A few simple ways to maximize space in your kitchen

Unless this is your kitchen....

then your probably like most of us trying to get as much out of the limited space in your kitchen as you possible can.  Well my friends worry no more we been remodeling kitchen for 30 years and lets just say we've delt with this problem once or twice and here's a few tips we've figured out along the way. First off you need to grab some counter depth appliances they shave 6 inches and add much needed space to your walkways, also

Counter depth fridge with french doors also boast a substantially reduced door swing which is also great when working with tighter spaces. Also choosing a basic range model with a bottom storage drawer instead of some high end function adds much needed storage space. Cutting boards, cookie sheets and pizza stones store neatly, plus you'll save money because storage drawers are considered less desirable, oddly enough. Next up if your kitchen can accommodate an island go for it an island will add alot more storage space and is accessible  from any spot in the kitchen.  An island doesn't have to be huge either there are space saving islands out there that will add that extra bit of storage and double as a dining area.

Another good tip is to invest in hooks for hanging up your pots and pans will this will give you back alot of your cabinet space. Last and most important of all is to realize what you are going to be using your kitchen for consider what you cant live without and what you can downsize or just get rid of all together.

The people in this kitchen prefer dining out to cooking in, therefore they were able to economize on appliances: the drawers to the left of the lower bank of gray cabinets are a compact refrigerator and freezer. The cook top was moved underneath the combination microwave/convection oven/steamer and the traditional oven was removed. this is a great example of how just putting a little thought into your design can go along way when trying to conserve space.  Well guys and gals i hope you enjoyed the post feel free to leave a comment let us know some of your own space saving ideas.

Cool designer range hoods

     So I've always been a huge fan of range hoods I think they look great and they are also very practical, they filter out and remove hazardous air pollutants that come from cooking and can provides optimal lighting while cooking. Range hoods are no longer those big clunky metal thing over the oven with new sleek designs popping up all over the place the range hood has become the perfect piece for any modern kitchen. With that said here's a few of my favorite new range hood designs, first up is the equinox, 

    The Equinox is a stylish designer range hood by Best S.p.A. which measures 80cm in diameter and is available in two models - black painted with mirror glass and chrome with white glass. 4-speed electronic light touch controls, advanced perimeter aspiration system and 745 CMH blower provide top notch air extraction in your kitchen. Two 20-watt halogen lights illuminate the cooking area. Timer, aluminium grid filter and maximum noise level of 62 dB(A) round up features of this designer range hood.i really like this hood very sleek. Next up is the Fusion also by best S.p.A 

     The flat wall hanging Fusion by Best S.p.A. is slim range hood designed to take very little space and deliver outstanding ventilation, provided by Best advanced perimeter aspiration system and powerful blower which can reach 630 cubic-meter per hour rate. Next is the fixo once again by S.p.A this hood is pretty neat its a counter top mounted cook top ventilation hood.

    This hood is positioned above the cook top and can be installed in duct out mode and with external motor. Such an installation looks quite similar to the counter top range hood which is more common in Europe than in the USA. The 90cm wide Best Fixo cook top ventilation hood comes with timer, three 3-watt LED lights and two washable aluminum grid grease filters. Noise level range is between 47 and 65 dB(A).last but no least my favorite new hood the Zephyr Elica Glass range

    This Elica adds an interesting and modern twist to your kitchen decor. Four-speed electronic touch screen controls are placed right on the glass. 80 cm or 31.5" wide. Airflow is 450 cubic meters per hour. Available in black, red or white. Elica also adds remote control designed by world-famous designer David Lewis. Only 3 inches tall, this control is such a unique piece of equipment, you can’t help but share it with whoever visits your kitchen. Zephyr’s remote control does not feature buttons, keys, or switches - this sleek cone exemplifies simplicity and sophistication of functionality. 

     Place the remote control on a flat surface - clockwise rotation increases fan speed, counterclockwise rotation decreases the speed. To control the lighting of the vent-hood, simply tap down on the remote control. Works on a radio frequency transmission system. Eliminates the need to reach over a hot cook-top to access the controls on the vent-hood. Works up to 30 feet away from the vent-hood. Works with numerous vent-hood models in the Elica Collection by Zephyr line, including Bogart, Concave, Futura, Menhir, Om, Samurai, and Slope.

Granite Facts

      Granite is a common and widely occurring type of intrusive, felsic, igneous rock.Since granite is formed in nature there are no two applications that are the same, each installation is unique. Every individual slab you  inspect will exhibit differences even if the slabs were cut from the same block. Even though the granite is given names, the names are just an indicator of the color, texture and veining , never an absolute. It is these natural differences that make granite unique, valuable and highly desirable. The poet Gerard Manley Hopkins in his poem Pied Beauty captured the essence of granite in the line "Glory be to God for dappled things." Granite is indeed a rare, unique gift of nature.

Granite is an intrusive (within the Earth’s crust) igneous rock; the formation occurs by magma flowing into pockets deep beneath the Earth’s surface and over millions of years cools and crystallizes. In some cases the stone could also go through a metamorphic change (exposure to high pressure and temperatures of a long period of time) resulting in a transformation of the crystalline structure. There are basically 25 minerals that can be found in granite each contributing to the color and physical make up of the stone. The four mineral families most commonly found are quartz, feldspar, mica and hornblende.

Granite is 2 cm and 3 cm represent the "standard" thicknesses for counter tops. The slabs are then sent through a seven stage polishing procedure to achieve the desired high gloss surface finish. High pressure is used in each of the seven stages of polishing. The polishing process will often dislodge softer minerals that are in the granite surface. The extent to which this pitting occurs is dependent upon the physical makeup of the granite. Granite minerals have a Moh’s scale hardness rating of 6 to 7 (Diamond is the hardest with a Moh’s hardness of 10). Biotite, a member of the mica family and frequently found in granite, has a Moh’s hardness of 2.5 to 4.5 and consequently does not polish well and will appear as small rough spots on the surface. The hardness of the biotite makes little difference in most applications, as the overwhelmingly dominant feldspar and quartz minerals are much harder. The biotite may "pluck" slightly when polishing but not in general use.

     Another naturally occurring phenomenon are fissures. Fissures are often confused with cracks as they appear on the surface of the granite. Fissures were created when the stone was first formed. There is a difference between a crack and a fissure. Fissures are naturally occurring and represent no issue in the performance of the stone. The only fissures that should appear on a grade A stone are found just on the surface. A mechanical force due to fabrication, installation or other circumstances at the job site causes a crack. The cracks caused by a mechanical force generally transmit entirely through the slab so it would appear on the top, edges and bottom of the slab.

     Once the slabs have been polished the surfaces are then sealed. The sealant adds an oliophobic and hydrophobic barrier on the surface of the granite that causes oils and water to bead. At this point the slabs are ready for shipment.

Some technical facts about granite:

     There are many questions regarding the potential for bacteria growth on granite since it is a porous material. Bacteria requires several things in order to thrive and grow: oxygen, water, sunlight, nutrients, and a substrate to form on. The minerals in granite are toxic to bacteria. As a result, there is no habitable environment for the bacteria to live and grow on a granite surface.

Building Smarter

     I was flipping through builder magazine the other day when i stumbled upon this article on building universally designed houses. Universal design is defined as the design of products and environments to be usable by all people, to the greatest extent possible, without the need for adaptation or specialized design. Ok so i really love this idea the kitchen in a integral part of a house for it to not be accessible by everyone in your house is not very smart  . Universal design doesn't just apply to people in wheelchairs either small children and smaller adults are also affected by these non-universal design. Here's an example of a universally designed kitchen see if you notice any differences.

Here's what they where thinking when they drew up this design, lower-height counters in strategic food prep areas, lower-height wall cabinets for ease of reach, knee space areas for handicap access, strategically placed blend of task, ambient, and accent lighting, and sight lines to exterior spaces. Very beautiful and functional these universal designs are really catching on and for good reason, we aren't all built the same why should our kitchens? here's one of the pages from the Builder article in which they took a bedroom  floor plan a re design to "offer more mileage from the same footprint".

A few other good Universal Design idea are, Smooth ground level entrances without stairs, Higher base cabinet height at the kitchen entrance for wheelchairs and small children, a pullout shelf below a wall oven enabling safe transfer of food, installing false cabinet doors at work areas to be opened for additional wheelchair leg room, and Wide interior doors, hallways, and alcoves with 60" × 60" turning space at doors and dead-ends. Well guys and gals i hope you enjoyed my take on universal design and i hope you take some of these ideas into consideration when u go to build or rebuild your house.

Integrated Appliances

   Ok so I'm really loving all these integrated appliances I'm seeing lately. I guess I'm just tired of bulky appliances being the focal point of every ones kitchen.   Take this kitchen for example it is fully equipped with 2 wall ovens, refrigerator, steam oven, microwave, dishwasher, hood, and a cook top in any normal kitchen that might be a little to much but in this case all the appliances are fully integrated giving this kitchen a very sleek look.

kitchen design by tampa interior designer Paul Anater

 
    Although Integrated appliances originated as an European design style due to the fact that the average house is smaller over seas, lately I've been seeing these kitchen design popping up in American homes. I mean who doesn't want a sleeker more modern looking kitchen?

design by brisbane kitchen and bath Darren James

    In case you haven't figured out yet i really love the idea of integrated appliance and i really hope they catch on as much as i hope they will.  Well hey guys let me know what you think about these hidden appliances pros cons do ya love um? hate um? well until next time guys :)

kitchen design by tampa interior designer Paul Anater

Wood cabinet kits for appliances

    Tired of trying to match your appliances with your cabinetry? Well thanks to wood works inc those problems are a thing of the past, Wood works makes kits that fit your appliances and make them look like cabinets! 

Wood works makes each appliance panel a square raised panel door of the wood choices, styles, and configurations we have available. Other woods and panel styles are available but may have a slight surcharge. Each panel is ordered narrower and shorter that the required backer panel size based on the appliance kit specification sheets. The panel is then mounted on matching ¼” furniture grade plywood. The protruding edges of the ¼” plywood then fits easily into the metal appliance molding kit. I'm not going to lie i really like the idea just haven't seen any really good uses of these yet. well hey lemme know what you think about this odd idea like it? love it ?

Kitchen design-island or not to island

Hey guys and gals i just was reading up on a new interesting new design idea I've seen popping up in kitchens lately, people have begun removing there beloved island and replacing it with there dining room table...The theory behind this odd new idea is to brings people back into the kitchen and gets people more involved with food. Ok so first i was little iffy on this idea i like my island space and the extra cabinets are nice, but then i started seeing pictures of some very beautiful kitchens incorporating this new idea, and at this point i think I'm coming around. I believe that i can speak for everybody when i say its no fun being the only person in the kitchen slaving away while everyone is in the next room waiting at the table.  My only complaint at this point is the fact that the table is lower than the counter tops meaning that if your going to do and prep on the table your going to have to sit down, or will you? seems that someone else has already taking this to heart and he came up with this bad boy an island sized table, genius.

Well guys i don't know how you all feel about this but i could definitely see us putting on of these in a kitchen sometime very soon. feel free to leave a comment and tell us what you think.