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What's New:
 There are a number of options when choosing a cabinet material, some of the most popular are, wood, laminate, and metal.
Each has its advantages and disadvantages and it is worth spending some time researching the numerous options.
Wood doors are covered in the next section due the the large number of combinations of styles and colors available.
Laminate
Laminate cabinet doors can have endless possibilities in color, texture and shine.
You can go for a soft look with creamy colours and a matt finish, or, if you want to make a real statement, choose Italian-style with glossy fronts and bold colors.
A great advantage of laminate cabinets is that they are virtually maintenance-free. Wood is a natural product and prone to changes in temperature and humidity and needs a lot of care, but laminate only needs to be wiped clean occasionally.
Laminate doors suffer from a lot less wear and tear than laminate countertops and should stay looking good for a long time.
Glass
Large expanses of wood or laminate in a kitchen can look good sometimes but if you want to break up the monotony, glass doors can be used every now and again. Transparent glass is used [...]
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These are The Top Eight Electrolux Design Lab 09 finalists, listed in no particular order. There are other very cool design ideas that didn’t make the cut, and will be posted separately.
Le Petit Prince by Martin Miklica, Brno University of Technology, Czech Republic
The Prince is a robotic greenhouse designed for the upcoming exploration and population of Mars. It takes care of a plant it carries inside its glass case, which is mounted on top of its four-legged pod. In search of nutrients to care for the plant, the Prince is programmed to intuitively learn the optimal method for this process. It also shares everything with its fellow greenhouse robots via wireless communication so that they can learn from each other.
Bifoliate by Toma Brundzaite, Vilnius Academy of Art, Lithuania
Bifoliate is a space-saving, wall-mounted double dishwasher that will allow you to put dirty dishes in one compartment and use the other as a shelf for clean dishes, No more bending and reaching for dishes. The dishwasher uses ultrasonic wave technology to clean making it more efficient and eco-friendly than today’s dishwashers.
Naturewash by Zhenpeng Li, Zhejiang University, China
Naturewash [...]
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Someone sent me an email and asked if I thought there was a design flaw in a section of her cabinet design. I had to write back that, yes, I agreed with her that part of the design was flawed. Unfortunately, it was a finished picture of the kitchen that they had sent me, which made it even more uncomfortable for me to give my opinion. The kitchen was installed, and it looked like it cost a pretty penny. Here are words of wisdom:
“Lesson Learned
I learned a big lesson the hard way and wish I had gone with my instinct to hire a kitchen designer during my kitchen design process.
My contractor convinced me that it would make more sense for him to design the kitchen layout because he was also working on the electrical, plumbing etc. so there would be a cost savings to me if he designed it and worked with his preferred cabinet company.
We decided to go ahead and in the end I thought the kitchen looked great until I noticed some design elements that look flawed to me.
I believe that a good kitchen designer would have done a much [...]
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One outcome of the declining real estate market has been a move to building and offering smaller homes. It was a trend that had been suspected but earlier this year the statistics were announced that back it up. The average size of homes started in the third quarter of 2008 was 2,438 square feet, down from 2,629 square feet in the second quarter, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.1
Many consumers are looking for smaller digs for a variety of reasons. Some have made a philosophical shift considering a move to a smaller living space less of a down-sizing and more of a right-sizing decision. They choose to use less of the earth’s resources.
Others have made the switch for demographic reasons:
The 80 million-strong Generation Y, the so-called “millennials,” want to live in exciting urban settings, are interested in value engineering, and consider smaller living spaces acceptable.2 Urban lofts are hits in cities less populated than New York City or San Francisco– including Louisville, Kentucky; Des Moines, Iowa; and Spokane, Washington, to name just a few.
Aging baby boomers are selling their larger homes and trading them for more [...]
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 Looking for an interesting alternative to the traditional oven models available on the market? The Gaggenau Liftmatic oven is different from traditional ovens on the market as it opens from the bottom rather than the front.
When an oven door is opened all the hot air rises, so by using a LiftMatic oven none of the heat escapes as the hot air always stays inside.
The LiftMatic oven features a sleek stainless steel exterior and tinted glass. as well as ample halogen lighting to illuminate the oven’s interior.
At the touch of a button, the base of this oven will lower directly to the countertop so that dishes can be easily loaded or unloaded. It features 11 different types of cooking methods, including convection cooking.
Functional and elegant, the LiftMatic features a sleek stainless steel finish with a tinted glass front. This innovative concept in oven design can also be seen in the Siemens LiftMatic oven and the Bosch LiftMatic wall mounted oven.
More info at Gaggenau
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I follow so many great people on Twitter, but cannot stay on Twitter constantly, so I’m sure I miss many great tweets. Oftentimes, I’ll catch tweets that really relate to something I’m thinking about or bring me great new information, as I’m quickly scanning, and I’m delighted. This morning is one such occasion. I happened to catch House Beautiful’s tweet, in part, on a case made for refrigerator drawers in a small kitchen.
 This REALLY spoke to me because I have thought about this issue a LOT. The issue is if one should substitute refrigerator drawers in place of a traditional tall refrigerator in a small kitchen.
This is a personal issue for me as well as being a basic kitchen design issue that I am interested in.
We own our own little piece of New York City. At the moment, our apartment is used full time, as our son, attending college, is living here for perhaps one more year. He and his girlfriend cook up a storm most nights a week. The tall, old, 33″ refrigerator is packed.
As my husband and I talk about the future, we’d love to be in this apartment on a part time [...]
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Now I know why someone associated with House Beautiful yesterday said to me “We love bloggers!” This post will have taken me about 6 hours to produce by the time I’m finished. Why? It’s the images! I’m not even going to tell you how how many I took…but maybe I’m the worst editor, or maybe there are just WAY too many inspiring vignettes in this beauitful kitchen/living space. In either case, maybe I was a little obsessive. That’s ok, I surrender to it and you benefit.
Ok, let’s talk about the kitchen. There’s A LOT going on in this kitchen, a lot to talk about. I think I’ll be organized about it. Yes, Susan, that’s a good concept.
OVERALL DESIGN
The kitchen design, by Robert Stilin in close collaboration with Ina Garten, was meant to replicate Ina’s East Hampton kitchen for House Beautiful’s Kitchen Of The Year 2009. The kitchen of the year can be viewed at Rockefeller Center (you can’t miss it) until July 24.
 You’re hearing it more and more…the kitchen is the new living room. The drum beat is getting louder. I think we were shocked by the financial crisis into rediscovering the [...]
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Welcome to my third annual series of posts on French kitchens inspired by the Tour de France! This 3 week event is an excellent opportunity to celebrate authentic French kitchens and to study their many wonderful design details.
 In the coming weeks, I’d love to look at all sorts of French kitchens, from modern to (really) rustic to those French country kitchens rich with charm and texture. Let’s take these kitchens apart, look at the details, compare and contrast, and just admire what makes these French kitchens uniquely….French!
This year of the Tour is particularly exciting for me. After all, it’s the Tour de Lance! Lance Armstrong has returned to the Tour to raise funds and awareness and to bring people together toward a common enemy…cancer. I think what he is doing is amazing. Check out Lance’s videos and explore the site of Lance’s foundation, Livestrong. Follow Lance on Twitter, I love his tweets.
SO…onward! The prologue of the Tour began today in fabulous Monaco. What kind of kitchens do they have in Monaco? If you rented an apartment in one of the many apartment buildings surrounding the harbor to see the start of the [...]
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Furniture and accessories add the finishing touches to your kitchen and help to enhance its overall effect. Buying new accessories is the easiest way to change the look of your kitchen.
However, it is important not only to choose items that complement the style and feel of your kitchen but also ones that meet your needs.
Appliances and accessories made of stainless steel are very popular right now, such as blenders and toasters, refrigerators and pro-style oven ranges. To get the all-steel look without the price, look for steel finished appliances and accessories.
Kitchen seating and lighting is covered below. Also, there are some hints and tips on kitchen cleaning and suggestions on what to look out for when choosing a kitchen to make these tasks easier.
Tools and gadgets are a personal choice and should reflect your personal taste.
Kitchen Seating
With many people spending significantly more time in their kitchens these days, this room has now become one of the most lived in rooms in the home.
Seat Height Selection
Choosing the correct size stool or chair is very important as there are several seat heights available. Remember, stools and chairs usually come in three standard heights.
Chairs
These usually have a seat height [...]
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Choosing flooring is a lot like choosing countertops. Which type you choose depends on the style of your kitchen, the amount of use it will get, and the price. Each type has its advantages and disadvantages.
Vinyl, linoleum and carpet are the most comfortable underfoot. Laminate, vinyl and polyurethane-treated wood are the most durable. Stone and concrete look good and are also hard-wearing, but are also harder to clean.
Decide whether you want to install flooring under your removable appliances or around them (whichever you choose, make sure you can roll them out for repairs). Talk to your designer about this.
Vinyl
The most common kitchen flooring material, vinyl offers the best value and versatility. It is available in many patterns and colors, either inlaid, where the pattern and color runs through the material (most durable, works well in high traffic areas), or a with a surface-only printed design which is not as lasting. Make sure you buy the appropriate grade for the area it will be used in. It is easy to clean and is stain- and water-resistant. It comes in either sheet or tile form.
Advantages:
Nice ‘bouncy’ feel underfoot (dependent on thickness). Easy to install and keep clean. [...]
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Now you’ve chosen the design of your kitchen cabinets and worktops, the next thing is to choose the materials and the colors of your walls.
The most common materials for the kitchen walls are paint, wallpaper and tiles.
Paint
Paint is the cheapest and fastest way to transform the feeling of your kitchen, however, you need to have good surfaces to paint on (i.e. no holes or cracks which will show through the paint).
If your walls aren’t smooth enough, then you can line the walls with lining paper first (a special kind of wallpaper), and paint on top of that. There are also many decorative and faux paint finishes that look good in the kitchen (and which you can do yourself). Talk to your designer about this.
Wallpaper
Regular wallpaper is a more expensive option than paint but it can give just a little more character as it comes in a large variety of patterns as well as colors. When you use wallpapers and paints for your kitchen walls make sure these are specially made for the kitchen as these will be more resistant to humidity and will be easy to clean.
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Tiles
Adding colorful tiles to the backsplash of a [...]
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The cabinets may be the face of the kitchen but the countertops are where all the action happens. A countertop will have to cope with hot pots and pans, knives, dirt and therefore needs to be durable.
So it is usually best to make your choice based on the performance of the material and ease of maintenance, as well as the sink mounting option.
Notes on edge styles and backsplash options are given at the end of this page (click here).
The countertop choices are listed below very roughly by price (least to most expensive). If you are replacing countertops measure the tops at the wall edge (not the front edge) and make a rough drawing when you go to the kitchen store to get a quote. Also measure the depth and indicate how the ends need to be finished, meaning whether there is a wall, an appliance or a walkway. Draw your plan from above, as if you were on the ceiling looking down.
Laminate
Tile
Wood and Butcher Block
Stainless Steel
Corian, Avonite and Other Solid Surfaces
Swanstone
Granite
Quartz Surfaces: Cambria, Zodiaq and Silestone
Concrete
Soapstone
Laminate
Laminate is a very popular choice for kitchen countertops [...]
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There are so many choices where cabinets are concerned, such as the door materials, style, color, frames, etc., and so much variation in price that the whole area can be confusing at times.
Hopefully, this section should give you a good place to start.
You may also want to consider the option of having your cabinets refaced. You will be surprised at the results you can achieve by doing this, and also how inexpensive it is, especially if you can find a good deal with a reputable company.
Definitely check it out first, get some quotes and see if makes sense for you. There are plenty of good cabinet refacing advice sites out there, for example, this one.
Cabinet Manufacturing Classifications
The first decision when selecting cabinets is whether to go for stock cabinets, semi-custom, custom units or frameless cabinets. All have their own advantages and disadvantages.
There are the three basic classifications of cabinet manufacturing: Stock, Semi-Custom & Custom, and this can be further subdivided into Framed and Frameless. Pricing will vary depending on your layout, the manufacturer, wood, finish, door style and the interior accessories you select.
Stock
Lowest price range.
Limited selection of door styles, woods and stain colors. [...]
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August was another amazing month of Kitchen Contraptions – filled with kitchen gadgets, grilling, and other kitchen wonders. Thanks again to all of our loyal readers, and we hope to do some giveaways soon. You can also follow us now on Facebook and Twitter.
We love a free standing kitchen, because you don’t have to commit to the kitchen. Want a different kitchen island? Storage? You name it, and you can change it or move it around. We just found this amazing round up over at Design Heaven featuring a ton of free standing kitchen concepts.
