Last week I did a series of posts all about kitchen design. I know many of you are asking where can I find kitchen design software. HG TV has a great website that includes an extensive amount of information on designing a kitchen and what things you should look for when you design. One of the most interesting features over at HG TV is the Online Kitchen Designer. This is a great program with two options for use - the interactive product chooser and the layout planner. They suggest using the product chooser first. Anyone interested in using either of these programs must register with the site. The product chooser is an interesting tool that allows you to pick each item in your kitchen and visualize what it will look like, if you decide to choose a black stove instead of a stainless steel, etc. The controls can be a little finicky and difficult to direct to the exact spot you want, but overall it is a pretty interesting tool. The other tool, the layout planner is much more involved an difficult to use.
There are also great videos to watch on this site. They have ideas on everything from colors to countertops. If you are looking for a great site with lots of interesting suggestions and great ideas on kitchen design and planning then I highly recommend this site. http://design.hgtv.com/kitchen/
Now for the final post in our series on kitchen design. We saved the best part for last, let’s talk appliances. The range or cooktop is probably the most important appliance in your kitchen. With so many options how do you decide? Gas or electric, convection or thermal, commercial or residential? When assessing the value of gas or electric ranges to your kitchen think about what you are looking to do with your stove. Gas ranges tend to have a greater range (no pun intended) of heating levels. The cook can see the flame and adjust it accordingly. When you purchase an electric range all you need is a wall outlet to get started, but with a gas range you need to have gas lines and propane tanks installed.
Okay, so you pick your range, now what about your oven or ovens. You can get dual fuel ranges with gas burners and electric ovens. You can choose convection or thermal cooking in both gas and electric ranges. Convection ovens use heated air to cut down on cook time. The oven circulates the air around the food creating faster and more even baking. Thermal ovens heating elements to cook. If you are a die-hard baker, you may want to consider using double ovens. Double ovens allow you to use different temperatures in each oven - so you can make a meal and dessert at the same time. You’ve decided on gas or electric, now it’s time to look at range sizes. You can choose a range all the way from 30″ to 60″. The larger ranges are typically commercial quality and substantially more expensive. You may also want to decide what features you are looking for in your range - do you want self-cleaning? Do you want electronic controls? Etc. One of the bigger questions you need to be asking yourself is what is my budget for these appliances. Everyone loves Viking ranges, but with some running upwards of $15,000, you may want to consider a less expensive option. You can get smaller commercial ranges and cooktops. The prices typically start around $2,000 for a Viking cooktop and $4,000 for the basic Viking range. Commercial ranges often have advantages like better burner performance. Residential ranges often go from 1,000 to 10,000 btus, where commercial ranges go from 500 to 15,000 btus. This is important for more delicate cooking jobs.
Once you have picked out your range it’s time to look at your other appliances. Dishwashers have many features these days including noise control options, energy efficiency options, and multiple cleaning cycles. One of the things I think is really important in picking out a dishwasher is to decide what you want the tub to be made of - do you want stainless steel, plastic, or porcelain-enameled metal? Stainless steel tubs resist odors and stains and have a tendency to hold up better.
Refrigerators - oh, the options! Ever walk into a department store like Sears and wonder how there could be so many refrigerator types? Refrigerators like ranges can be commercial or residential. The price range is vast from $800 to $15,000. You should first decide what configuration you want - do you want side by side, top-freezer design, or a bottom-freezer design? What are you looking to do with your refrigerator? Do you hold lots of parties and need space for platters, etc? Some refrigerators like the Kenmore Elite have side by side doors that open to one refrigerator unit to make for lots of space and a bottom mount freezer. You may also want to consider what options you can’t live without. Some people can’t live without an ice maker or water dispenser, it’s all about your personal preferences.
Please feel free to contact me for more information. I hope this helps you with the planning of your dream kitchen.
Yesterday, I started a series of posts on Kitchen Design, today is the second in the series. Today I am taking a look at the options that are available in countertops and floors. Like I said in the previous post of this series, check out the Better Homes and Gardens - Kitchens Dream it. Plan it. Remodel it. for a more detailed discussion. We all would love to have granite/marble counters and floors, but what other options are available. In countertops there are quite a few choices ranging from laminate to granite. Let’s take a look at laminate first. Laminate is a very cost effective option at $15 - $50 per linear foot, however, there are many potential problems with laminate. Laminate is not heat-resistant and is prone to knife cuts. If you are good at remembering to use trivets and cutting boards, this may be a good option for you. Laminates now come in a variety of colors and styles to suit any kitchen. Another choice is ceramic tile. Ceramic is durable and comes in a variety of colors and styles. The cost for ceramic is between $10 - $15 per linear foot, with self-installation the price can be even less. Ceramic dulls knives and cleaning grout lines is no fun. Next up is concrete. Concrete counters are very durable, can be stained easily, and are easy to clean. Concrete counters run between $60 - $130 per linear foot. One thing to consider with concrete is the difficulty of replacing or removing your countertops. For $70 - $200 per linear foot you can get granite or marble. Granite and marble are stones. Stones resist stratching by knives, can withstand hot pans, and water, and are easy to clean. The major drawback here is the price. The color choices are limited to those found in nature. These counters must be installed professionally. Homeowners, who want to have the durable surface with more color choices than natural stone may pick Corian. The price for Corian is similar to granite and other natural stone. These counters are durable, but can be damaged by hot pans and knives. The final major option is stainless steel. Stainless steel counters are beautiful and modern looking, but can scratch. They are durable and easy to clean. Stainless steel counters run $65 and up. Most people don’t use stainless throughout their kitchens, but in selected areas. Okay, so those are the major choices in counters, let’s move on to flooring options.
Flooring options for your kitchen are seemingly endless. Probably, the most popular of all kitchen floors is ceramic. Ceramic tile is durable and stain reistant. The price for ceramic isn’t too bad at $3 - $12 per square foot. Ceramic has a few flaws - it’s cold, hard, and the grout can be difficult to clean, just like on your counters. Many homeowners are using laminate floors in their homes now - usually with a wood grain pattern. I would not recommend this flooring around the kitchen sink. Water can seriously damage laminate flooring. These floors also have a tendency to show wear with time including scratches, dents, and chips. The cost is relatively cheap at $4 - $11 per square foot and the look is quite nice. I think this is a great floor in the rest of your house, but I would have hesitations in recommending someone use it in their kitchen. Another inexpensive option in flooring is the classic, vinyl. This flooring is very cheap, but as we all know has some serious problems with wear. These floors tend to dent, can be burnt, and seem to be harder to clean with age. The price is right though at $1 - $5 per square foot. These floors also have many color and styling options. You can use stone for flooring just like it can be used on counters. Granite, marble, and slate can all be used. The pricing ranges from $3 - $12 per square foot for slate to $5 - $30 per square foot for marble or granite. These floors are beautiful and durable. The only real minus is the price. If you like the look of laminate flooring then you would love wood flooring. Wood flooring can be refinished and lasts a lot longer. Hardwood has the same problem as laminate in the kitchen, water damage. The price isn’t too bad at $6 -$14 per square foot. Concrete is also available for flooring. These floors are extremely durable, but are also very hard and cold. The price is less than that of hardwood at $4 - $10 per square foot. The most famous of all kitchen floors has to be linoleum. Linoleum is more durable than vinyl and it is easy to clean. These floors also tend to not age very well. The price can be $45 or more per square foot. The final major option available in flooring is cork. Cork resists moisture, is easy to clean, and is pretty resilient. The downside of these floors is the urethane finish that needs to be replaced every couple of years. The price is pretty good at $4 - $9 per square foot.
As you can see, there are many options in flooring and countertops. When looking at the options it is best to consider what you intend to do in your kitchen. If you are a baker, you may not want to invest in ceramic counters, they make rolling of dough very difficult. If you don’t cook a whole lot and your kitchen is just a showroom then there are lots of cost effective options out there to make your kitchen easy on the eyes.
If you like this series of posts stay tuned for tomorrow’s post on kitchen appliances (the options are endless, but this is the good stuff).
Recently, I began the process of trying to design a really great kitchen for the house we are building. I have to say I was pretty overwhelmed with all of the options out there. Every cook dreams of Viking appliances, granite counters, high-end custom cabinets, but we can’t all afford these luxury items. When my husband and I discussed the kitchen, we knew it was going to be the heart of our home, so we decided to put a little more into the kitchen. We reached this decision after living many years in a variety of really small homes with non-existent kitchens. Right now I have so many kitchen appliances on my very small counter I can’t even roll out dough properly without having to move everything in my kitchen.
I decided I wanted to do it right, so we read as much as we could on the options. One of my favorite books on kitchens was Better Homes and Gardens Kitchens Dream it. Plan it. Remodel it. I found this book to be extremely helpful. The first point they made was the placement of the “kitchen work triangle”. The work triangle consists of the fridge, the sink, and the cooktop or range. Someone who cooks frequently will want to keep the distance between the center of the sink, the center of the fridge, and the center of the cooktop between 22 and 26 feet total. Each side of the triangle should measure 4 feet to 9 feet. The next thing to consider is the different activities that will be done in the kitchen at the same time, to avoid kitchen pileups. Then you want to look at the shape of your kitchen - do you want an L-shape with an island or a U-shape.
Once you get a feel for your space you need to look at materials. What materials are there available to you? In cabinetry the options are endless, but the really important thing to consider is - do you want custom, semi-custom, or stock cabinets. Stock cabinets are the cheapest at $60 - $200 per linear foot. These cabinets are in stock and are not available in special sizes. The next option is the semi-custom. Some modifications can be done to semi-custom cabinets. There is a longer wait for these cabinets, they typically cost $100 - $650 per linear foot. The last type of cabinets is the custom cabinet. They are just what the name implies. They can be built just the way you want them. Custom cabinets take a very long time to complete. The cost is also prohibitive at $500 - $1,200 per linear foot.
So that’s the basics on kitchen shape and cabinet choices tune in tomorrow for a discussion on countertop and flooring options. Friday we will finish this discussion with appliance options.
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