Everything About Kitchen Design

Posts Tagged ‘remodeling project’

As we know Victorian England has a extremely rich history. During this time there was beautiful décor that has become a timeless decorating design down to today. Victorian designs are much distinct from the present day decorating variations that are appearing these days. Victorian kitchen cabinets have a gorgeous model that’s quite appealing to many folks. If you need to add a Victorian style to your kitchen then your best choice is to add Victorian kitchen cabinets. Victorian kitchens will generally have pale walls in pastel colors. Generally these are light yellow, light blue or off-white. These are offset by dark cabinets, often made from cherry wood. The hardware will have a light style on it. It can be important that you hire a professional who is experienced with Victorian design cabinets. Typically a Victorian kitchenette doesn’t rely on counters; rather it uses a food preparation table. This is typically an island having a butcher-block top. The Victorian style virtually usually relies on flowers and lace for decorations. Any fabric in the kitchen will often have bright colored flowers. The windows generally have lace curtains. These are two easiest accents to add to a Victorian design kitchen. More extensive designs might be done by stenciling flower patterns around the walls or the window borders. It isn’t that challenging to turn a modern-day kitchen into a Victorian kind kitchen. You’ll find plenty of books and magazines that may show you a variety of Victorian styles. You can match these variations and come up with a design that matches your unique tastes. From there it’s a easy matter of turning your modern day kitchen into a gorgeous Victorian fashion. It can be fairly fun designing a Victorian kitchen and then you will be able to invest years enjoying the beauty of your newly designed Victorian kitchen.

Andre Hansen really loves to write articles . You can read about victorian kitchen cabinets, just check his website at http://www.victoriankitchencabinets.com , where you can have information’s on victorian kitchen cabinets

Kitchen Cabinet Hardware

Today I’d like to write about kitchen cabinet hardware.  It’s not all equal!  In your kitchen cabinetry design you should look at all of the project or have a kitchen designer that tells you up front what is included! Let’s look at the cabinet door hinge.  This is probably the most frustrating if it goes out of alignment.  The most important question to ask is, “who makes it?”, “what type of adjustments does it have?”  The best hinge will be, what is called in the industry “a six-way adjustable  hinge”. By this I mean you can literally adjust the door in 6 different directions…up and down…side to side…and in and out. It a standard with me to feature these on all cabinet doors…

Drawer Slides

Now the next important piece of hardware is the drawer slides. Again what type? Who makes them?  There are countless types out there and everyone claiming to be the best. I personally like the under-mount slide that has a soft close or self  closing feature with, full extension for complete drawer access, smooth high quality ball bearing performance and 100 pound weight capacity. . I use this type in all my designs and all the drawers…including the all the roll-outs. Check with your designer and see if this is an extra or does it come standard. Allot of designers charge extra here!

To find or just do some research on what is being supplied with your new kitchen cabinets check out the Rockler catalog…It is absolutely a look though, so you understand the different types of hardware before you say “yes” to that new dream kitchen…Enjoy!

Choosing  flooring for your kitchen remodeling project is a critical design decision, one that unites all the elements of your kitchen. Not only that, kitchen flooring must perform extremely well, providing low maintenance, durability, and good looks without breaking your budget. With so many flooring options available, how can you be sure you’re getting a product that provides the right combination of price and style—one that will provide years of satisfaction? Weigh the options based on your lifestyle and how you’ll use your kitchen.

My choice: I  look for comfort and low maintenance

Top-quality sheet vinyl flooring is ideal for busy cooks. It’s a snap to clean up, plus it’s completely waterproof and stain-proof. There are few seams to trap dirt or let moisture through to the subfloor, and installations for kitchens less than 12 feet wide (the width of standard sheet vinyl) are seamless. Sheet vinyl requires no ongoing maintenance, so you can spend more time cooking.

Sheet vinyl belongs to a group of flooring products called resilient flooring, which have flexibility and are slightly soft under foot. This characteristic eases muscle fatigue—a plus if you spend a lot of time in your kitchen. Also, resilient flooring’s are much more forgiving of accidentally dropped glasses and bowls.

Then there’s cushioned vinyl, which is backed with a layer of foam—regular sheet vinyl uses felt backing—providing an extra measure of comfort. But its added thickness and flexibility makes it difficult to create seams that stay tightly bonded over time. When your flooring dealer measures your kitchen, be sure to ask if your configuration requires seams. If the answer is yes, consider regular felt-backed vinyl.

You’ll find sheet vinyl flooring in many of colors and patterns. Thicker vinyl can feature a textured surface, and some types do an excellent job of mimicking the appearance of ceramic tile and real stone. Textured vinyl provides traction and is a good idea for kitchens where floor surfaces occasionally get wet.

Vinyl flooring includes a “wear layer” on its top surface that helps resist scratches and scuff marks. The trade-off for low maintenance is that the wear layer eventually dulls and you’ll likely want to replace it. The best brands offer guarantees on the wear layer of 10-15 years, but good quality vinyl should last 20 years.

Cost: At $1 to $5 per sq.ft., sheet vinyl is one of the least expensive options for kitchen flooring. Installation adds $1 to $2 per sq.ft., depending on the complexity of the project. For a 12 x 16 foot kitchen, you’ll spend about $1,000. In general, the thicker the vinyl, the higher the quality and the cost of the product. It’s widely available at home improvement centers and flooring stores.
When durability is important

Porcelain flooring tile, a version of common ceramic tile, is the durability champ. It’s fired at high temperatures that produce an extremely hard, durable, stain-resistant tile impervious to moisture. In fact, it’s so tough it can be used outdoors in virtually any climate.

Like common ceramic tile, porcelain tile comes either unglazed or glazed. The unglazed versions take on the color of their clay mixture, so they have naturally earthy tones. Glazed tiles have a glass-like coating that can be made in virtually any color, and can mimic the look and texture of real stone at a much lower cost than stone. For kitchens, choose porcelain tiles certified as slip-resistant by the Americans with Disabilities Act—the designation should be visible on product literature or packing materials.

Cost: Averages from $1 to $20 per sq.ft.; installation, $5 to $10 per sq.ft. Porcelain tile is widely available at home improvement centers and flooring stores.

Your best green option

Cork is made from tree bark that’s harvested every eight to 10 years; it’s a sustainable material, meaning the bark grows back and can be harvested repeatedly. Countries that produce cork are careful to regulate harvesting practices to ensure future supplies.

Cork has a unique cellular structure that’s waterproof and compressible, which makes it a comfortable, moisture-resistant choice. It comes in 12 x 12-inch tiles and 1 x 3-foot planks, each with a unique grain pattern of swirls and speckles. The surface is naturally textured, so cork is slip-resistant as well.

Most cork flooring products come pre-finished. However, they should be resealed every 3 to 4 years to help guard against scratches and prevent moisture from entering the seams between tiles. Both natural wax and polyurethane are good sealers for cork. Choose water-based polyurethane that’s non-toxic or has low volatile organic compound content.

Cost: $2-$6 per sq.ft.; installation, $5-$10 per sq.ft.

Hardwood unites an open floor plan

Hardwood flooring, with its unmatched warmth and visual appeal, is a great choice if you have an open floor plan and prefer a single flooring style that creates visual continuity beyond the kitchen. In the kitchen, hardwood provides durability and low-maintenance. Prefinished hardwood is moisture-resistant, although spills should be wiped up immediately.

Hardwood flooring is either solid wood strips or engineered wood planks. Engineered wood has a veneer of real wood backed by layers of less expensive plywood. This construction provides dimensional stability that makes the flooring less susceptible to movement caused by changes in humidity and temperature—a good idea for kitchens.

Increasingly popular bamboo, like hardwood, is glued together to form solid strips or engineered planks. But technically it isn’t a hardwood, it’s a grass. Bamboo is tough, durable, and green. It can be re-grown quickly and easily. If the environment is a factor in your choice of bamboo flooring, look for products made without urea formaldehyde glues. Costs are comparable to hardwood.

Cost: $3-$8 per sq.ft., although exotic varieties of wood may run as high as $12 per sq.ft. Installation, $5-$12 per sq.ft., depending on the complexity of the job.

So now you have some ideas of what to use in your kitchen remodeling project for your floor!