Pull-out faucets are still the most specified, but they are losing ground to touch-activated faucets. Manufacturers are now offering the touch-activated faucets in a wider variety of styles and finishes, so people are choosing them more frequently. When you're cooking and have food on your hands, it saves a lot of clean-up to not have to grab the faucets. Likewise, satin and bronze faucets are now more popular than polished chrome because they don't show fingerprints or water spots. With manufacturers constantly offering more choices, it may soon be possible to get a bronze touch-activated pull-out faucet so that you don't have to decide which feature you want the most.
Granite is still the most popular kitchen countertop, but quartz comes in at number two and is gaining in popularity. Quartz is a very durable material that is easy to maintain. Quartz has a luxurious look and is available in a wide array of colors and styles. Undermount sinks pair well with quartz countertops. They provide a seamless look, add counter space, and are very easy to clean.
LED lighting is superior to incandescent lighting in a number of ways. Because of its energy efficient properties, LED lighting was specified in 77 per cent of the remodels over the past year. LED lights also don't give off the heat that incandescent lights do, making them perfect for in-cabinet and under-cabinet lighting. With LED lighting, there's more emphasis on color and brightness. It also pairs well with metallic backsplashes; it's reflective properties will make the backsplash the focal point of the room. Besides metal, other popular decorative backsplash materials are ceramic tile.and glass.
 Lighter colors are currently much more popular than darker ones for kitchens. White is still at the top of the list, but gray has been moving up over the past couple of years. Gray can be used for walls, cabinets, or accessories and can be paired with white for a more dramatic look than all white or all gray. Shades of gray range from almost white to almost black. Gray walls and cabinets in the kitchen also blend well with stainless steel appliances. The pictures below are examples of gray walls or cabinets paired with either white or bright accent colors.
Remodeling is at its highest level in several years, with kitchen and bathroom remodels being the most common. For the next several days, we'll look at the top trends in kitchen design for 2013. Kitchens have become the social hub of the household; nowadays, entertaining centers around the kitchen rather than the living room. People want their kitchens to have both luxury and functionality. The remodels of smaller, older kitchens sometimes requires taking out walls to open up the space. As you can see in the pictures below, kitchens now have food prep or cooking areas facing out, so that the cook can converse and be connected to family and friends while preparing a meal. Kitchens now have high-end appliances and cabinetry, making food prep easier as well as giving the room an elegant look.
| | Kohler wanted some rich, vibrant colors for their enameled cast iron kitchen sinks and Jonathan Adler gave them Piccadilly Yellow, which he calls unexpected and exuberant; Greenwich Green, that he says is bolder than "dull avocado green"; and Palermo Blue, that he terms beautiful and refreshing. Fortunately, without the adjectives, the new sinks fit nicely with the popular yellow, green, and turquoise cabinet and paint colors for 2013, as shown in the kitchens below. |
A recent study by an Australian stress psychologist revealed that dysfunctional kitchens are 5 times more stressful to cook in. The psychologist had 2 cooks work together to prepare one of their favorite meals in a well-organized showroom test kitchen in 30 minutes. She then had the same cooks prepare the same meal in an average, poorly organized kitchen in 30 minutes. By measuring heart rates and blood pressure and by observing behaviors, the psychologist noted that in the poorly organized kitchen, the cooks showed signs of confusion, nervousness, and irritability and displayed sweating, pacing and arguing. Clearly, there's a lot to be said for having a well-designed kitchen. But what exactly does than mean? Looking at these award-winning kitchens, they all seem to be spacious with lots of counter and cupboard space. They don't all follow the rule of having the mixing, cooking, and cleaning centers within a few steps of each other. That rule may need to be altered in multi-cook families to prevent people from running into each other. Other elements to consider in kitchen design is the basic layout and style of your kitchen. Is it U-shaped, galley, L- shaped, or island? Does the shape allow you to accomodate family and friends while you're working in the kitchen? Is your style modern, rustic, or vintage? If you're considering a remodel, what style and shape would you like your kitchen to be? Of course, your kitchen should be visually appealing, preferably with one key element that stands out as a focal point, like an antique stove or red tile backsplash, for example.
| | Specialty cabinets are a great way to organize your kitchen and make the most efficient use of your space. Professional organizers suggest that if you install glass fronts on your existing cabinets or put up display racks for your china and/or glasses, you'll be more likely to keep them in order than if they were behind closed doors. Also, make use of pull-out racks to fully utilize your shelves. Other specialty cabinets are appliance garages, wine racks, spice racks. |
| | Kitchen backsplashes made by Rangecraft and Fasade offer alternatives to standard backsplash materials for an elegant contemporary look. Fasade's backsplashes look like metallic tiles, but are actually thermoplastic panels. They look like metal, but are easy to install, half the cost of metal, and not at all susceptible to rust. | Another idea for a sophisticated contemporary backsplash are one-of-a kind artistic tile, glass, or mosaic creations by various artists. Because of the materials used, they're durable and easy to clean, plus they add beauty to your kitchen.
 Kitchens are getting a lot more use these days. Families are cooking dinners at home rather than eating out and singles are opting for Saturday evening house parties rather than a night on the town. Nowadays, there isn't one designated cook slaving over the stove. Modern kitchens are open and airy with lots of countertops and cupboard space so that several cooks can share the kitchen.
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If you're planning a kitchen remodel and you have more than one cook in your household, do yourself a favor and equip your kitchen with large capacity appliances like the ones shown here or consider a second set of the ones you use the most. If you do a lot of baking, you'll need 2 ovens; if you prepare a lot of fresh fruits and vegetables, get a second sink, and so forth. Spend some time considering the placement of each item. Visualize the traffic patterns for commonly performed tasks to identify if any equipment needs to be added or relocated for the best possible flow. When two or more cooks are working together, they need their own work centers to avoid bumping into each other.
| | | Below are some kitchens that are both beautiful and well designed to allow for the most efficient use of the space.
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