By J Richardson

Step #1: Plan Ahead
As with most big projects, you must plan ahead. If you're completely restructuring your kitchen, consider changing the direction the kitchen faces. If you situate the kitchen to face the southeast or east, you'll enjoy natural sunlight in the morning hours as you enjoy your daily cup of java.

Step #2: Traffic Patterns
In order to avoid a continual path of dirt, mud, shoes and clothes, add an adjoining "mud" room to your kitchen. This way, you have an area to shrug off coast in the winter, remove shoes and ideally, keep your kitchen cleaner.

Step #3: Rule of 26
Necessary appliances within the kitchen include the sink, oven or stove range and the refrigerator. Most, if not all, 20th century homes feature this "triangle" of appliances. Be sure to create enough--but not too much-space between these objects. Too little space can make anyone feel claustrophobic, and too much space can make a simple task more tiring. An ideal rule to follow is that the "legs" or each appliance's distance to each other should add up from 12-26 feet.

Step #4: Get the Gadgets
In addition, you also might want to install a new sink or dishwasher. Ideal placement for sinks is directly in front of a kitchen window; not only will you be able to enjoy the view while washing stacks of plates, but you'll also be able to keep an eye on children. Depending on whether you're left-handed or right-handed, installing a dishwasher directly next to the sink will make dish washing much easier and convenient.

Step #5: Storage is Key
Any kitchen can become cluttered without the proper storage units. Cabinets below the "triangle" should store all pots, bans and baking dishes. Silverware and other utensils should be stored below or near the drying rack and dish washer. For tableware and place settings, store above in higher cabinets. To create additional areas to store Tupperware and non-perishable food, consider adding a pantry to your kitchen or mud room.

Step #6: Table for How Many?
A kitchen table is a perfect place to enjoy a cozy breakfast, dine informally, or even finish up homework. Choose a sturdy wooden table that can endure being banged into and nicked-especially if you have children in the home

Step #7: Hardware Basics
Picking and matching your cabinet hardware and cabinet knobs is easy. It's an inexpensive way to "dress up" your kitchen design. For more elegant, modern homes, choose a dark polish with matching bronze, antiqued or dark cabinet knob finishes. For cozy Southern-style kitchens, choose lighter finishes like chrome, nickel or pewter.

Step #8: Comfort Zone
Install a ceiling fan to help control the temperature without touching the thermostat. Most ceiling fans, like Hunter ceiling fans, are equipped with a directional switch to help maximize the current temperature in the house. For cooler months, allow the fan blades to rotate in a counter-clockwise motion to create the cool breeze. In the winter, switch the direction to clockwise to help mix the warm air evenly throughout your kitchen.

Step #9: Let the Sunshine In
Let the natural light in! Not only will sunlight help heat and keep your kitchen cozy, it also will help you and your family start the day right. In stall sky lights and bay windows that provide ample direct sunlight.

Step #10: Finishing Touches
Complete your newly redesigned look by adding something unique, artistic and stylish. If you're strapped for cash, browse yard sales and "curb alerts" and you may turn someone's antique trash into your newfound kitchen treasure!

By Lee Dobbins

If you are in a rut where your small kitchen design is concerned then you it is important that you remember that strategize on what you can fit in to it and where.

The most important things to consider when remodeling a small kitchen is that do you have sufficient storage space, what kind of appliances can you include and good lighting.

The best storage solution that you could include in your small kitchen design is by putting in a small island this will not only provide you with additional storage space but also extra space for you to work on. But if it is even too small for an island then it is best that you design the layout on your kitchen galley style. A galley style kitchen puts the cabinets lined up hanging on either side of the kitchen aisle and on the walls so that you are able to take advantage of the limited space that you have without them being an obstacle.

If you want you could take advantage of the ceiling by hanging pots and pans from a rack chained at the centre or anywhere on the ceiling of the kitchen. It also helps to add character and charm to any kitchen.

When installing new cabinets in a small kitchen make sure you include a pantry cabinet which goes all the way to the ceiling and the use top most cabinets for storing those items that you seldomly use.

The colours that you should use for your small kitchen should be as follows:-

Use light coloured cabinets with glass doors and add further storage to the inside of doors where you can place tiny bits and pieces (why not put a spice rack inside a door for your spices and herbs to be kept in).

When installing counters install deeper ones so that they can accommodate appliances and will also increase the amount of workspace that you have available. You also look for the many compact and space saving appliances that are now readily available. But when it comes to the sink keep it big as you need something that is practical for cleaning large pots and pans in.

Another good trick to use in your small kitchen design is to install under cabinet and under the counter lighting. This type of lighting will make your kitchen appear bigger and therefore much more inviting to your guests.

By Rob Stouffer

Before you even draw up a new kitchen design, you are going to want to talk over with your significant other what aspects of the kitchen you have now that you would like to change. This applies to everyone, no matter if you live in MD where I do, or on the west coast. By discussing these things ahead of time, your design process will proceed a lot more efficiently and the designer that you choose will have a better understanding of what it is you want in your remodel.
So, let us take a look at some of the design features that you might choose to make different in your new room.

The first thing that comes to mind is the layout of the appliances. Do they form the work triangle that is usually incorporated into kitchens. If they do, is there a certain appliance that you would like to add or increase the size, such as adding a dishwasher, disposal, over the range microwave or including a larger refrigerator.

Are there certain cabinets that you want to include in the new kitchen design, such as a tall pantry cabinet, a lazy- susan cabinet, or maybe a refrigerator cabinet that extends out to meet the front of the refrigerator. Are the wall cabinets that you have now tall enough or do you want cabinets that will reach to the ceiling of the room.

What about removing a wall to open up the room to the other areas of your house. This is one of the hottest trends right now and will create an overall entertaining environment within your home.

Countertops are another aspect of the kitchen design that you will need to discuss. If you have small children, is it really going to be practical to have granite installed instead of a laminate or solid surface such as Corian installed. Granite will scratch easily and the abuse that it could take with small children will leave you frustrated.

Flooring is another aspect of the kitchen design that needs to be discussed. If you are intending to replace the old floor, the new one should be installed before any cabinetry is installed. This is something that needs to be relayed to your designer before any renovation begins.

Are there any custom custom cabinets that you might want to consider for your new room. Maybe a custom island cabinet that will stand out and be a feature piece of the room. Maybe some of the wall cabinets or base cabinets will be larger than the others, creating a more custom look to the new room. Stain colors and door styles are one of the most important aspects of the kitchen design that you will need to decide on before you get really serious about the remodel.

These are just some of the ideas that you might want to go over before venturing out to find a designer that will incorporate all of your wants and desires for your new remodeling project.

By Yoga Priyakara

Think you're great at multitasking? I certainly think I can give just about anybody a run for his money in this department. No surprises then that I experienced pure, unadulterated glee when I got the enviable opportunity to add another feather to my cap- that of a diligent designer all set to demolish every prosaic rule in the interior design books. Thanks to the sustained efforts of a spate of tools, 'kitchen design online' does not really seem like rocket science anymore.

My Link To Sanity

My kitchen, like a majority of homemakers, means the world to me. It's sometimes an oasis of calm, and sometimes becomes the supreme inspiration for the most delightfully aromatic creations. If you too belong to this bandwidth, then a few clicks of your mouse are all that it takes to create a personal space that bears your signature stamp.

These extremely easy and interactive tools can help you exercise complete control over all facets of the layout of the space, without requiring knowledge of the vague rubrics of designing. Selection of architectural styles, lighting, materials for flooring, cabinets and countertops and other accessories like fittings, faucets, fixtures and practically everything else that has a persistent place in your imagination can come alive on your desktop with generous doses of help from these avant-garde tools.

And the icing on the cake is the fact that all your myriad dreams can come alive in 3D. Just submit this to your designer and your custom-made layout could be ready sooner than you imagined.

Recipe For Success

Online design tools and copious amounts of your prodigious talent is a match made in design heaven. Here's what you can do to ensure eternal bliss:

* Pull-out all stops when it comes to selecting the right colors, textures and finishes. Durability, low maintenance and breathtaking looks are key factors.
* Efficient kitchen design gives due importance to storage. The pantry, corner cabinets and other options must utilize the available space judiciously.
* Harbor no doubts about the location of the cooktop, dishwasher, refrigerator and sink.
* The kitchen island must be central to your layout plans.
* You are in the danger of sacrificing a lot more if safety considerations, whether glass doors or sharp edges on countertops, are excluded from the design.
* A cozy breakfast nook or an informal corner adds dollops of sunshine to the place's dark, stolid appearance.

By James Mahoney

The kitchen today is the busiest room in the house and kitchen lighting is probably the most important element in kitchen interior design.

Since the kitchen is now being used as a home office, a homework area for children as well as a gathering area for friends and family good kitchen lighting is very important. The right kitchen lighting is able to create just the right atmosphere for entertaining.

Selecting just the right kitchen lighting can be a simple process. You first need to identify the main areas of the kitchen that need sufficient lighting. With specific tasks over the range or cook top, you can use an energy efficient fluorescent tube along with a standard range fan, or a recessed down light in the general area of the stove. One or two track lights over the sink area can provide the correct amount of illumination that would be needed for washing dishes and scouring pots and pans.

For the sink, and countertops a combination of track or recessed lighting, and under cabinet lighting will be to achieve best results in lighting up the countertop and creating a work area that is well lit and free of shadows. Mount the lights as close to the back of the cabinets as possible to avoid creating glare and off the work surfaces. Try to select energy-efficient fluorescent fixtures that will cover at least two-thirds of the of the counter's length.

For the breakfast area a good overhead light is useful since this area is also frequently used for reading. For more kitchen lighting ideas you can consider such lighting systems as chandeliers to high-tech flexible track lighting with decorative pendants. With a dimmer switch these ceiling-hung fixtures will produce adequate task lighting for family activities. You can also lower the light for entertaining.

When considering kitchen lighting design it is important to create muliple layers of lighting including ambient lighting, accent lighting as well as decorative lighting.

Examine the amount of space and try to imagine the opportunities that you have in considering different categories of kitchen lighting design to create an inviting and livable space.

Ambient Lighting - This is the general light in the room. This type of kitchen lighting is needed for all casual activities. This can be achieved through the use of reflected light for different surfaces. An example of this is track lighting.

Task Lighting - An example is under-cabinet lights since they make excellent task lighting. This kind of kitchen lighting is commonly achieved with small light sources using higher and more focused levels of light with a combination of under cabinet lights and overhead lights that are strategically located. This type of lighting will be mostly found in closets, pantries, cabinets, or drawers.

Decorative Lighting - This type of kitchen lighting can add sophistication and color to a space.

Down Lighting - Down lighting is energy efficient and consists of small aperture cans in the ceiling. They can produce a longer lamp life, minimize glare and produce a bright crisp light.

Low Voltage Track and Mono Rail Lighting - These lighting systems can offer an interesting and more flexible type of lighting and are easy to install. They can be hand-bent and shaped to provide architectural interest. Low voltage lighting dims more easily and lights decorative objects and surfaces dramatically.

By John Anthony Vanderkolk

A good designer often seems like a magician. This is because they can take a "hum drum" space and convert it into an ideal room for entertaining guests or just spending a few pleasant hours each day. When looking for kitchen designers in Toronto it is important to understand that you can turn to them for a whole host of solutions, including a new layout in the same old space, an expanded kitchen when room is added, and even more. Consider that kitchen designers in Toronto might help you add a butler's pantry, a breakfast nook, a storage area, and completely renovate the entire space.

Because a kitchen project tends to involve a large range of activities and because it is one of the primary rooms in which the inhabitants spend time it is absolutely necessary to ensure that the best designer is selected. After all, it would be unfortunate to expand the kitchen in order to use it as a major area of entertainment only to feel that the end result is not at all functional or that it doesn't really reflect your personal aesthetics.

This is the reason that it is important to seek out kitchen designers in Toronto who can really communicate with you and who demonstrate their abilities to bring their client's visions to fruition. How do you know that they can do this? You require portfolios shots of the work they have done, you ask for references, and you take advantage of every opportunity to explore examples of their work "in person". Many kitchen designers in Toronto actually work from showrooms where the latest innovations in cabinetry, surfaces, and décor are available for viewing.

A good designer is also going to demand that their clients have a great deal of input into the process. Certainly their work is always going to have some sort of reflection of their style or taste, but it should always be a truly accurate reflection of the client and the client's lifestyle. In order to achieve this goal most high-quality designers spend a lot of time with their clients going over samples of countertops, cabinetry materials, flooring, paint, appliances, and more. They will work to incorporate all of the little touches that make the kitchen project a true transformation, but which will also be somewhat impressive, welcoming, and pleasing to everyone who enters the space. In this way many homeowners can turn to their designers for a real "boost" to their social life.

By Franco Zinzi

Let's take a look at some common flow plans for food preparation that you'll discover inside the kitchen. The most basic, and most desirable, flow plan is the straight line, also known as the assembly-line flow. Materials move steadily from 1 procedure to another in a straight line. This type of style minimizes backtracking; it saves preparation time and confusion about what's going out of the kitchen area and what's coming back in.

The straight-line arrangement functions nicely for little installations because it can be placed against a wall and adapted to the cooks' duties. Wherever there isn't enough room to arrange food preparation in a straight line, a well-liked and efficient option is the parallel flow. There are four variations of the parallel style:

1. Back to back. Gear is arranged inside a long, central counter or island in two straight lines that run parallel to every other. Sometimes a four- or five-foot room divider or low wall is positioned between the two lines. It's primarily a safety precaution, which keeps noise and clutter to a minimum and prevents liquids spilled on 1 side from spreading onto the other. Nevertheless, placement of a wall here also makes cleaning and sanitation a lot more hard. The back-to-back arrangement centralizes plumbing and utilities;

you may not need to install as many drains, sinks, or outlets, as both sides from the counter can share the same ones. A back-to-back arrangement in which the pass window is parallel to (and behind one of) the production places is sometimes recognized as a California-style kitchen. When the pass window is located perpendicular towards the production line, it might be referred to as a European-style kitchen area style. The benefit from the European style is that each cook on the line can see the progression of multiple dishes that make up 1 table's order.

2. Face to face. In this kitchen area configuration, a central aisle separates two straight lines of gear on either side from the room. Sometimes the aisle is wide sufficient to add a straight line of worktables among the two rows of gear. This setup works well for high volume feeding facilities like schools and hospitals, but it doesn't take benefit of single source utilities. Even though it's a great layout for supervision of workers, it forces individuals to perform with their backs to one another, in effect, separating the cooking from the food from the rest from the distribution procedure. Therefore, it's most likely not the best style for a restaurant.

3. L-shape. Wherever room isn't sufficient for a straight-line or parallel arrangement, the L-shape kitchen design is nicely suited to access several groups of gear, and is adaptable for table service restaurants. It gives you the ability to place more equipment inside a smaller room. You'll often find an L-shape design in dish washing areas, using the dish machine positioned at the center corner from the L.

4. U-shape. This arrangement is seldom used, but it's ideal for a little room with one or two employees, such as a salad preparation or pantry area. An island bar, for example the ones in T.G.I. Friday's restaurants, is an additional example of the U-shape at perform. There are also circular and square kitchen area designs, but their limited flow patterns make them impractical. Avoid wasted room if you can, by making your kitchen area rectangular, with its entrance on one of the longest walls to save steps.

The a lot more foodservice establishments you visit, the more you'll realize that the back from the house is really a separate and distinct entity from the rest of the business, with its own peculiar difficulties and unique solutions.

Correct flow planning occasionally means breaking each kitchen area function down into a department, of sorts, after which deciding how those departments ought to interact with every other. They must also interact using the other, external departments from the facility: your dining room, bar, cashier, and so on. A great way to begin the design process-both for the overall company and for the kitchen-is to create a bubble diagram. Each region (or workstation) is represented being a circle, or "bubble," drawn in pencil within the location you've decided may be the most logical for that function. If two different workstations will be sharing some equipment, you might let the sides of their circles intersect slightly, to indicate where the shared equipment might greatest be located.

The finished diagram will seem abstract, but the exercise permits you to visualize every perform center and think about its needs in relation to the other centers. You are able to also lay a kitchen out utilizing a diamond configuration, situating the cooking area at one point of the diamond form, and other crucial areas in relation to it at other points. Notice that this layout minimizes confusion (and accidents) with a separate kitchen entrance and exit. This allows the people who bus the tables to deliver soiled dishes towards the dishwashing area without having to walk via the entire kitchen to do so.

An alternative to drawing diagrams is to list every perform center and then list any other work middle that should be placed adjacent to it. Conversely, list any perform center that ought to not be next to it. For instance, it is most likely not a great idea to have the ice maker and ice storage bin adjacent to the frying and broiling center.

By Katrina Wagner

It is important that you know how each material and design option is crucial as it determines the space, functionally and aesthetically.

Moderate, rejuvenate, innovate, contemplate. This is the mantra to renovate a kitchen. While one can find ample options and suggestions, putting together value based information before the start of the renovation project can be the best companion for all the right answers one seeks for a new kitchen.

It is very easy to fall into the trap of being lured by the most exclusive looking kitchen and spend a fortune on it only to realise in due course of time that it never really suits you.

Trends are only an indication of popularity and for spaces like a kitchen, it is recommended to look into one's lifestyle and budget than look at what's popular. Lifestyle and budget are key factors that should moderate the renovation project. Ask yourself some basic questions first: How do you use your kitchen? How much time will you spend in the kitchen every day?

How many of you will be using the kitchen at a time? Will you all be dining there as well? How much of storage do you need and most importantly what sort of storage? Let a clear understanding of your lifestyle guide your choices. Budget is imperative to the choices as well as determining the extent of the renovation.

Getting a new look for the kitchen need not entail a complete overhaul. At times, a revamp of a surface or interesting additions such as accessories can bring in the much needed renewal. The wall surface can be the most apparent to start with. Retiling the walls can be a start.

While tiles are useful when it comes to maintenance, one has to be careful about the joints and the height to which the tiles are being laid. The pattern on the tiles are important for creating the ambience of the space and in making the kitchen seem larger or smaller than it actually is.

Light, especially natural, adds exceptional warmth to the kitchen. Planning for a window in the kitchen adds value, preferably away from the cooking area. Even if the natural light can be filtered in through overhead openings, it should be accommodated.

Integrating light fixtures as accessories is good too. Colours matter. They rule the psyche. Each colour has a perception significance, which has made its impression on our minds over centuries. Colour affects our moods, whether it is in our living and working environment or in the clothing we wear. For a kitchen, colour is vital. Be it through paints or stains of the wooden furniture or the cabinetry, colours can revive a space.

Most often, one ends up in predictable types of kitchens. The layout of the work areas usually follows the conventional open, L shape, U shape, corridor or island kitchen types. While these are tried, tested and successful options, one should innovate and explore combinations of these types for an effective use of space and to evolve a personalised and interesting kitchen.

Segregating a pantry and breakfast area from the actual cooking area, exploring lighting fixtures as accessories, placing planters, integrating a music system in the kitchen; these are some "out of the ordinary ways" of setting up a kitchen. However, maintaining the work triangle is important for ease of work.

Innovation will surely add interest and more importantly personalise it making the use of the kitchen more delightful. However, the path to remain innovative yet generic could also be tried if one anticipates renting the space in the future.

In either case, the exclusiveness and identity of the kitchen is established.

Certain parameters have to be contemplated upon for any kitchen design. Ease of maintenance, quality and durability of material and hardware used, ease of operation and most importantly ergonomics are principal factors. All these have set standards but it is advisable to determine them based on one's requirement especially the height of the countertops and overhead cabinetry.

Maintenance of different areas of the kitchen, especially the worktops and the underneath surface of the cabinets are critical. The worktops are the most used surface in a kitchen and the choice of the material for this has to be carefully evaluated. Stone tops like granite are the conventional ones. While they do not require a lot of maintenance, they can be aesthetically limited in terms of colour and pattern. The stone tops which are porous can become cold surfaces.

Acrylic solid surface countertops are a competitive option. Composed of nature's minerals and acrylic polymers, this nonporous solid surface can be fabricated and installed with invisible seams.

The choice of colours and patterns are plenty and can be customised as well. Fixture choices determine the durability in kitchen apart from the worktop. The hardware used, especially of the cabinetry, hinges of shutters and drawer pulls, are the most taken for granted elements in a kitchen.

These need attention and their detailing holds the key to the kitchen's longevity. The search for exclusivity and identity reigns in every section of the building industry. Base your kitchen renovation on personal choices than on market forces, making the smart picks to give your kitchen the right ambience it needs.