5 Elements of an Artful Kitchen

Summer projects are underway in South Florida!  In fact, it's the height of the busy season for most design professionals here.

I don't have to tell you that a new kitchen is a big investment, in fact the kitchen is the most expensive renovation you're ever likely to undertake. It stands to reason that you'd want a kitchen that is tailor-made for you whether you can afford custom or not. This is what we're all about at Artful Kitchens.

The concept of an "artful kitchen" has many different facets.  It is not just about budget or the amount of space you have but the skill you employ using what is available to you. Here are five tips to consider along with some visual inspiration featuring products I saw this year at the Kitchen & Bath Industry (KBIS) trade show in Las Vegas. Implement these with style and confidence and you will be the proud owner of an artful kitchen!

1. Flawless Function

I'm all about artistic expression but a major part of creativity in the kitchen comes from devising flawless function. This quality is not something you see but something you can experience if artfully accomplished.  When I say function, I mean work centers comprised of cooking, clean up and food prep areas.

Those are the basics but you could have more such as a beverage center (think coffee, tea, wine), a computer station or a baking center.  If you have a two-cook kitchen, your layout should be designed so that any one of the major functions can be performed without anyone getting underfoot.

Following the guidelines set by the NKBA is a must to make sure all clearances are adequate. Sometimes we don't have a lot of choice about where to locate our sink or appliances but we can organize our utensils, dishes, pots and food items in a more efficient way.  Don't forget the more flawlessly your kitchen functions the safer it is. You don't have to be an expert at this, just think about how you use your kitchen so that you will be a good collaborator when it comes time to work with a professional.

2. Personalization

This is, without a doubt, the biggest movement in the design world.  An artful kitchen is your own personal statement customized to the way you live.  It could be a steam oven because healthy eating is your passion or it could be a lovely furniture piece with glass doors to display your grandmother's china. Include the colors you love.  Even though you must be mindful of your budget (everyone has one), strive to retain the essence of what you see as your dream kitchen.

3. Harmony

Harmony is one of the principles of design and a must for your kitchen.  Whenever I design a two-toned kitchen I like to ensure that different finishes and details are carried through the space to create a cohesive whole.  It's about how the floor relates to the cabinets and  how the cabinet hardware relates to the faucet. You get the picture!  It does not mean that everything has to match perfectly, it means elements should relate to and complement each other. It also does not mean that every element has to be perfectly symmetrical.  In fact, consider this permission NOT to be! I find that the best rule of thumb is to follow the architecture and style of the home you're in.  If, for example, the kitchen window is way off center you should work with that not against it.  Never force solutions by sacrificing function.

4. Focal Point

Every piece of great artwork has a focal point.  It is the "star of the show", so to speak.  In a kitchen it can be a sculptural range hood, a granite counter with big bold movement or actually a piece of art! It is the item that makes you say WOW when you enter the kitchen.  Just remember less is more here.  One great focal point is probably enough.  Too much and the statement gets lost. Less is definitely more.

5. Texture

The element of texture involves at least two of our senses, touch and sight.  The textures you are likely to come across include the glossy finishes popular in contemporary design, prominent wood grains which can be traditional or modern and smooth honed surfaces that are more matte.  A flat slab cabinet door is a great choice if you plan to use a wood with a lot of pattern and graining.  In this case the material is the decorative element of the cabinet.  On the other hand, if you are traditional and you are using white cabinets you can select a door with some molding or detail.  Also let the wild patterns either be on your cabinets or on your counter, both would be busy and distracting.

This is only the tip of the iceberg, so to speak.  There are many more tricks and methods to create an artful kitchen. What are yours?  Please keep in touch and contact me. Whether you need a quick consult or a full design layout I can help in person or virtually.

I'm located in the West Palm Beach area, so if you're local I can also help you shop for your kitchen products.

The New Wall Unit

If you have a twenty year old TV wall unit, chances are it’s a “beast”!  It wasn’t that long ago that TVs were nearly as deep as refrigerators and you needed three burly guys to carry one upstairs.  In other words, it may be time for a new entertainment center to go with your new streamlined TV.  Check out the following tips for sourcing a wall unit that is perfect for you.SizeThe depth of your entertainment center used to be dictated by your TV.  The good news is you can reduce what was probably 24” deep down to a skinny 12” and and find youself with a whole extra foot of space in the room!  Cool, yeah?  If you prefer the base to be a bit deeper than the upper section, 15” on bottom and 12” on top works well.  You may want to do this especially if you are going to leave your TV on a stand. Just check you TV specs to make sure the stand fits.To wall or not to wall  If your room is not very big you may want to go wall to wall with your entertainment center.  Just make sure you have enough space on the side walls to accommodate the depth.  It’s also okay not to go all the way up the the ceiling.  The benefits of this option are price, more of a “furniture” look and not having to interrupt your room crown.Remember the wiresA back panel behind your TV can lend a cohesive look as well as being a great way to hide unsightly wires.The perfect finishLast but not least consider that a painted finish, with no glaze in a standard satin sheen will be the most cost effective way to go and it will allow your unit to blend right into the surrounding woodwork, just like you added water and it grew there! If you’re after a true furniture look you can invest in a stain finish on Maple, Cherry or any number of woods.  This will be more expensive but you can still save a bit by leaving off the glaze.  Remember the the trend is towards simplification and clean lines.  Plus when you have a wood grain that should be the decorative element allowing you to use a very simple door style.  If you are looking to design your own entertainment center, send me your ideas and I can help you make them happen!

Kitchen Work Centers, the New "Triangle"

Whether you are a design professional or an educated homeowner you’ve probably heard the term “kitchen work triangle”. In fact it’s probably one of the first things you learn when endeavoring to create a new kitchen. Who thought this up? It is actually the result of a study made at the University of Illinois in the 1950s! If you’re wondering if it could be outdated, just think of how much kitchens have changed since then in terms of products, appliances and how we use them.The National Kitchen and Bath Association (NKBA) defines the kitchen “work triangle” an imaginary straight line drawn from the center of the sink, to the center of the cook top, to the center of the refrigerator and finally back to the sink.The NKBA suggests the following guidelines for determining a work triangle:- The sum of the work triangle's three sides should not exceed 26 ft. and each leg should measure between 4 ft. and 9 ft.- The work triangle should not cut through an island or peninsula by more than 12 inches.- If the kitchen has only one sink, it should be placed between or across from the cooking surface, preparation area or refrigerator.Yes, this makes kitchen design sound a bit like solving a puzzle and, actually, it really is. I know my design is “right” when the layout works from every angle in terms of safety, ease of function and, of course, aesthetics.Some of the design solution is just good sound common sense but much of it should be directed by the individual needs of the client. I don’t “do” the triangle as a rule. Today we have multiple cook kitchens and no end of possible appliances. Modern kitchens are so unlike those of 60 years ago, so I use the more updated concept of “work centers”. The basic ones are food prep, cooking, clean up and storage. So while efficiency is still at the forefront, the thinking is a bit more evolved to address twenty first century needs.In a perfect world, work centers should be situated to allow someone to work in one area without getting in the way of someone using another. However, let’s face it, in a very small kitchen that is just not going to happen! The focus then is twofold: enough storage and enough counter space.The types of work centers you can have is only limited by your imagination. Here are some good ones:-Beverage center- It can be coffee/tea, smoothies, wine or cocktails-Media center-It can be sit down area for menu planning, computer, charging station or TV-Baking center- You can trick this area out with customized storage for bake ware, bowls, utensils and a marble top for rolling dough.Remember that an “artful kitchen” employs what I call “practical creativity”. Function is the infrastructure, beauty comes next, the art is getting both just right.

Interpreting Houzz and Pinterest Inspiration for Your Kitchen

Ever go shopping and find that PERFECT pair of shoes, you try them on and arghhh your feet look like animals trying to escape the confines of a cage too small? :( Really, even though you LOVE lime green, the look does not even remotely go with the rest of your wardrobe.  I know it's happened to me.  Guess what?  Apparently it also happens to the poor unsuspecting homeowner looking for a new kitchen. 

Today Kitchens for Living is going spill the beans on the correct way to use Houzz and Pinterest as inspiration for your own heart of the home. 

Traditional Kitchen by Norwich Architects & Building Designers Smith & Vansant Architects PC

Traditional Kitchen by Alpharetta Interior Designers & Decorators Great Spaces!

Pinterest and Houzz are excellent places to go for ideas.  I even peruse my idea books there when I'm feeling stuck. However the best way to use them is not to copy verbatim but for inspiration. If you have a fourteen foot, uninterrupted span of wild wall wilderness perhaps four floating shelves are not the best choice. This is your opportunity to stack cabinets.The space you have to work with and how it is configured are the starting points for your design.  Once you've got that down and it's functional then you can start inserting those design details that inspire you such as glass doors, textured finishes etc.  Use the colors, finishes, door and molding styles that you loved in the pics to create your own interpretation that will be unique and right for your home. 

Contemporary Kitchen by Greenville Interior Designers & Decorators Johnston Design Group

Hopefully from these examples you can see the things that work and don't work in certain situations, and more importantly why.  If you're not sure, a quick consult might be all you need.  You know where to find me :)