Over the years the kitchen has gained popularity as the central, most important room in any home. It enjoys, in most cases a round the clock patronage, starting from a very early morning breakfast to a late night snack. The kitchen is a loyal witness to any drama in life that unfolds in every home whether preparing an important meal for a client or surprising a loved one on a special occasion; or a weekend dinner specially made for the grandchildren. So when it comes to planning for a kitchen renovation, there are a lot of things to do and consider so that it will become a room where everybody will feel comfortable and welcome.
First and foremost, set a budget. Decide how much money you are going to spend on your project. To have a budget already set for a specific project will help you decide more easily how far you will go in terms of choosing the materials and design for your kitchen renovation. If possible, price out every item you want to include in your new kitchen, like new appliances, fixtures and accessories. Do not leave anything off your list; as much as possible include even the smallest detail like paints and brushes. There are wide ranges of materials available so you can choose from whichever price range you can afford. Once everything is priced, add 20% onto the cost of the job because you never know when things will go wrong and you suddenly find yourself out of budget.
After all the financing is thought about then you are set to start. Try to have a look at your own existing kitchen. How well do you like it? Is there any part of it that you love and want to retain? Or any part of it that you hate and want to change? Or is there something that you want to add or wish you have? Is the size sufficient enough for your family needs? Or do you need to have a bigger space and more storage? Then think of a style you want for your new kitchen. Taking into consideration the style of your own house and of course your sense of taste. If budget permits you can hire a kitchen design expert who can help you draw out all these things. While still in the planning process it is always necessary to define the space available. Note any opportunities for space modification. Areas with interesting architectural details should be utilized to their full advantage, as they will accentuate the overall visual interest of the entire room. Today there are a lot of kitchen designs to choose from and in varied themes like old world style, European and American country style, Victorian Kitchens, American Traditional, Shaker style and the list goes on. Choose a design which suits your personality, lifestyle and the style of your house itself. There are at least four basic kitchen layouts than you can choose from and incorporate in your own kitchen.
1. Single-wall Layout: This layout is usually done with small spaces where all the appliances and cabinetry are placed against one wall, where there's no other place to put it. A full height unit like a refrigerator must be placed at one end while a cooktop should be placed near the sink and never at the end of the run. Otherwise it will create an unsafe environment and at the same time add unnecessary steps to the cooking process.
2. Corridor Layout: A corridor or galley layout is made of two opposing counters which should be at least 42" apart. This is also a good design layout for small spaces but has the added advantage over the single-wall layout since, the work-triangle principle can be applied here, although this layout sometimes suffers from traffic passing through.
3. L-shaped Layout: An L-shaped layout is usually a more desirable layout for a kitchen with limited space, compared with both the single layout and the corridor layout. The work triangle can be designed in such a way that there will be fewer steps for the cook thus making the cooking experience less arduous. It's also usually free from traffic snarls compared with the corridor layout. Make sure however, that the counters are not interrupted by the passage door, refrigerator or full length cabinets.
4. U-shaped Layout: The U-shaped layout is by far the most versatile and efficient kitchen layout. If your space and budget can accommodate this type go for it. This type of layout makes the most of the working triangle principle. All the appliances, storage systems and work areas face each other and are directed towards a central point - the kitchen operator.
After deciding on which layout you would like for your kitchen, then it's time to get down to details. Take into consideration the comfort of the cook. There should be a minimum distance between repetitive chores to save the cook from fatigue therefore adding comfort and pleasure to the entire cooking experience. Lots of pantry storage and pull out drawers for everyday use dishes would be an indispensable part of the kitchen cabinetry. For drawers, the use of full extension drawer slides indicates good quality drawers. This will allow easy access to those hard to reach objects and provides strong and sturdy support for fully loaded and heavy drawers. Consider also the countertop material. Countertop dictates much of the appearance and overall atmosphere of the entire kitchen especially if your kitchen design includes a large uninterrupted counter space. You can choose from a variety of materials like Laminate, Solid surface material sold under such names as Corian, Surrell, Gibraltar etc.., Ceramic tile, Granite and Marble, Stainless steel, Soapstone, Lavastone, Butcher's Block counters.
A seating area for those who are not actively participating in the cooking process but are there to accompany the cook for lively conversation is an added bonus to any kitchen design. If space is available, adding an island not only creates a good focal point but it also gives an added counter space, a good place for a quick meal or just a place where kids can hang out while mom prepares their favorite meal. The key to a successful kitchen design is the complete understanding of the true needs of the intended user. Once this is achieved, everything else in the design will just follow.
So, are you still fed up with looking at your old worn out kitchen? Then start planning for a renovation now.
Article Source: Interior Design Guide
More Articles visit: http://home-interior.blogspot.com
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Friday, June 30, 2006
Learning Interior Design
Learning interior design can be a simple or complicated task depending on a wide variety of factors including exposure, ability, creativity, and willingness to learn. This article is dedicated to explaining the basic elements that interior design is based upon so that you will have the ability to go out and research these elements on your own in order to advance you ability and perspective of the interior design world. Lets begin with a few suggestions of where to properly conduct your research. A good beginning point for all of those interior design newbies would be television shows dedicated to the subject, books, magazines, other interior design professionals, ect. Another resource that you have an unlimited exposure to that doesnt cost you anything but time and focus are your eyes. Your eyes are wonderful tools for learning interior design and successful application of it. They are such terrific tools because eyes are the ears of the interior design symphony. They possess the ability to look upon any element of design and transmit information to your brain concerning the colors indicated in the design, textures, layout, and whether or not the overall effect is pleasing. If you can master the ability of viewing a particular setting or scenario and delving from it the key elements of its visual success, you are enormous steps forward in your journey of learning interior design.
Find an example of a design setting that is pleasant or pleasing to you. This can be located in a book, magazine, or even in real-life. Close your eyes. Now open them. What do you look at first? The first item that your eyes focused upon is considered to be your focal point. In television discussions or magazine articles it is sometimes wrongfully alluded to that there is one appointed (by the designer, of course!) focal point. This is simply untrue. For every person that views the room, that person offers a unique perspective. One person might gaze intently at the fireplace due to the warmth and secure nature of that design element. Another might focus upon the sofa. Yet another person might elevate towards the remote control (ha!). The point is, is that the focal point of a room is the area of the room that demands your attention upon arrival in it and generally you base your placement of activities that take place in that room on the location the that focal point. This is the reason why so much strategic planning is normally based on the focal points of a room when designing the creative outlay of the room. This is why your fundamental understanding of the focal points of a room is dramatically instrumental in learning interior design.
It is true that certain architectural elements of a room demand more attention then others. I think that this is one of the reasons that many people misunderstand the concept of focal points. Throughout your journey of learning interior design, you will come to understand the importance of balancing the understanding of architecture focal points, and living ones. Certain people are naturally going to elevate towards different activities and objects in a room. This is why a basic understanding of both the human element and the architectural one are a keystone to successful interior design.
Once you have a basic to medium understanding of focal points and placement of items in and around those places, the other key feature of learning interior design is visual representation of objects. Color, texture, and shape are the fundamentals in this category. When you view an object, the way that the light is reflected off of it onto your eyes is commonly known as color. Texture is the way that the object feels to you visually. Shape is the basic makeup of the object reflected visually. The correct combination of these characteristics results in a visually harmonious atmosphere. Lets imagine a few terms you hear when associated with design. Gaudy always pops into mind. A space with bold color representation, an overkill interjection of texture, and the overuse of modern or untraditional shape forms are all factors that would encompass that title. Simple would generally refer to the use of light, neutral color schemes in combination with small interjections of light texture and straight lined shapes. Simple, in my opinion is the basic ingredient to a successful recipe of design. Begin simply and build to your comfort level of complexity. This will not be an area that will flow naturally with you when you begin learning interior design. It will more then likely become an understanding that you will develop over time and exposure to different aspects of design.
To wind things up, the road to learning interior design is filled with information and visual perspectives that will open both your eyes and your mind to an entirely different world. Observation is the key to better understanding this world. Open your eyes and begin the adventure!
Article Source: Interior Design Guide
More Articles visit: http://home-interior.blogspot.com
Find an example of a design setting that is pleasant or pleasing to you. This can be located in a book, magazine, or even in real-life. Close your eyes. Now open them. What do you look at first? The first item that your eyes focused upon is considered to be your focal point. In television discussions or magazine articles it is sometimes wrongfully alluded to that there is one appointed (by the designer, of course!) focal point. This is simply untrue. For every person that views the room, that person offers a unique perspective. One person might gaze intently at the fireplace due to the warmth and secure nature of that design element. Another might focus upon the sofa. Yet another person might elevate towards the remote control (ha!). The point is, is that the focal point of a room is the area of the room that demands your attention upon arrival in it and generally you base your placement of activities that take place in that room on the location the that focal point. This is the reason why so much strategic planning is normally based on the focal points of a room when designing the creative outlay of the room. This is why your fundamental understanding of the focal points of a room is dramatically instrumental in learning interior design.
It is true that certain architectural elements of a room demand more attention then others. I think that this is one of the reasons that many people misunderstand the concept of focal points. Throughout your journey of learning interior design, you will come to understand the importance of balancing the understanding of architecture focal points, and living ones. Certain people are naturally going to elevate towards different activities and objects in a room. This is why a basic understanding of both the human element and the architectural one are a keystone to successful interior design.
Once you have a basic to medium understanding of focal points and placement of items in and around those places, the other key feature of learning interior design is visual representation of objects. Color, texture, and shape are the fundamentals in this category. When you view an object, the way that the light is reflected off of it onto your eyes is commonly known as color. Texture is the way that the object feels to you visually. Shape is the basic makeup of the object reflected visually. The correct combination of these characteristics results in a visually harmonious atmosphere. Lets imagine a few terms you hear when associated with design. Gaudy always pops into mind. A space with bold color representation, an overkill interjection of texture, and the overuse of modern or untraditional shape forms are all factors that would encompass that title. Simple would generally refer to the use of light, neutral color schemes in combination with small interjections of light texture and straight lined shapes. Simple, in my opinion is the basic ingredient to a successful recipe of design. Begin simply and build to your comfort level of complexity. This will not be an area that will flow naturally with you when you begin learning interior design. It will more then likely become an understanding that you will develop over time and exposure to different aspects of design.
To wind things up, the road to learning interior design is filled with information and visual perspectives that will open both your eyes and your mind to an entirely different world. Observation is the key to better understanding this world. Open your eyes and begin the adventure!
Article Source: Interior Design Guide
More Articles visit: http://home-interior.blogspot.com
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