many people who think about their dream kitchens have no concerns about efficiency or costs. Instead, they concern themselves more with the materials and the space instead. Consider how often a luxury upgrade involves all new cabinetry. This is a massive expenditure and it is also a huge project too. Cabinetry requires tons of demolition, it can be used to change the entire layout of the space, and it often means replacing the sink and even some of the appliances.
When luxury upgrades include cabinetry, many dream kitchens will have a brand new “island” installed as well. These are costly because they will usually include plumbing for a sink and may even have a cook top too.
Of course, removing and replacing cabinets to the luxury upgrade versions also means upgrading the countertops too. Everything from granite and marble to butcher’s block and Corian are in style, and it is entirely up to the homeowner to select the materials that suit their needs and their décor.
Another thing about cabinets that makes them the essential component of a dream kitchen is their abilities to create a massive amount of efficiency and storage while keeping things clean and simple. Consider that modern luxury upgrades often include enormous pantry cabinets, refrigerated or heated drawers that can help in food preparation, and organizational cabinets capable of holding pots, pans, and lids in a much more efficient and workable manner.
Many modern kitchen upgrades also incorporate a work desk area with all kinds of high-tech connectivity. This all adds up to the fact that luxury upgrades often require the services of highly qualified plumbers, electricians, and carpenters and is the reason that most jobs are managed from beginning to end by a highly experienced contractor.
Filed under Kitchens by admin on May 5, 2009 at 12:13 am
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Milos Pesic asked:
The budget is the first thing to consider when planning to remodel a kitchen. Yet although the amount of your budget would serve as the framework in deciding the extent of your project, some cheap ideas on remodeling kitchens could still get the job done.
Cheap ideas on remodeling kitchens have the power to give a classy look to your new renovation. It can get you a lot of things done with little money, and, without compromising the convenience or aesthetic value of the project. Remember that having much cash for remodeling could still get awry if not planned carefully – in the end costing you more than the project’s original charge.
Nonetheless, cheap ideas on remodeling kitchens should not be seen as a safe way to provide your needs. Rather, cheap ideas on remodeling kitchens should be seen as the smartest way to get the job done. This approach gets you a good start by following the rule of 15% or less (of your total home value) expenditure. Then, the area’s livability and your personal enjoyment are factors that could be easily integrated within this amount. You really don’t have to squeeze-in this small budget especially if you have the strategy and skill to compensate for it.
DIY or do-it-yourself is No.1 among the cheap (yet smart) ideas on remodeling kitchens. It’s a major cut-off to all the remodeling cost since among the major components of the total costs is the payment for workers’ labor. All you have to do is invest your time, know-how, and efforts to your project for cost-cutting. You also get to enjoy yourself and add a special value whatever the results.
And if you cannot do-it-yourself, then help do up the tasks. You can purchase the building materials yourself to save whatever markup the contractor might add for that extra job. It’s all worth it getting your hands a little dirty.
Still unconvinced that you can do it and on a tight budget? Then try these innovative though cheap ideas on remodeling kitchens: replacing only cabinet doors and fronts while re-facing the remaining sides; using solid-core but medium-density fiberboard for the cabinet doors; painting the cabinets an entirely new color and changing only its hardware (handles, etc.); re-painting the walls, even using decorative (trend) finishes like distressed look, glazed, or faux look; adding a kitchen backsplash the materials for which of course depending on your budget (porcelain tile, natural stone, glass, stainless steel, or wallpaper); making use of moderately priced sink and/or faucets (again varying in material, style, or finish); or, have yourself a portable yet convenient kitchen cart to add storage and gathering space instead of a kitchen island. You choose your change whichever one of these you think is best. Remember, a little cheap bit could go a long long way.
Filed under Kitchens by admin on May 4, 2009 at 1:07 pm
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John D Cunningham asked:
Designer kitchens should be beautiful, practical and functional, but how many of you actually give any thought to the safety of your children when having your new kitchen designed? When planning a new kitchen as adults we tend to go for how the finished article will look, as opposed to how safe it is for our children. If given some time and thought at the planning stage this can save a lot of do it yourself jobs at a later date, possibly damaging your cabinets in the process.
Another aspect of safety in the kitchen is that of a wheel-chair bound person. Access in and around the kitchen can be very difficult for someone in a wheel-chair. Things that we take for granted such as: work-top height, access to the sink, positioning of taps on the sink, even the width of the door to the kitchen. Work-top height is a difficult decision to make, as this will have a big impact on selling your home at a later date. Access to the sink is fairly simple, remember a wheel-chair user needs to get close, solution, do not have under-sink cabinets, as for the taps make them the lever type and have them positioned closer the front of the sink. Getting into the kitchen, as able bodied people we tend to overlook the fact that a wheel-chair needs a minimum of thirty two inches in width.
A little thought at the planning stage can and will make your kitchen a thing of beauty as well as being safe and functional.
Here are a few ideas to make your little ones that much safer in your designer kitchen.
• Safety latches on the lower cabinets.
• Be sure that where you keep kitchen cleaning materials is only accessible by an adult.
• Deeper work-tops so little fingers can’t reach hot surfaces.
• Make sure the handles of hot pans are turned inwards.
• Do not let gadget cords hang from work surfaces.
• Do not pour hot water when your child is close by.
• Lock away your alcohol.
• Be clean in your kitchen; wash your hands and work-tops regularly when handling meat and poultry.
• If your kitchen is also your dining area, watch the table cloth, kids love to pull these.
You spend a lot of your time in the kitchen, and it can be great fun to have your children along side you. Make sure they are safe; if they want to “join in” give them plastic bowls and utensils to use. A simple thing like letting them put dough into baking trays makes them feel that they are a part of the whole family. Keep a child safety gate close to hand if you have to step out of the kitchen, even if its only for a minute, it takes no time at all for a very serious accident to occur especially in the kitchen. Do not sacrifice safety for a kitchens looks and functionality for a wheel chair user. A good kitchen designer can help you with these aspects.
Filed under Kitchens by admin on May 1, 2009 at 10:37 pm
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Rama Krishna asked:
If you have always wanted your kitchen to look like the ones that you see in designer magazines, then you are not alone. Almost half of the world wants a kitchen that looks and performs equally well. The remaining half wants something even better.
Custom Kitchens
But it is a fact that custom kitchens are not easy to design. They need the right amount of planning, creative foresight and implementation techniques to ensure success. So let us look into each one of these aspects in detail.
Planning
The first step to achieving a custom kitchen is the plan. You cannot proceed without having a proper plan in place.
Get the dimensions of your kitchen and create a blueprint for the final outcome. Where will you place the stove? How much distance is there between the stove and the sink? What is the distance between the stove and the refrigerator?
Are you planning to add a kitchen island? If yes, then what are the dimensions of the island? Is it an island with seating or one without seating? Where are the ventilators placed?
All these are crucial steps that go into the plan. You need to ensure that each and every inch of space is utilized within the kitchen.
Creative foresight
Creative foresight means the ability to visualize the final product even before it is completed. When you have this ability, you can make the right choices when it comes to colors for cabinets, doors handles and the rest of the kitchen.
A lot of people end up with a complete disaster in color themes and choices. You can always seek professional help in this regard.
Implementation techniques
The final part is implementing what you have planned and visualized. Get professionals for this part and make sure that everything is done as per your plan.
