March 23, 2010
Creating a Unique Kitchen Design
So you’ve decided to change your kitchen, but what design should you opt for?
The decision will probably boil down to two key considerations: the budget available and the space to fill. A brand new kitchen can run into thousands of dollars, so before committing to a design, you need to be certain that the kitchen will function efficiently and be aesthetically pleasing.
Chances are that your new kitchen will last a good 5 to 10 years, so considerable planning is required to make the time you spend in it a pleasure. Most kitchen fitters will be able to help with the design choice, and can advise you on the best layout to make good use of the space. Before seeking outside help it is always a good idea to have a think about what your requirements really are, so that you can throw this into the mix when hammering out the best design.
One of the first steps in the process is to determine what is wrong with your current set up, so that you can avoid making the same mistakes again. Insufficient work space, awkward kitchen traffic and bad lighting are all common complaints. When you have a good idea on what aspects you wish to correct you can start to think about the layout of the new kitchen.
For most, it may be hard to visualize a dream kitchen, even with the help of paper visualizations creating a mental picture can still be a challenge, and it can be hard to imagine how efficient the kitchen will be everyday.
For those who are not blessed with a natural predisposition to spatial awareness, a good starting point is a kitchen design program. If you are reading this, then you probably have a computer at home, so you are already halfway there. The good news is that you do not need to purchase expensive CAD programs to model a new kitchen, as there are free software programs available for download, or for a relatively small charge, some more powerful versions to choose from.
A kitchen design program is a valuable instrument which is able to make redesigning your kitchen much easier by taking away the guess work and leaving less room for error.
If you have given up on attempting to graph out your kitchen on paper because of not being able to notate room for opening cabinets and other doors, then try using one of these designing programs. You can save a ton of time by avoiding the paper aspect of the project and have a more relaxing and enjoyable experience.
Looking to find the best deal on kitchen design layout, then visit www.kitchendesignlayout.org to find the best advice on new kitchen design for you.
Filed under Kitchen Remodeling by Sally Jennings
March 21, 2010
Kitchen Design: Tips to Help You Complete Your Task
Kitchens are used for all kinds of activities and are not just for making and eating food, but are usually the room that is used to entertainment and any other daily activity.
The kitchen is one of the most important rooms in the house, so it is vital to choose a design which will enable efficient use, and be a pleasure to spend time in. A new kitchen design could be L-shaped, U-shaped, a galley kitchen, on include a central free-standing food preparation area, depending on the space available and your personal preferences.
Initially, you should record accurate measurements of your kitchen. Because accuracy is essential, you should take measurements in the smallest unit possible, preferably millimeters. The more accurate you can get the better as mistakes can produce unwanted results in future steps.
You shouldn’t allow walls to hinder your planning. You can find a lot more space for your kitchen by taking down unnecessary interior walls. Consider taking down the wall adjoining your kitchen and dining room so that your family and friends do not try to cram in the kitchen while you are cooking; they can hang out in the dining room and still socialize with you.
When measuring up, remember to factor in immovable objects such as doors, windows, pipes, and plug sockets. You may find that it is easier to incorporate a good design by repositioning some of these items. It will add to the cost and the workload, but may not be as large a job as you first think. For example, changing the door to open in the opposite direction is not such a major task, but is one which can make access easier and will direct kitchen traffic in a much more efficient way.
Determining where you would like to place your large appliances is a great place to continue with your planning efforts. Before thinking about smaller kitchen items, you should first decide where your refrigerator, sink and oven/stove will be. To create more efficiency, these items should be placed in a manner that allows an easy flow of work when it comes to cooking and baking foods.
Placing the sink under the main window in the kitchen is ideal since it will allow a maximum amount of light in and can also be easy installed when it comes to plumbing. For further efficiency, it is best to place counter surfaces between the stove and the refrigerator. Placing counter surfaces on the sides of these items aids in the ease of preparing foods while placing the refrigerator close to an entrance can guide traffic away from your work area.
After you have finalized your new kitchen design, your next step is to pick out visually appealing materials for your kitchen. Creating a great aesthetic appeal to your kitchen is an essential step because this room is the most used room in the house and you should strive for an alluring appeal.
Learn more about kitchen design layout. Stop by Jewel Stainer’s site where you can find out all about room layout software and what it can do for you.
Filed under Kitchen Remodeling by Jewel Stainer