Kitchens

Something to Think about when Selecting a Stainless Sink

Todays trend toward simpler, cleaner lines can also be found when selecting a kitchen stainless sink. There is now a growing popularity towards “zero degree radius” sinks. What this means is that the inside corner of the stainless sinks has no soft radius’s which allows for a much cleaner, crisper sink. This style works beautifully with my Leicht German cabinetry in that the sink carries on the theme of minimalistic design. There is one major thing to understand when selecting this kind of sink. You will be losing some function to gain design. These sinks will be much harder to keep clean. One of the reasons for a radius in a sink is for ease of cleaning. It is much easier to clean a sink with a radius than one with a zero degree radius.
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Exciting News!! Off to Germany

leicht1 leicht2Just received word that I am on my way to the Leicht (fine German kitchen furniture) within the next 3 weeks for a very educational week. Follow along with me as I learn about and document all the very best that Europe has to offer. I will be posting my ventures and all that Leicht has to offer as we head into the New Year. Hint: concrete doors is one of them!!

Walnut Drawer Boxes

walnut-drawer1-smallJust when we think we have seen everything with kitchen cabinet drawers along comes another option. This one does not necessarily add any function to the kitchen cabinet drawer system but the drawer box adds ever so much elegance to the beauty of the kitchen! Let me introduce you to walnut drawer boxes. Walnut is a wood that is not only a very durable hardwood it also has a grain pattern that is soothing to the eye and the color of the wood eliminates the harshness of the kitchen cabinet drawer systems. Walnut boxes started years ago within the European kitchen cabinet industry and has made its way stateside. These boxes are now available from many quality US Kitchen cabinet suppliers. If you are thinking of a painted white kitchen these boxes are a must. The contrast between the painted finish and the drawer when opening adds such beauty to your new dream kitchen.

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Solving outlet location issues in a kitchen

From time to time I run across a situation in a kitchen where code requires an outlet to be in a location but there is limited space in which to install one. A couple of examples of this are in an island and also on an exterior wall where there is a long run of windows to the counter and not room for any outlets. I have been very successful using “pop up “outlets that take care of these issues. They are mounted directly in the countertop and pop up when needed. There are also times when a client does not wish to see any outlets and these are perfect in that there show minimally in the counter when closed.
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Also, something exciting has happened with outlets today. We now have the option of installing an outlet that has a USB port. This is so nice in that there is no more searching for the cube, we just plug the cord right into the outlet.So convenient and handy.

Remember though before installing any of these items always check with your local municipality for the code requirements when using such devices.

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I would like to have an island in my kitchen. What are the guidelines?

One of the most common questions I receive from my clients is “Will an island fit into my existing space?” An island can be both a functional element in the kitchen as well as designed to be a kitchen “centerpiece.” This is achieved by making it look like a piece of furniture.
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Hall Design Guidelines

I like to have a minimum of 36” and a maximum of 48” of aisle clearance on all 4 sides of the island, especially if seating is being added to the space. If you end up with less than 36” of space, there can be a potential problem with the door swing of the refrigerator which hinders it from opening all of the way. Also, if you have a sink on the perimeter and a cooktop on the island in the same area, two people would not be able to work at the same time. On the other hand, if one happens to have more than 48” of space, then the distance becomes too great between the different work zones in the kitchen.

One other thing to consider when you begin to plan your island design is to select your countertop first. This will ensure that the slab of material works with the size of the island to avoid seams with the counter material.

Make sure to check out our <a href="http://www .thehalldesigngroup.com/services/kitchens/”>Kitchen Design Gallery for more inspiration!

 

 

 

What Should I Expect From My Kitchen & Bath Designer?

The most critical part of starting a kitchen and bath remodel is finding the right person to guide you through the process from start to finish. I always tell my students and clients that you will end up “marrying” this person for the next several months so make a smart choice when hiring this individual.

A good kitchen and bath designer must excel in three categories to be effective. The first is to have great communication skills. To have a design meet you’re every need this person must be able to listen to all of your wants and needs and then convey them into a design that works for you. The second category is to be a creative designer that can take the kitchen or bath and not only make it functional but also bring some excitement and creativity into the space. The third category but certainly not the least important is to find a kitchen and bath designer that has the technical experience to make the project smoothly transition from the original design concept to that of a set of working plans and then into the construction phase.

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The kitchen and bath designer should be strong in all phases of the construction process. This includes construction, plumbing, electrical and much more. When interviewing the kitchen and bath designer one should find out what you can expect in the way of design drawings. The minimum to expect is a floor plan. I would strongly suggest that the designer also include a set of elevations. Elevations define the plan and make it so much easier for you to understand the scope of the kitchen or bath plans. I would also strongly suggest to have colored renderings presented. The renderings today are photo realistic and will greatly help you visualize the final result.

As you can see throughout my website I am a big believer in educating rather than selling. There are so many selections to be made and I would definitely find a designer with product knowledge that will be willing to be by your side and assist you in making all of the smart choices as you move through the project. This will eliminate wrong choices being made and save you so much time and money in the end by limiting the mistakes down to nothing.

The last trait that I would look for in a kitchen and bath designer is to find one with a passion for what they do. This will make the entire process “fun”.

Good Luck!

What is the difference between stock cabinetry and custom cabinetry?

kitchen-cabinetsPurchasing cabinetry for a kitchen remodel is both an exciting time and also a very anxious time. The cabinetry will be the biggest investment in the project so you will want to make sure you educate yourself on all of the options as you move forward.

I like to compare the kitchen cabinetry purchase to the selection of your automobile. All of the cars will get you to the same place but some will last longer and give you more options. Also you should not think that stock kitchen cabinetry won’t hold up and that kitchen cabinetry is not affordable.

Stock cabinetry is very simple. These are cabinets that are pre-maid in certain sizes and finishes. When designing your kitchen you will be limited as to what you can do with the space. An example of this would be that many people are wanting to hide their TV today in the kitchen. One common method that I use is to put the TV behind a pair of retractable doors that when in use are slid back into an opening. Or if you desire a split panel wall cabinet door with glass on top. This is not possible with kitchen stock cabinetry ( you will need to stack). Another thing to consider is that you will be limited to basic woods and finishes. A big advantage with stock cabinetry is that the price tends to be less and also the lead times are lower.

Custom cabinetry in the kitchen offers much more flexibility as you are designing the kitchen. The wood for the cabinets awaits you on a wood pile and you can design the cabinetry to fit your exact needs. Some examples of this include measuring your pots and pans to get an exact fit into the cabinetry. Having the base cabinets raised or lowered to meet the comfort height of your kitchen counters. Custom cabinetry also excels with regards to the wood selection and also the finish process. Custom kitchen cabinetry allows us to also consider exotic woods such as walnut, alder, quarter sawn oak amongst many others. The options in regards to the finish are endless. One can bring in an antique table from grandma and it can be matched. Should you desire paint then any paint color can be duplicated to create a harmonious space. With custom cabinetry the price tends to be more and the lead times longer.

There is one more type of kitchen cabinetry that should be considered when remodeling your kitchen. These are called “semi-custom” cabinetry. Semi-custom cabinetry is a blend of both of the above. Most of the kitchen can be stock and should there be a couple of pieces that require custom work they can be sent to the custom section of the plant and you will only pay the price for that particular piece. This is a highly popular choice and one that is used quite a bit when remodeling a kitchen.