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Remodeling Your Kitchen To Cook Great Recipes

Have you ever read some recipes, such as those found in the Life and Entertainment section of the Columbus Dispatch, and thought to yourself, how would I ever cook these in my kitchen? Ever found that cooking holiday meals is more of a nightmare than it really should be? It comes down to having a kitchen with a good workflow and ample counter space to make sure things don’t get cluttered out of control. If you find your kitchen is too cramped or inefficient, there are plenty of ways to improve your space.

Maximize Counter Space with Storage Cart

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Especially in smaller kitchens, counter space is at a premium. If there isn’t sufficient storage, items can tend to find “homes” on the counter, even if they don’t really belong there. One solution is to find a portable cart that can be used while preparing meals or offering extra space for other reasons – sort of like a mini breakfast bar.

Improve Workflow With Design or Arrangement Changes

Sometimes your kitchen layout simply isn’t working. This is one of the more difficult things to change because cabinetry configurations get involved. It can be as simple as simply rearranging your existing units. If you have good, solid cabinets, this is the best option. If your cabinets are already fairly large, you can get organizational systems for your cabinets to make better use of your existing space.

Double Wall Ovens Save Space and Time

Not only are double wall ovens affordable, but they can be major space savers, eliminating the need for a toaster oven or an extra wide appliance. Imagine being able to bake and cook at the same time. Have a complicated meal that requires different temperatures for everything? Double wall ovens can save preparation time in these and other instances. Also, when the double oven is installed in the wall, it leaves more room for extra storage or counter space. The best meals are made when you’re able to cook with ease.

Keep Most Used Items in Plain View and Within Easy Reach

Think of all the items you use most often and make plans with your contractor for the best storage options. For instance, utensils can hang above the stove or be stored in canisters on the counter top. The most used pots and pans can hang in easy reach or be stored within plain view, such as on a rack or stand. Consider removing the doors from some or all cabinets for easier access to everything you need in order to cook.

Use Wall Shelving or Other Easy Access Storage for Larger Items

Floating wall shelves can really free up space on the countertop that may normally be taken up by small appliances. Try placing the toaster, blender, can opener, and small dishes on the floating shelves. These shelves can be aligned throughout the kitchen wall space and customized for your specific usage. Built-ins, suspended ceiling racks, and countertop racks are also great storage solutions that are more convenient for easy cooking.

Great Ideas in Kitchen Design to Spruce up the Most Popular Room in Your Home

If you really think about it, the kitchen is the most popular room in your home. No matter what age the person is in your house, they are all going to your kitchen at some point. Even your family pets find themselves in the kitchen, and guests will frequently be there as well. This is why making some improvements to its look and feel can really make a difference in improving the overall way your home looks. A kitchen design change may be the key for you.

If you are thinking that this works for you, then you may want some good ideas that can help to change the way your kitchen looks. Here are some ideas for you.

Brass Handles

Nothing really spruces up the look of any room like brass. It has such an elegant look and feel to it that everyone likes. Yes, it is true that brass is much harder to clean and unpolished brass can really hinder the look you are looking for, but if you are willing to do a little extra work to keep it looking its best then brass handles on the doors and cabinets is a real winner.

White Is In

More kitchens are being designed with darker colors to them, but this is not the most aesthetically pleasing look that you can have. The best look is to go with white. First of all, it gives a very clean look to the whole room, which always makes people like to be in it more. Kitchens should look and feel clean since food is being made there, so white really benefits that feeling. In addition, white lights up the room more. That makes it more enjoyable to be in it, and will also make working in the kitchen easier. Plus it saves energy.

Marble Counter Tops

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While white is great for appliances, cabinets and walls, granite or marble counter tops are the way to go. They really add class as well, and make the kitchen have a whole new look. In addition, they are hard to damage, so the longevity of them is much better than what you would find with traditional countertop materials. You cannot go wrong with marble or granite, but you should be aware that they can be quite expensive.

Hardwood Floors over Tile

Most people have tile or linoleum put in as the flooring to their kitchen and this looks good. It is a quality look. However, nothing makes a room look better than hardwood floors. There is such a great look to the kitchen as a whole, because it makes it look a lot more traditional. This is just the way a kitchen should look.

If you are looking for a great kitchen design, these are some great ways to improve the look of the kitchen so that you really give it the look you want. These changes will create a great improvement and make the most popular room in your home something you can really be proud of.

Renovating Your Kitchen for More Livable Space

Your kitchen is one of the most used places in your home. If it’s not exactly working for you, consider renovating for more livable space. Cooking meals while relaxing with or entertaining family and friends becomes a bigger possibility when there’s enough space to do so. From start to finish, you’ll be glad you decided to renovate and renew your outdated kitchen space.

Consider an Open Style Concept

An open style design can create more livable space, as the kitchen more easily flows into another room or rooms. This makes the kitchen more spacious, as well as opens up options for more seating, hanging out with friends, and so on. For instance, if walls are removed and an island is installed, family members and guests can be seated at the island. If the kitchen opens into the dining area or living room, this also provides more seating and relaxation options.

Dealing With Small Spaces

Small spaces may seem tough to deal with but there are many ways to make the most of what’s available. For instance, built-in storage is one way to save space. Folding or in-wall pull-out  seating options may also help. Your contractor will help with your specific area. Further ideas include adding seating to countertop areas, leaving decor to wall art and floating shelves, combining two or more rooms to gain more space, or building an addition.

Use Unique Storage Ideas

Sometimes finding more space to live in is all about creating more space for storage. How well are you using all of the potential space? Sometimes there is extra space you could be using for storage but aren’t. Built-in storage is one way to solve this issue and free up a large amount of space. Also, consider using the spaces above and below appliances and cabinetry for shelving or storage drawers. These are just some of many options available. A good design build contractor will have the best ideas for your exact space.

Stack Appliances

Choosing appliances that can be aligned vertically is another way to create more livable space. Your contractor can help design countertopsand cabinetry to accommodate for this option. Ovens, dishwashers, and microwave ovens are common appliances this is done with. If your washer and dryer are generally in your kitchen area, there are stackable options for those as well. When your appliances are aligned this way, less space is taken up by them, allowing more room for other options.

Consider Multipurpose Options

Sometimes people opt for islands to create a space that is useful for more than one task. There are also many other ways to create multipurpose spaces. When you’re using spaces for more than one purpose, it helps free up other spaces you may not have been able to work with before. This leaves more room for relaxation, seating, and other “living” areas.

 

Creating extra livable space is all about design, comfort, and functionality. Your design build contractor can help develop a plan that works for your exact needs, lifestyle, and budget.

 

Remodeling Your Kitchen for Guest-Friendly Appeal and Use

If you enjoy having guests over for parties and other social gatherings, your kitchen should be accommodating. But how do you get it to be that way when it isn’t even close? For optimal results, your kitchen should be custom-designed for your exact needs and those of your guests. This way, everyone is happy with the final product and you can relax knowing your guests are happy. Hiring a design build contractor is one of the best ways to ensure a custom guest-friendly fit to be enjoyed for years to come.

Nice Cabinets Make a Kitchen Stand Outkitchen-gathering-electrical-safety-resized-600

When you enter a kitchen, one of the first things you notice will be the cabinets. This is why it’s so important to have the right ones for your particular kitchen. Style and potential usage are huge factors in cabinets that will be both useful and attractive. Also, think about the feelings you want to invoke in those who enter the kitchen area. Guest-friendly design is about capturing a specific emotion, such as togetherness or excitement. A design build contractor can help you achieve a customized look that is tailored to all of those needs and more.

Go For Beautiful, Yet Functional Countertops

Fancy countertops will wow your guests, for sure. When choosing which materials are best, also consider the functionality. When you entertain often, it’s important to have a surface that’s durable and easy to clean off. But of course, you also need that wow factor. Talk with your contractor about which options fit your needs, as well as your style and budget.

Flooring and Lighting Help Highlight the Space

Make sure your guests can move around comfortably, as well as have a stunning visual experience by paying close attention to the flooring and lighting. Kitchen flooring should be easy to clean up but should also be desirable to the eye. This is especially true when you frequently entertain guests. Lighting should be beautiful to the eye, fit the style of the space, as well as highlight the preparation and serving areas without being too overwhelming.

Cooking and Prep Space Should Allow For Socializing

When entertaining guests, you should be able to join in on the fun, even during food prep. This helps ensure that your guests have their needs met and keeps everyone socializing with each other. One way to do this is to combine the cooking and eating areas. Some people make this entertainment option possible with an open floor plan. Your contractor can help you decide what’s best for satisfying everyone involved, as well as your budget.

A Functional Entertainment Area Keeps Your Guests Coming Back

Speaking of entertainment, the area your guests will be served in should be custom-designed for the best results. Keep the above advice in mind, as well as things your guests enjoy. It’s a good idea to take notes when you think of ideas. That way, when you meet with your contractor, everything is easier for you to present and nothing is forgotten.

 

Giving Your Kitchen The Ideal Look And Feel

A beautiful kitchen makes a happy home no matter whether you are a mom, dad, son, daughter, grandma, or guest. A beautiful kitchen can become the showpiece of a home, which is perfectly ideal. Since the kitchen is oneof the highest traffic areas of any home, it is a real good idea to make a home a real showcase.

To do so, there are several different styles of color coordination and patterns that can be followed. If you are looking to remodel your kitchen, here are some of the options you can choose to make your kitchen that showcase you have always wanted.

Contrasting Colors– Many likeWorthington Kitchen Remodel the idea of selecting colors are opposite to one another on the color wheel. If you look at a color wheel you can see that colors are grouped according to the primary colors. Selecting colors that are diverse from one another can give an interesting look, which makes the kitchen kind of fun. For example, cherry red cabinets can be contrasted with green walls. If brown is the color of the cabinets, blue would make great wall colors.

Harmonizing Colors–in contrast to the contrasting colors idea, harmonizing colors are ones where the color schemes are chosen from areas of the color wheel that are in the same area. For most people they choose colors that are very close in shade to one another. White walls could have pale aqua or salmon cabinet colors, ivory appliances, and light yellow wallpaper schemes. These make for a great blending that looks so good because there is such a subtle difference between the different variants.

Speckling – one thing that many like to do is to choose to add speckles to the colors they are using for their kitchen. Often they select just one color for most of the items, including the appliances, cabinets, countertops and walls, then different colors of speckles. This allows the kitchen to have a very common look, yet different. Speckle colors on the wall can be different than that on countertops. It is a great look for sure.

Extreme Cabinet Colors – This works especially well if the cabinets are dark like a mahogany or a ebony. When light colors are used on the walls and appliances, the dark coloring of the cabinets makes for a very unusual look that contrasts so well because there is a real consistency in the way that the kitchen is designed. Light colors make the kitchen look cheery, while the darker cabinets add elegance and a high quality look. You’ll love it.

Accessories – In this look the kitchen is colored with different hues chosen depending upon the material. For example, all the walls would be one color. All the trims around the walls, flooring, windows, and ceilings would be another color. Cabinets would be a third color. Appliances a fourth. Countertops a fifth color. If there are bar stools or a breakfast area, it gets a sixth color. In fact, any furniture would be that sixth color. This kind of coloring makes the kitchen uniform and different. It is a clever look.