Wednesday 4 January 2012
Kitchen Design Ideas
Innovative Ideas for Your Kitchen Design
For years, the kitchen was neglected in New York City, and regarded as that room that nobody goes into. More and more people, however, have finally realized that the kitchen is one of the most important rooms in the house - not just to cook, but to feel at home in. Families converge in kitchens, and there's nothing that smells like home more than something great cooking in the oven or on a state-of-the-art stovetop.
Here are some of the hottest kitchen trends in interior design and renovation that suit city life, and bring home and hearth for those who eat, as well as for those who cook.
Go with the Flow:
And make your kitchen an integral part of your living area with open spaces. An open kitchen allows everyone to hang out while the pasta sauce is simmering on your stove, while you pay your bills, or while the kids have their after school snack in the kitchen table. When you look out from your kitchen, isn't it nice to see your living area, a glimpse of the dining room, and maybe even a view from your living room window?
Continue your flooring from the kitchen to the living room to create a feeling of space.
An Island Adventure:
Having an island is becoming more and more functional in today's kitchen. There are eating islands with bar stools, there are cooking islands with a stove top, and very often an oven, and there are preparation islands, equipped with a second sink, a garbage disposal, and lots and lots of drawers for easy access. If you can plan your kitchen with an island in mind you will benefit from beautiful design and a convenient work area that will provide your kitchen with extra space.
Clean it Up!
One of the hippest trends in kitchen design is imported from Europe. Long, clean lines, kitchen cabinets all at the same height, lots of stainless steel, clean cabinet doors with simple handles, and long stretches of open counter space. The resulting look is clean, crisp, and modern. You can twist the modern look by curving your angles - make your island half-moon shaped rather than rectangular, or one part of your counter and cabinets flow with a sweeping curve. To complete the look add stainless steel appliances.
Culture Shock:
A recent trend in kitchen design is to apply an ethnic look and feel to the kitchen, emphasizing a specific country style: Santa Fe, Tuscan, French modern, Old English, Mexican, Spanish, and so on. The important thing when doing your kitchen cultural, is to pick one theme and stick to it. Don't mix and match too much - Santa Fe styles have more than enough color on their own without mixing in Provencal. These kitchens are usually more "country," than modern, but certainly are homey, and when well designed, a masterpiece to eat in!
Steel Sharp:
Stainless steel is back, as the lit torch for modern, sleek, new kitchens. High-end kitchens tend to emphasize the shiny (or matte ) steel design in appliances, cabinet fixtures and assorted kitchen accessories.
Stainless steel gives your kitchen an extremely clean feeling. It appears sanitary, and it gives a kitchen that "this is a real cooking place" feeling. Stainless steel countertops and appliances are very popular at restaurants and large kitchens.
For years, the kitchen was neglected in New York City, and regarded as that room that nobody goes into. More and more people, however, have finally realized that the kitchen is one of the most important rooms in the house - not just to cook, but to feel at home in. Families converge in kitchens, and there's nothing that smells like home more than something great cooking in the oven or on a state-of-the-art stovetop.
Here are some of the hottest kitchen trends in interior design and renovation that suit city life, and bring home and hearth for those who eat, as well as for those who cook.
Go with the Flow:
And make your kitchen an integral part of your living area with open spaces. An open kitchen allows everyone to hang out while the pasta sauce is simmering on your stove, while you pay your bills, or while the kids have their after school snack in the kitchen table. When you look out from your kitchen, isn't it nice to see your living area, a glimpse of the dining room, and maybe even a view from your living room window?
Continue your flooring from the kitchen to the living room to create a feeling of space.
An Island Adventure:
Having an island is becoming more and more functional in today's kitchen. There are eating islands with bar stools, there are cooking islands with a stove top, and very often an oven, and there are preparation islands, equipped with a second sink, a garbage disposal, and lots and lots of drawers for easy access. If you can plan your kitchen with an island in mind you will benefit from beautiful design and a convenient work area that will provide your kitchen with extra space.
Clean it Up!
One of the hippest trends in kitchen design is imported from Europe. Long, clean lines, kitchen cabinets all at the same height, lots of stainless steel, clean cabinet doors with simple handles, and long stretches of open counter space. The resulting look is clean, crisp, and modern. You can twist the modern look by curving your angles - make your island half-moon shaped rather than rectangular, or one part of your counter and cabinets flow with a sweeping curve. To complete the look add stainless steel appliances.
Culture Shock:
A recent trend in kitchen design is to apply an ethnic look and feel to the kitchen, emphasizing a specific country style: Santa Fe, Tuscan, French modern, Old English, Mexican, Spanish, and so on. The important thing when doing your kitchen cultural, is to pick one theme and stick to it. Don't mix and match too much - Santa Fe styles have more than enough color on their own without mixing in Provencal. These kitchens are usually more "country," than modern, but certainly are homey, and when well designed, a masterpiece to eat in!
Steel Sharp:
Stainless steel is back, as the lit torch for modern, sleek, new kitchens. High-end kitchens tend to emphasize the shiny (or matte ) steel design in appliances, cabinet fixtures and assorted kitchen accessories.
Stainless steel gives your kitchen an extremely clean feeling. It appears sanitary, and it gives a kitchen that "this is a real cooking place" feeling. Stainless steel countertops and appliances are very popular at restaurants and large kitchens.
Kitchen Design
3 Low Cost Kitchen Decorating Ideas
Many people who are aficionados of home improvement network shows or ardent readers of design magazines would know that despite common thought, updating the kitchen really does not require that your spend excessive time and money. In fact there are some very simple and inexpensive ways to give the kitchen a brand new look. In many instance most of the changes are quite trivial, yet they transform the entire look and feel of the kitchen. For those about to embark on such a project there is a world of ideas on kitchen decorating and remodeling projects at low costs from magazines or on internet sites dealing with kitchen design ideas.
Perhaps one of the easiest and most economical ways to decorate your kitchen is by amending the existing lighting scheme. Options of pendants and spots are clever choices for lighting over kitchen islands and sinks. They are attractive and provide good task lighting and additional general lighting. It is also important that counters in a kitchen have additional lighting. When it comes to cabinets and storage areas lights below the cabinet tend to highlight the countertop of the kitchen. The lights above the kitchen will not only illuminate your attractive cabinets but will remove shadows from the kitchen. A good choice of lights for counters is halogen under cabinet lighting or puck lights. Always remember to add dimmers, as they can set an entirely different mood whilst in the kitchen. These lighting changes or additions are quite inexpensive.
Contrary to popular belief there is nothing sacred about stained wood. In fact painted wood is just as appropriate in many kitchens, and paint allows the color and finish desired at a fraction of the cost of refinishing cabinets. Appliance refinishing companies and even automobile paint shops can provide new complexions for your old range refrigerator, or dishwasher at economical prices. At the same time try to ensure not to invest in a new look for an appliance that has only a couple of years of use remaining. Special do-it-yourself wall-painting jobs, such as sponging, mottling, and rag-rolling, are a good way to divert attention from other less-attractive elements.
Another cheap way of breathing life and character into the kitchen is by getting new knobs and pulls on cabinets. Select from glass, metal, rubber, wood, resin, and stone and feel free to use multiple materials and styles to give kitchens a lift. Additionally kitchen which lack personality and character can benefit greatly from new moldings. Use crown moldings at the ceiling, install a chair rail or plate rail partway up the wall and replace trim around windows and doors to create shape and detail. These are easy to do and very inexpensive.
Designer Kitchens for Fantastic Kitchen Curtain Ideas
There are various kitchen curtains ideas that you can choose from depending of course, on the type of your kitchen windows and the type of kitchen you have.
1. If you have a modern kitchen, you also have to consider contemporary style kitchen curtains. Most designer kitchens opt for lightweight and sheer fabrics with steel or chrome rods. Sheer fabrics allow soft light from the sun to enter the kitchen and contribute to energy efficiency. You may choose any pattern that suits your taste. You can choose to have mid length curtains or full-length curtains, but if you want more privacy you may hang kitchen curtains made of thick fabric. Choose cotton fabrics with a printed pattern or plain in bright colors. Make sure that your kitchen curtains match the color of your kitchen flooring, wall paint or wallpaper.
2. If you have a rustic or country kitchen, you will need a different style of curtains. Choose fabrics with patterns like gingham, big stripes, or you can also go for fruit, vegetable, or flower printed. See to it that your curtains do not clash with the rest of the kitchen decor. Café curtains are perfect for rustic themed kitchen. You can choose plain fabrics in a bright shade or something with a nice and simple pattern. Café curtains allow some air to go inside your kitchen as it covers only the lower half of your kitchen window and the upper half is left open so you can still see the scenery outside at the same time cover up the lower half giving you some privacy. If you want to hang café curtains in your kitchen, install a cornice or valance at the top part of the window. Cotton and linen fabrics are the best materials for this type of curtain.
3. Some people opt for the no-fuss vertical or roman blinds or shades for their kitchen windows. Blinds are more expensive than curtains but they are easy to maintain.
Curtains are essential when it comes to home furnishing. It has the power to transform the look of any room either to make it look elegant or cozy, warm or spacious. Whatever window treatments you select for your kitchen, ensure that it matches the overall design and beauty of your kitchen and home as a whole. Also, it is a smart idea to pick kitchen curtains that are easy to maintain and clean.
Many people who are aficionados of home improvement network shows or ardent readers of design magazines would know that despite common thought, updating the kitchen really does not require that your spend excessive time and money. In fact there are some very simple and inexpensive ways to give the kitchen a brand new look. In many instance most of the changes are quite trivial, yet they transform the entire look and feel of the kitchen. For those about to embark on such a project there is a world of ideas on kitchen decorating and remodeling projects at low costs from magazines or on internet sites dealing with kitchen design ideas.
Perhaps one of the easiest and most economical ways to decorate your kitchen is by amending the existing lighting scheme. Options of pendants and spots are clever choices for lighting over kitchen islands and sinks. They are attractive and provide good task lighting and additional general lighting. It is also important that counters in a kitchen have additional lighting. When it comes to cabinets and storage areas lights below the cabinet tend to highlight the countertop of the kitchen. The lights above the kitchen will not only illuminate your attractive cabinets but will remove shadows from the kitchen. A good choice of lights for counters is halogen under cabinet lighting or puck lights. Always remember to add dimmers, as they can set an entirely different mood whilst in the kitchen. These lighting changes or additions are quite inexpensive.
Contrary to popular belief there is nothing sacred about stained wood. In fact painted wood is just as appropriate in many kitchens, and paint allows the color and finish desired at a fraction of the cost of refinishing cabinets. Appliance refinishing companies and even automobile paint shops can provide new complexions for your old range refrigerator, or dishwasher at economical prices. At the same time try to ensure not to invest in a new look for an appliance that has only a couple of years of use remaining. Special do-it-yourself wall-painting jobs, such as sponging, mottling, and rag-rolling, are a good way to divert attention from other less-attractive elements.
Another cheap way of breathing life and character into the kitchen is by getting new knobs and pulls on cabinets. Select from glass, metal, rubber, wood, resin, and stone and feel free to use multiple materials and styles to give kitchens a lift. Additionally kitchen which lack personality and character can benefit greatly from new moldings. Use crown moldings at the ceiling, install a chair rail or plate rail partway up the wall and replace trim around windows and doors to create shape and detail. These are easy to do and very inexpensive.
Designer Kitchens for Fantastic Kitchen Curtain Ideas
There are various kitchen curtains ideas that you can choose from depending of course, on the type of your kitchen windows and the type of kitchen you have.
1. If you have a modern kitchen, you also have to consider contemporary style kitchen curtains. Most designer kitchens opt for lightweight and sheer fabrics with steel or chrome rods. Sheer fabrics allow soft light from the sun to enter the kitchen and contribute to energy efficiency. You may choose any pattern that suits your taste. You can choose to have mid length curtains or full-length curtains, but if you want more privacy you may hang kitchen curtains made of thick fabric. Choose cotton fabrics with a printed pattern or plain in bright colors. Make sure that your kitchen curtains match the color of your kitchen flooring, wall paint or wallpaper.
2. If you have a rustic or country kitchen, you will need a different style of curtains. Choose fabrics with patterns like gingham, big stripes, or you can also go for fruit, vegetable, or flower printed. See to it that your curtains do not clash with the rest of the kitchen decor. Café curtains are perfect for rustic themed kitchen. You can choose plain fabrics in a bright shade or something with a nice and simple pattern. Café curtains allow some air to go inside your kitchen as it covers only the lower half of your kitchen window and the upper half is left open so you can still see the scenery outside at the same time cover up the lower half giving you some privacy. If you want to hang café curtains in your kitchen, install a cornice or valance at the top part of the window. Cotton and linen fabrics are the best materials for this type of curtain.
3. Some people opt for the no-fuss vertical or roman blinds or shades for their kitchen windows. Blinds are more expensive than curtains but they are easy to maintain.
Curtains are essential when it comes to home furnishing. It has the power to transform the look of any room either to make it look elegant or cozy, warm or spacious. Whatever window treatments you select for your kitchen, ensure that it matches the overall design and beauty of your kitchen and home as a whole. Also, it is a smart idea to pick kitchen curtains that are easy to maintain and clean.
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