Simple Tips on a Kitchen Remodel

Every family's needs differ when it comes to their kitchen. Some larger families need a huge room full of two of every appliance for cooking daily meals. They want the extra space which may include two work areas so that the family can prepare meals together, making the kitchen a busy, social, living space. Other families may be smaller, and their needs can be met with a smaller scale kitchen, something cozier that still fulfills all their needs. There are some things that are similar for every remodel no matter how large or small, though.

Budget 
Whether the budget is large or small, there usually is one. It's best to work within your budget, and you can do that in a variety of ways. Not every appliance, tile, or cabinet needs to be at the highest end of the price spectrum. Shopping around and comparing prices on every item are the best ways to save money, if your budget is a constraining factor. Even if you are not pinching every penny, saving money on one item leaves you more to spend on a "must-have" item that may be higher priced.

Space 
Whether the kitchen is large or small, the space can be maximized to fully serve the family. If the family is large, it could benefit from two sinks in different areas depending on the workstation configuration. In a smaller kitchen, the focus should be on making the best use of the space available. This may mean finding cabinets that meet all the way at the top of the ceiling to create ample storage space. It could mean creating an island space for eating if a full-size table would not fit.

Needs 
Every kitchen needs a prep area. There should be a triangle work space that includes the sink, the refrigerator and the stove with the sink being in the middle for ease of use. There must also be plenty of counter space to prepare meals. The counter space may be a long, unbroken expanse of counter top, or it may be broken up into smaller sections around the other work areas.

On a final note, it can be an exciting event to get your kitchen remodeled, but scary one as well. There are lots of things to look out for, like we pointed out in this article. However, make sure to do your homework and get the job done right the first time.

Garbage Disposal not working? Here's how to fix it

A waste disposal is a great addition to any kitchen sink, and advantageous for both the home-owners and the environment. Garbage disposals discourage unhealthy bacteria growth and create a much better smelling kitchen by keeping old food out of your trash bin, and all it requires is simply running a little cold water and switching on the disposal. Rather than creating methane gas in a land fill someplace, food waste brought through the garbage disposal will be processed by city sewage treatment facilities.

The Proper Care and Maintaining

Along with proper use and routine maintenance, a really good garbage disposal will last for a great number of years. These suggestions can help you maintain your garbage disposal in great condition.

Before anything else, run cold water as soon as the garbage disposal is on. Water reduces food from getting stuck by pushing straight down and out through the drain. Plumbing companies recommend cold water instead of hot because hot water will melt any oil. As hot water and liquid fat go through your water lines, they will cool off. That can create a grease build-up in an almost hard to get at water line. Cold water, alternatively, helps to keep the oil solid, therefore the garbage disposal can break it down and send it down in little bits.

Just about everyone knows about the following tip, but it still deserves repeating: never place glass, rubber, or metal (even aluminum foil) down the disposal. Also, keep cornhusks, fruits with hard pits, shrimp shells, and other extremely fibrous foods away from the disposal. If you do, they'll get trapped and you'll have a mess along with a garbage disposal not working. To sharpen the blades, run ice-cubes through the disposal, not glass.

What To Do With An Odorous Garbage Disposal

Sometimes the issue is not that the food disposal not working, but the smells are overwhelming. Generally this can be formed by a buildup of food remnants trapped in the grinding elements. Luckily, there are many simple methods to deal with this.

To clean up this sludge, first load the disposal with ice-cubes. Then pour a cup full of rock salt or vinegar on top of the ice cubes, and turn on the disposal with water for a minimum of ten seconds. Afterward, plug the kitchen sink and fill it with 2 to 4 inches of normal water. That amount of water should have the right amount of force to get rid of any substance out of your drain line when you lift up plug and flip on the discretion.

For that clean citrus fruit aroma following all that nastiness, a lot of people like to use a few orange or lemon peels and cool water through the disposal.

Method

In most cases, a garbage disposal not operating is a result from something trapped within the grinders. Also the most attentive homeowners sometimes get a spoon, container cap, or medicine cup caught within the grinders, stopping the hole from functioning and causing awful screeching sounds.

For safety's sake, disconnect the unit or shut off power on the circuit breaker. A garbage disposal not working still is made up of many sharp moving components that may result in a lot of damage. Therefore, no one should ever put their hands into a disposal. Instead, locate the caught item using a flashlight so you can take it off with a set of tongs.

Designs For Kitchen Tiles

The kitchen is the one room in a house where one needs to be really comfortable.

A cheerful and comfortable kitchen will make you want to eat healthily, put you in a good mood for breakfast, and hence for the rest of the day. A disorderly and drab kitchen is a cook's nightmare. Here are some tips on how to avoid falling into that trap, and have a well-designed dream kitchen.

One of the best ways to enhance the look of the kitchen is to use kitchen tiles. Kitchen tile designs are available for enhancing the look and comfort factor of your kitchen. Kitchen tile ideas provide three choices for the average householder. You can opt for kitchen tile designs on the floor, which will provide a dash of colour and design to the kitchen. It is also sturdy and
waterproof, thus making it easier to wipe off anything that falls on the floor, as it is often happens during cooking or eating. 

   

A second choice is using tiles on the kitchen counters, which will provide the same advantages as above, but will be less expensive. A third option is a kitchen splashback. This is a limited area above the counter, which is tiled to provide the desired look for the kitchen. It could be very classy and cheerful, if implemented properly. A more practical benefit is that it would be easier to clean the stains made on the walls with steam and smoke, than it would be on a normal wall without a kitchen splashback.

One of the best ways to make a decision on choosing a tile is to request samples and hold it up against the wall or down on the floor. This will give you a very good idea of how the entire place would look. It is a good idea to choose something that would go with the general decor of the place. Returning back to the question of a kitchen splashback, if you do choose to have plain tiles with no design, it is a good idea to insert a couple of design tiles, for e.g. flowers or fruit, to relieve the starkness.

Making use of an independent fitter can have massive benefits, they can often work at times most convenient to their customers; a consideration you might not get from other larger main stream companies. In addition to this there are also huge discounts over High Street prices as there overheads are much lower, and you get a more personal service.

Make Sure You Plan Before A Kitchen Redesign

The kitchen is one of the most important rooms in the house and if you keep it looking modern, stylish and functional this will be a key selling point if you ever choose to sell your house in the future. It's extremely important that you plan before you redesign your kitchen; this will ensure you don't make any costly mistakes when the actual renovation takes place.

The key to the perfect kitchen is to plan ahead and make sure your planning meets all of your requirements for your new kitchen.

Planning a small kitchen

With a small kitchen you need to maximise all of the space you have and make sure every fixture is as efficient as it can be. The first step is to ensure you have as much natural light as possible as light creates the illusion of space and gives smaller kitchens a lighter, more airy feel.

You should also look for space-saving furniture, this could include cabinets that have compartments which open out when you open them, or cupboards and shelves built into the walls so they don't protrude into your work space.

Kitchen Triangle

The kitchen triangle is a popular planning method as it's efficient and functional. The triangle consists of the three main fixtures - your sink, fridge and oven - and these should be positioned at each three points of the triangle so it is easy to manoeuvre between each point. This will make your kitchen tasks much easier whether your kitchen is large or small. For a large kitchen you could also add a work space next to your sink for all of your food preparation tasks.

 

Kitchen Islands

Everyone likes the sound of a trendy kitchen island but first you need to use kitchen planner software to decipher whether you actually the room to put a kitchen island slap bang in the middle of your kitchen, and ensure you have enough room to move around it to do your daily kitchen tasks.

Live-In Kitchens

If you are lucky to have a large kitchen space you might want to create it into an open plan kitchen-living space. Kitchens are often used as a space for socialising if you are holding a family gathering or party so why not create a space where your guests can relax and mingle? You'll need to plan carefully to ensure your kitchen is still practical and functional as well as an area for people to congregate and feel at home. Live-in kitchens are a modern feature that are hugely popular at the moment, and this is unlikely to change, as life gets busier families are looking for ways to spend quality time together and what better way than to cook together and chill out?

Planning your kitchen thoroughly will ensure no costly mistakes are made thereafter, it will save you time and also leave you confident in the knowledge your kitchen will look exactly how you want it. Use home design software to plan your kitchen to its exact dimensions.

Choosing The Right Style Of Kitchen Sink

As perhaps the most practical element of any kitchen, you might think that the 'style' of your kitchen sink is largely irrelevant. Surely all you need is a standard stainless steel sink for doing the dishes, right? Wrong. In fact, sinks come in a huge range of shapes, sizes and materials, and your choice of sink will have big practical and aesthetic ramifications for your kitchen. But what are the different types of sinks available, and how will they impact on the way that you use your kitchen? Here's a rundown of the sinks on offer:

Materials

Stainless steel is the most popular sink material out there and with good reason. Durable, easy-to-maintain and very cost-effective, the sleek metallic effect fits seamlessly into almost any kitchen. If, however, you're looking for something different, you might want to consider granite, which is incredibly resistant to scuffs and scrapes, and offers a contemporary aesthetic that is both understated and imposing.

If you can't stretch your budget to high-quality granite, though, you might be attracted to composite sinks, which are made from a mixture of natural materials and fillers. Coming in at a slightly lower price, they offer some of granite's best qualities, which makes them a great choice.
Alternatively, you could opt for the classic tones of ceramic sinks, which combine a brilliant white material with a high-gloss finish to create a dramatic focal point in the kitchen.

Styles

While one-bowl sinks are almost ubiquitous in domestic kitchens, there's a lot to be said for some of the alternatives. Two-bowl sinks, for example, offer enough space for you to do food preparation and washing-up at the same time, without the risk of dropping your carrots into soapy water. However, they do take up a lot of space, which means they might not be suited to smaller kitchens where space is tight.

One-and-a-half-bowl sinks offer a good compromise, giving you an extra area that doesn't eat up too much surface space. There's still a lot to be said, though, for large one bowl sinks, especially if you have a dishwasher. A big single sink allows you to soak larger pans and dishes that won't fit in the machine.

Mounting Options

In terms of mounting options, you can opt for surface, under-mount or set-in sinks. Surface-mounted sinks are dropped into a pre-cut hole in the worktop surface, and offer a good all-round mounting option for many different types of worktop material. For a subtler touch, you might consider an under-mount sink, which is installed below the counter and creates no rim between sink and worktop surface. This makes the area around the sink easier to clean. Finally, set-in sinks are built into the worktop and are made of the same material, which offers a seamless aesthetic that works perfectly with granite.

And there you have it. An almost endless range of options available, meaning that you're sure to find a sink that is a great fit for your home.

Style for Wooden Kitchen Cabinet Doors

Wooden kitchen cabinet doors are the perfect addition for any style of room decor that anyone would like to achieve. From modern, traditional or something totally unique, the absolute versatility of wooden is simply unmatched to other materials. The beauty of kitchen cabinet doors that are made of wood is the fact that the material adds a very warm and inviting feel to a room, making it very pleasant to stay in. This can be achieved with natural looking wood and even if it should be painted over because the material has a consistency that's difficult to hide.

Another benefit of using wood for kitchen cabinets is the versatility to mix with many other materials for different looks. Wood is a wonderful material that matches up very well with different metals, glass, fabrics and plastics. Combining two or more of these materials immediately offers visual interest in cabinet doors and the rest of the kitchen décor.

Although most people have relatively plain kitchen cabinet doors, others prefer to have them more as accent pieces or a focal point in the room. This works very well with relatively plain walls and minimal decorative pieces throughout the room, otherwise it may become overwhelming and lose its appeal.

Decorative touches instantly change the way wooden kitchen cabinet doors look and feel in a room. To get a better idea of some changes or additions that can be made to suit a particular style, consider the following:

Traditional or Country Style

To achieve a more traditional or country style, choosing wooden kitchen cabinets that have a warm stain and polish is ideal. This is especially warm and inviting with doors that have decorative carvings and moldings that are inspired by traditional designs. Many people also like to include chicken wiring to cut out cabinet doors for a fun textured effect.

Modern

The more contemporary kitchen designs are generally quite simple and prefer utilizing geometric shapes, straight lines and soft curves. Clean lines and smooth surfaces are recommended, along with a fine mix of wood, metal and glass. Frosted windows paired with metal fixtures on solid wooden cabinet doors. Stainless steel, polished brass and glass or metal storage items are wonderful add-ons.

Rustic

The rustic kitchen is one that requires a little work in order to get the perfect aged look to carry throughout the room. Finishing the cabinets with a distressed paint finish and adding rustic iron fixtures for a complete look. Having additional natural elements sprinkled around the room will add to the atmosphere. Natural stones for flooring, wicker baskets, wooden seating like stools and benches along with stone or wood storage items work nicely.

Bistro or Café

The bistro or café look is another popular choice for many people who are looking for something unique in their home. Café curtains as window treatments and as a creative way to hide the contents through clear glass windows in the cabinet doors is a lovely touch. Bistro style rattan seating and wrought iron furniture and high polished wooden kitchen cabinets are what perfectly complete in the look. The wood can have iron accents for a unique decorative look that ties in the iron furniture.

No matter what the desired kitchen style may be, there will always be options available for mixing and matching wooden cabinets for an all-round wonderful look and feel in a room. Always carefully consider the decorative options, along with add-ons to help tie in the entire room for a clean cohesive style that anyone can appreciate.

Organizing Your Kitchen With Style

Regardless of how large or small your kitchen is, it should not be difficult to maintain a sense of style to it. The key to having a good looking kitchen is, of course, organization. You can do no wrong with colors and accessories if you are working with a well organized kitchen. Maintaining an organized kitchen does not simply mean getting rid of messes, it also means having everything conveniently organized to be in place and ready at hand. There are several different kitchen accessories at affordable prices that can help you achieve this goal. Changes as simple as adding utility drawer inserts to keep flatware in this place and pull out trays for cabinets can work wonders in the kitchen and have the added benefit of making your kitchen look better.

What kinds of colors, backgrounds, or themes are you partial to? It is important to have a certain theme in mind when decorating or accessorizing your kitchen. Creating a theme does not have to be too complicated-for example, you could go with a simple black and white theme. You can also be more adventurous and try a French bistro theme or a Spanish kitchen theme. It is really up to you and there are thousands of options to choose from. The main thing to remember after choosing a theme is to be consistent. Whatever the theme is, make sure everything in the kitchen adheres to it. For example, if you go with a black and white theme you must make sure that kitchen appliances, flatware, utensils and accessories match the theme. Fortunately, many kitchen appliances and accessories are available in a wide variety of colors to choose from.

What if the theme of your kitchen just "happens to be whatever we put in it?" There is nothing wrong with having a mix and match look in the kitchen and having a variety of colors, textures and patterns. Again, the key to a stylish look is consistency. A good way to maintain consistency in your kitchen, even with eclectic looks, is to keep kitchen accessories looking the same, especially visible ones. If you are using metal accessories, such as chrome pull out trays with aluminum standards, keep the rest of the accessories the same. Do not attach wooden trays to aluminum standards, or vice versa. If you prefer the look of real wood, that's fine---but keep the rest of the accessories wood or with a wood look as well. Any other accessories or kitchen appliances should also aim to match each other. Subtle details like that are great ways to keep your kitchen not only looking organized but also stylish and elegant.

It shouldn't be a complicated task to maintain a stylish and organized look in your kitchen. It also does not have to be needlessly expensive. Simple touches and organizational accessories, such as wooden pull out shelves that match with the wooden pantry units can go a long way towards making a stylish kitchen look yours.

Planning your new kitchen

Here are some points to consider when planning your new kitchen:

• Try to keep existing service points when planning as rewiring and plumbing are costly.

• Think about ventilation points and do not plan units over them.

• Sink units and worktop drainers need to be planned first as these are the biggest items, and don't forget about dishwashers.

• When measuring, if the unit is to fit in a particular space, or when the unit needs to join onto another, take care to get the exact size.

• Consider whether the worktop needs to be flush sided to go against the wall or rounded at the corners if it's to go on a freestanding unit.

• Plan in your main areas – sink, cooker and food preparation – close together.

• Note any height restrictions like low or sloping ceilings, if wall units or tall cupboards are planned.

How to Plan for a New Kitchen

Photo by: theborrowedabode || Jane

Remodeling your kitchen can improve your home, as well as dramatically adding to its value. Before looking through catalogues and magazines for inspiration, decide what is achievable with the kitchen you already have.

If a complete renovation is in order, then draw up a plan or search on-line for free kitchen planners. Consider the amount of people using the kitchen as well as the actual space. You need food preparation, serving, cooking and washing up zones, ideally each with their own worktop section. Lining up the cooker, sink and fridge into a triangle formation creates the most comfortable layout. Keep the oven and sink 40 cm from the corners, and don't put them behind a door.

In a small kitchen, magic corners, drawers and hanging racks will create more storage space and glass fronted units make a kitchen look larger, especially if they are lit from the inside. Extra tall units, placed away from the windows where they can obstruct daylight, will maximize storage without taking up valuable space. In a very small kitchen, a corner sink can free up a lot of worktop space.

Busy designs will only make a small kitchen look smaller so use just one block of color and pale colors on the walls and ceilings. Your most important color consideration will be the color of your worktops. They hold the focus of the room. They can contrast or compliment the color of your units, but you never want your units and worktops to be the same color or shade. This can either make the room look too small or too washed-out.

   
In a large kitchen, consider installing a built-in oven, microwave, coffee-machine in a smart column. L-shaped kitchens normally have a tall bank of units that can be used for this purpose and can look very dramatic, especially if you have a tall window to mirror it on the opposite wall. An L-shaped kitchen makes the ideal working triangle achievable as you can have the fridge at one end of the L, the hob on the other and the sink in between.

Good lighting is essential, especially over task-based areas. Many galley kitchens have a window at one end, but if yours doesn't, you need to be clever with artificial lighting. Try putting plinth or spotlights under units to illuminate work areas. A galley kitchen can look very sleek if you choose streamlined units, handle-free doors, high gloss finishes and hide appliances behind unit doors. The corridor needs to be wide enough for unit and appliance doors to open and for two people to move past each other and cook at the same time. Less than 1.4 meters wide could be very problematic. Grouping tall units at the end of the run should leave you with sufficient work-space.

In large or U-shaped kitchens, fashionable island units use the space practically and give extra room for prepping, cooking or washing. You will need to decide whether your island is going to have a hob or a sink since any electrics or plumbing will need to run under the floor, and an extractor hood might be necessary. You can make the island an interesting focal point by using contrasting colors and materials to the rest of the kitchen.

To complete your kitchen's new look, match your unit doors to your kitchen furniture in either style or color.

Planning your kitchen takes time, but by having a look at an upscale kitchen showroom you will be able to get great ideas. Plenty of consideration topped off with high end kitchen appliances is the best way to get the look you've always wanted.