Wednesday, December 21

Case Study: Little Kitchen with Big Style

I recently had a disabled client come in and she had a match box sized kitchen, but wanted every feature I could manage to shoehorn in there.  I stared doing some research and realized, there are some great products out there for a small kitchen that make the space usable.

First off, this particular client only had room for three wall cabinets, and with the possibility of being in a wheel chair in the next year, it worried her about how to access the wall cabinets once she was in a seated position.  I suggested, and she went with the Rev-A-Shelf Cabinet Pull Down Shelving System.  At approximately $300, this unit makes any wall cabinet accessible, and is easy to install.

The next hurdle for this customer.  She wanted double ovens, but barely had enough wall space for a refrigerator, much less two wall ovens at an easy to reach height.  I went a little off in the realm of "accessible" by going with a double oven range.  Since the range had to be placed in a peninsula, I went with the GE Cafe Double Oven Range with five burners, and best of all, no pesky back splash.  For this client, all she will typically use is the upper oven, which is at just the right height, and the smaller size makes it great for her meals for two.  A smaller oven means quicker preheating times, and less energy waste.  The lower oven is great for when her kids are home visiting during the holidays, when she will have help with the cooking.  The five burners, including the griddle, is more than sufficient for her typical cooking routine.  The customer originally wanted a downdraft range, but wasn't willing to part with her second oven, so I found a great glass island mounted hood to go above.  With the glass canopy, her view of the adjacent living room wouldn't be obstructed while sitting and cooking.

The next amazing product for this customer, was a Tall Pantry Pull-Out, available through Kraftmaid Cabinetry.  Since the small pantry was squeezed between a wall and the refrigerator, I decided this was a great accessory to easily organize her pantry storage, as well as bump the fridge away from the wall so she can open the door more than ninety degrees.  There wasn't much room for a pantry, but due to the small size of the kitchen, and lack of storage, it was a necessity for this client.

The door style we went with was a wide rail shaker from Kraftmaid.  This door style is simple, and easy to keep clean, and we went with a lightly stained maple, to keep the color pallet light and open.  Since the kitchen is so small, the client was very worried about using too dark of finishes, and closing in the space.  Since resale was a large factor also, she wanted to go with neutral finishes to appeal to the majority of buyers.

For the countertops, the customer had her heart set on marble, but knew that many future buyers, and guest cooks, might damage it.  I suggested a new color from Silestone called Lyra, which is very similar to Carara Marble, yet requires no sealing, maintenance, and is about the same price.  The backsplash is a white subway tile with a glass mosaic liner for added color and interest.


This kitchen is in the process of being installed, and pictures will be uploaded as soon as I have them available.  When doing a small kitchen, it is very important to know what the customer wants, what they need, and what products are available to make their dream kitchen a reality.  It's also good to have a good Kitchen Designer on your side that knows what you are looking for and understands what your needs are.  The customer told me in our first meeting that I was the third designer she had talked to, that everyone told her that her wants and needs list was impossible in the space she had.  She didn't want to take no for an answer, and when I started showing her multiple appliance options and interior cabinet options, she was able to get nearly everything she wanted, and have everything she needed.  

Thursday, December 15

How to pick your countertop

Many people don't know which countertops surface will match their kitchen best. A question I get often is "Do you match your cabinets?" "How much contrast cos right?" Well, here are some quick tips to get you started.

Contrasting the Cabinets: While the right amount of contrast is personal choice, you don't want to try to match. Now I will admit a white marble top on a white painted cabinet is one of my favorite combinations, it is a rare exception. Think of it this way, light tops darker cabinets, light cabinets darker tops. Of you have a mid range finish cabinets, then you can go either lighter or darker.

Next, everyone I talk to wants this super invincible top that will withstand the Apocalypse with no maintenance. I am sorry to tell you all, I haven't found that surface yet. Yes there are scratch resistant tops and heat resistant and highly durable, but they can still get damaged. Here are some of the more popular tops an their features.

Granite 
Granite: a nature made surface and very durable. Many people shy away from this surface due to maintenance and sealing requirements, however it is exceptional easy. Also, many suppliers are now selling granite that has been treated with a permanent sealer that is typically warranties for ten to fifteen years. Granite is heat resistant and scratch resistant, however keep in mind resistant, not proof! Granite can be scratched with harder or equally hard stones like other pieces of granite or diamonds. It is recommended that you DO NOT cut directly on granite, as you probably won't scratch it, but you can destroy your knives and cutting tools. As for heat resistance, it can withstand heats up to 400 degrees, however it is advised that you again, DO NOT put hot things directly on it. If you are needing to put something hot on it as an emergency, by all means. However it is good practice to consistently use hot pads and trivets, as granite had small hairline cracks that with exposure to heat, can cause them to "pop" and break, similar to the earth and earthquakes.

Quartz
Quartz: surfaces are very similar to granite, however since they are typically man made they are much more consistent. These tops do not require sealing but as far as heat and scratch resistance, they are very similar to granite. There are quite a few manufacturers of quartz surfaces so it is best to check the specs of the specific surface you choose.  Most quartz surfaces by companies like Silestone, Cambria, and Caesarstone are a man made material, but some stone companies will sell solid quartz slabs that are nature made.  They look similar, and are priced similar, so

European Style Kitchen with Corian 
Acrylic: also known commonly as Corian, is a softer surface that is repairable and maintenance free. Since it is softer, it can scratch much easier, but the lighter the surface the less visible. Also, since they are repairable, you can easily repair them yourself or have the fabricator fix it for you. These surfaces are available in glossy and matte, however the matte finish is much more forgiving under heavy use. I had Corian in my house for several years and it looked as good the day we moved out as it did the day it was installed. It is best to use cutting boards and hot pads with this surface, just like granite and quartz.

Formica 180FX 
Laminate: also commonly known as Formica, is One of the least expensive surfaces available. We have all had a laminate top, remember back to that first apartment you rented. They are not as scratch resistant as a granite or quartz, and they aren't repairable like acrylic, but they are still a great contender in the countertop market. They are typically maintenance free, and come in hundreds of colors, including granite, quartz, and other natural stone inspired finishes. Laminate tops also have several different sheen's and textures, including new upgraded finishes such as High Def by Wilsonart and FX by Formica.

I will tell you, not every family will chose the same surface type. If they did, then there wouldn't be so many choices. It is best to review the information given above as well as the information provided my manufacturers, fabricators, etc. and make sure you are getting the best surface to suit your families needs (and budget)!

Friday, December 9

Green Products for Baby (and the rest of the house!)

Every new mom has a lot on her plate.  It is very overwhelming, and there are a lot of products out there to make an absolutely lovely nursery, but how do you know what is safe for your baby?  Aside from the ever useful tip of paint early, and get that bedding out of the packaging for off-gassing as early as possible.  I also have some other great and environmentally friendly products to help you out.  Now of course, the ever "Green" option is to obviously reuse products that not only have had the chance to off gas, and your not wasting resources to generate new products.  I am posting this for those of you who don't want to take hand me downs from complete strangers, like myself, who doesn't have friends or family with small children to get those hand me downs from.  
The Sherwin Williams ProMar 200 Zero VOC Interior Paint is a great way to paint up that nursery and not have to worry about the paint harming your little ones lungs. Especially if you are facing moving right before or after the birth of your families new addition.  What else is great, this paint can be whipped up into any Sherwin Williams color or sheen, or matched to the color in that bedding set you just picked up.  Another added bonus, this paint has excellent touch-up abilities, which will be great in a kids room.

The Absolutely Organic Crib Mattress is a healthy mattress that is waterproof (for those nigh time accidents) non-toxic, and stain resistant.  At about $260, this mattress is a great hypoallergenic solution for the crib.  (That's right, no Latex and no Wool!)  This mattress also includes a built in fire protection system.  Absolutely Organic Baby also makes changing pads and covers, and bedding sets.   

The Naturally Organic Crib Bedding available at The Clean Bedroom offers multiple bedding options that are free from chemical treatments.  This bedding is made from organic cotton and come in nursery inspired colors.  The Clean Bedroom also offers organic plush toys for baby, as well as ventilation systems where needed or desired.

When looking for carpet for my new home, as well as the future addition to my family, I kept getting recommendations for Martha Stewart Living's line of carpets available from The Home Depot.  While this carpeting isn't completely zero VOC, it is an environmentally and Eco safe option that is not only recyclable, it is durable, resilient, and comes with a lifetime stain protection, which we all can agree is great for any child's room.