Three more kitchen wish list items

Last time, I shared my three personal appliance wishes for Gold Notes’ third anniversary “threesome” celebration. There are more changes I’d like to make to my own – aka Chez J’s – townhome kitchen.

I would dearly love to replace the Santa Cecilia granite countertops with black engineered stone. These will be easier maintenance – i.e., no sealing required – and more to my taste. I like Silestone’s Tao, which mimics Absolute Black granite, with an eased edge and undermount sink. When the cabinets are eventually painted white and the wood floor installed, it’ll be a classic look. (It’ll work with the current cinnamon finish in the meantime.) Although I really like the look of honed stone, polished shows fingerprints less, so I’ll go that Sensible Style route!




I’d also like to add a decorative backsplash. While I love the look of decorative tile, I abhor the maintenance associated with grout. That’s why I’m looking at Caesarstone’s Motivo as my backsplash of choice. It offers the low maintenance of engineered stone with a subtle pattern that will complement my kitchen. It’s currently available only in white; I’m hoping there are more colors, including a soft cream, when I’m ready to install one. This material will also face my living room fireplace, tying the two spaces together.




I would also like to change out the flooring. The existing tan 12 inch ceramic tile is easy to live with, certainly, but I’d prefer to have a wood floor throughout the main living areas, including the kitchen. This will be a large, expensive undertaking. It will also entail figuring out what to do with the dishwasher. The wood floors will be thicker than the tile and lock the dishwasher in place if I don’t plan carefully. This classic Amber Valley Oak by Lumber Liquidators, or something comparable, will go with the cabinets and my furniture.

SENSIBLE STYLE - Due consideration

So you've been reading this blog for a year now and are still not totally sure what Sensible Style actually means. Let me share some definitions and considerations.

First, Sensible Style means a matching of form and function so that your space works to meet your needs and looks good while doing it.


Kitchen ROI

It also means spending wisely to get what you want at a price point that fits your home's value. It's just as easy to under-spend as it is to overspend, and both can bite you in the resale process. Consider your kitchen remodel an investment in your home. Putting a $100,000 kitchen in a $250,000 home won't give you a good return, as you've majorly overspent. But neither will putting a $30,000 kitchen in a $3 million home.

Even if you plan to stay in your home for 10, 20 or 40 years, you never know what circumstances might arise in your life that could create the need to move much sooner than planned. That's not the time you want to discover that you're not going to get much back for the new kitchen.

Tip: Get advice from local appraisers or Realtors on what buyers in your price range and neighborhood are looking for - e.g., stone tops, built-in appliances - and consider the ones that make sense for your home and family. If, for example, everyone else is investing in quartz or granite, look-alike laminate tops are not going to build any value for you.

Engineered stone tops, like this Black Anubis from Silestone, bring great form and function to a kitchen project.

Open plan considerations

Most of the designs I've worked on in the past five years involve opening up the kitchen to the adjacent rooms. These are usually a great room and/or dining room. Open plan designs are wonderful for entertaining and relaxed family living, but they do involve special Sensible Style considerations.

First, open plan kitchens tend to have fewer wall cabinets. So the designer and homeowner need to consider where the dishes, glasses and other typical upper storage items will go in this new plan.

Tip: Dish drawer organizers are great for storing serveware in base cabinets. They can be purchased through many cabinet brands, or after-market from accessory sources. Also consider siting your everyday dish storage near the dishwasher for more convenient unloading.

Dish drawer organizers like this one from Rev-A-Shelf are ideal for open plan kitchens

Another consideration in open floor plan design is coordinating the style of the kitchen with its neighboring rooms. They should flow together seamlessly and look as though they belong in the same home. When someone goes for a French Country kitchen in a Craftsman home, it doesn't usually work out well. Ditto for a Tuscan kitchen in a California contemporary. What happens when that new off-style kitchen is in place is that everything around it looks out of place.

Here's the Sensible Style approach to open floor plan design... Take your kitchen cues from the surrounding rooms' permanent elements. If you're not going to change the fireplace mantel with its dentil molding, for example, use dentil trim in the kitchen cabinetry's crown molding.

If you have a large furniture piece that's valuable and staying in the space, choose kitchen cabinetry that will coordinate well with it. This means factoring in its finish, as well as its door style. They don't have to be a match; they just have to look good together in the same open space.

Tip: Bring a door from an important furniture piece to your design selection meeting so you can see how the new cabinets will work with what you already own.

Notice how the family room cabinetry in this kitchen I designed coordinates with the kitchen island for a pulled-together open plan design.

Open plan flooring considerations

Flooring can also be an issue in open plan designs. Sensible Style means choosing a floor that is right for your household, not just right for a magazine layout. Considerations include its durability, especially with active children in the home, along with its maintenance requirements, safety and comfort underfoot. Polished travertine is beyond elegant in an empty nesters' pied-a-terre, but can be a nightmare in a busy family home, or for a senior citizen with balance issues.

The other consideration for your new kitchen flooring is how it will look next to the rooms it opens up to. If you're keeping that flooring in place, select new kitchen floors that look good next to it.

Tip: If you minimize the contrasts between the kitchen floor and the adjacent rooms' flooring materials, your space will look larger and more cohesive.

Sensible Style - Easy Makeovers

This month, Kitchens.com focuses on Sensational Kitchen Makeovers, so I decided to tie in with an Easy Makeover post - Sensibly Stylish, of course.

There are different reasons to make over your kitchen. Here are some of the most common:

• An appliance breaks down after years of faithful service and you decide to replace the entire suite with stainless.
• The cabinets are falling apart, so new ones are required. Often, this results in an entire kitchen remodel.
• Your laminate countertops are blown out by a slow leak. Stone tops replace them.
• You can't fit even one more item into your cupboards... Additional storage is desperately needed!

Do any of these feel familiar to you? Let's look at easy make-over options for each scenario.


Appliance updates

Many a kitchen remodel has started with a dishwasher failure. That doesn't mean you have to go into debt to redo your entire kitchen. Here are some Sensible Style tips for appliance replacement:

• If you don't want to replace your cabinets, too, opt for appliances of the same size, but with improved features. For example, an over-the-range microwave can be replaced with a convection/microwave/warmer combination. Both use the same space but the combo gives you a second oven and warming "drawer" capability, too.
• Replace your antique dishwasher with a water- and energy-saving model.
• Replace a 30- or 36-inch electric cooktop with an induction model.
• Replace a standard refrigerator with a designer-style countertop-depth version, (but note that you decrease your food capacity in the process).

One of the most versatile appliances on the market: The GE Advantium microwaves, cooks and keeps food warm all in the space of a standard over the range opening.


Cabinet concerns

Are the cabinets really falling apart, or is it just that the doors and drawer fronts have gotten dinged and dingy over the years?

• If the issue is cosmetic, rather than structural AND you don't need to improve the layout of your kitchen, then refacing may be a better option than replacing. Refacing companies will put new drawer fronts, doors and matching skins on your existing cabinets. It will cost a bit less than a remodel, take less time and create less disruption in your home.
  
• If the cabinets are otherwise OK, but multiple knobs or pulls have broken or gone missing over the years, then now is a great time to update your hardware.
• If your cabinets are literally falling apart, you're going to have to replace them. Your simplest option is to keep the same layout to avoid flooring or appliance issues, but that doesn't mean you have to keep the same cabinet types. For example, two 15-inch drawer over door cabinets can become one 30-inch pan drawer cabinet. One blind corner cabinet can become a blind corner with swing-outs or, if there's space around the corner, a lazy susan cabinet.
• If your cabinets just need a facelift, you can opt to paint them and add crown molding, space allowing. If you're painting the insides, too, you can have some of your wood fronts replaced with glass by a professional in that industry.

Caption: Dress up your cabinets with hardware, like these Top Drawer knobs and pulls from Rejuvenation.

Counter intuitive

So your laminate countertops have finally surrendered. There's no disguising the water damage around the sink any longer and they've got to go. You have numerous options available to you, depending on your needs and budget.

• The easiest, most affordable fix is new laminate tops, especially if your kitchen is a galley, L or U-shaped configuration with no bar top or island. In this instance, you can use some of the good-looking models sold in stock at Home Depot or Lowes. If you do have an island or bar, you can have those two pieces special-ordered and buy the others in stock.
• Corian gives you the option to include a seamless sink. This is an easy-maintenance choice worth checking out.
• Granite, marble and stone give you the option to undermount a sink. This is a great look and easier maintenance than a standard drop-in sink.
  
• You can also upgrade to Corian, granite, marble or engineered stone. Please take a look at my Gold Notes Counter Intelligence post for a full list of pros and cons on each option.

Quartz countertops, like this Capri Limestone by Silestone, are a sensible and stylish makeover.

Storage forage

So your cabinets are bursting at the seams and you just inherited your grandmother's cookware set. Where the heck are you going to put it all?

• Ditch the semi-useless half shelves in the middle of your base cabinets and replace them with roll-out trays. This increases the storage capacity of each base by almost 25 percent.
• You've got a skinny base cabinet that holds almost nothing. Pick up a set of tray dividers and make it a very useful storage spot for your pizza stone, cutting boards and cookie sheets.
• You've also got tremendously under-used space between your countertops and wall cabinets that can handle multiple backsplash organizers. These can hold counter-robbing paper towel holders, knives, utensils or spice jars. You probably have enough room for all of these great space savers!
• If you have space to park one when it's not in use, add a mobile cart to your kitchen. This can add prep space on top and storage space below. If your kitchen doesn't have an island, a cart can stand in for one. It just needs a place to be stashed when it's not in use as there probably isn't enough room for it to remain in the middle of your kitchen. (If there were, they probably would have put an island there instead.)

Make your existing cabinet space more efficient with organizers like this Tray Roll-out by Omega National Products on Amazon.com.

Designer's Wish List - Kitchen

Ever wonder what designers choose for their own homes? Here's a sneak preview of what I plan to incorporate into my next place -- and why.

I plan on buying a small house or condo in sore need of updating, so that I can put my own stamp on it. After all, why pay for a prior homeowner's choices?

You'll notice that my selections are very Sensible Style-oriented. That's because I'm all about no-fuss, easy living. I'll also share with you right now that I'm not a serious cook, (so no six-burner pro range). I was told on a long-ago date, "That's not cooking, it's reheating." I found out later that the line came from Sex and the City, but it applies just as aptly to me as it did to Carrie Bradshaw!


Now you're cooking

I would love to have an induction range. They're energy-efficient and easy maintenance. Plus, their non-flame, non-heat magnetic cooking source makes it tougher to set your place on fire! Right now, the choices are extremely limited and quite pricey. If money were no object, this is probably the model I'd choose.


I like the fact that this Viking range is a slide-in style, so that the controls are up-front and there's no bulky panel blocking my planned decorative backsplash. I also like that it has a convection oven. For someone who doesn't love to cook, getting food out of the oven faster is a nice plus.

I'll probably look for a clean-lined, very simple stainless hood to pull all the cooking aromas out of the kitchen.

I'll also seek a built-in microwave oven, rather than an over-the-range style, if space allows. I think I'd probably starve without one!


Storage style

For the past six years, we've had a large but basic kitchen that I'm looking forward to leaving behind. We added drawer organizers to corral silverware, utility knives and assorted utensils, and tray dividers in a uselessly narrow unit, but the center stiles in most of the base builder cabinets made roll-out trays impractical.

My next kitchen will have every storage accessory imaginable. Every top drawer, save one for potholders, will have organizers. Every pan drawer will have at least one divider for lid storage. Any base cabinet that isn't all drawers will have double roll-outs, pull-out shelves, tray dividers or a lazy susan. There will be roll-out trays in a pantry conveniently located next to the refrigerator. (My current kitchen has the pantry and fridge at opposite ends of the room.) I will probably do all glass-front uppers, too, to make a small kitchen look larger. I'll paint the insides to match the planned soft blue walls and show off new white dishes!

I anticipate that my next kitchen will be much smaller than my current one. That's perfectly OK with me. I'll likely use the backsplash for a stylish and convenient spice and utensil storage system. Here's one I like from the uber-affordable Ikea:


You may remember this Grundtal system from my second Sensible Style posting.

My current kitchen is cherry with a spice stain. While I still like it, my next place will have painted white maple cabinets. It's a timeless look that I've long loved. Like my current kitchen, I'll probably go for simply-styled recessed panels again.



Here's a door style and finish I particularly like, from the incredible CWP Cabinetry line. Their standard construction includes soft-close doors as well as full-extension soft-close drawers, and mitered corners for a true furniture look.


Counter intelligence

You probably know what I'm going to write next, right? You've seen me enthuse over the past year about quartz countertops. Nothing short of bankruptcy will keep me from putting solid black quartz tops in my next kitchen -- most likely with a matte finish. (Maintaining polished black stone is like maintaining a polished black car!)

Nothing combines durability and ease of maintenance the way quartz does. And nothing looks better (and more timeless) on white cabinets, in my opinion, than black tops.


Here's an example of the combo, featuring Silestone's Black Anubis. I dare you to distinguish it from Absolute Black granite! (Except when you don't have to polish or seal it!) I'd opt for a simpler eased or demi-bullnose edge to coordinate with my simpler cabinet style. Currently, this color isn't available in a matte finish... Maybe by the time I'm ready???


Shedding light

Chances are, I'll be pulling some ugly flourescent box out of the middle of a dropped ceiling. If there's a peninsula in my next kitchen, I'll add a couple of decorative pendants above it.


I like this Schoolhouse Pendant from Restoration Hardware quite a bit. If there's room for a fixture above my kitchen sink, I'd opt for the semi-flushmount version of this same light.

I'll also put in some recessed ceiling cans in place of that flourescent box, and LED lights below my wall cabinets for targeted task lighting.


Other appliances

I haven't chosen a refrigerator yet, but I don't need anything very large. The configuration will be influenced by clearances in front of the refrigerator. I've gotten accustomed to a side-by-side with ice and water through the door and may repeat that in the next place. It's so simple to grab a glass of iced water without reaching into a freezer! I do know that I definitely want a countertop-depth model, maybe even a paneled built-in.



I've been coveting the Bosch Integra 800 Plus dishwasher, shown here, since I saw it in New York last June. It's got a built-in water softener for spot-free glasses and a top rack that can hold silverware overflow. It's also one of the quietest and most water-efficient on the market. All of Bosch's dishwashers (and clothes washers) feature AquaStop, their anti-leak system. This will be potentially beneficial to my planned wood floors!

If space allows, I'd also like to have a wine captain. They come as narrow as 15 inches, perfect for a small kitchen. U-Line's Echelon, shown above, even offers three temperature zones in that small size!


Backsplash style

I love decorative tile backsplashes and plan to incorporate one into my next kitchen. It will come right down to the counter, rather than stopping four inches above at a stone splash. (That's too choppy looking for my taste.)

Being somewhat eclectic, I'm open to a traditional or contemporary splash. Here are a couple of traditional styles I like from Walker Zanger.


I like how this Ceramica Alhambra series updates the traditional subway tile look. I'd choose colors that coordinate with my planned blue walls and a darker grout that won't show evidence of last night's pasta primavera.


I also like the traditional diamonds in this Cote d'Or splash.


Here's a contemporary splash that I really like from Ann Sacks. This Heath tile showcases the three-dimensional trend that I'm enjoying lately. Its pattern comes from shape, rather than color, which adds an interesting element to a room, without being distracting.


This 12-inch by 12-inch mesh-mounted glass tile is available in stock at Lowe's for only $2.98 a tile. It's so affordable, I could update a fireplace surround with it, if I'm lucky enough to have one in the next room. Plus, I could return any overage I don't need, since it's a stock, rather than special order, item. I think it could make a very pretty companion to white cabinets and black tops and add some brightness to the space.


Things are looking down

I love wood floors in kitchens, especially dark, distressed, wide plank versions.


This client I worked with on her new construction home shared that preference, as you can see here. Like her, I'd carry the same flooring through the adjacent rooms to create a warm flow to the space. Unifying the flooring in all your public areas makes the space feel larger, crucial for smaller homes.


Fixture fancy

I've been living with a low-grade, stainless builder sink these past six years, waiting to replace it when I upgraded my countertops, a change that never happened as the Florida housing market tumbled. Boy, do I look forward to having a better one next time around! I've got a few different ideas of what I want. Here's a sampling:


A classic apron front Shaw Sink by Rohl wouldn't look out of place in my planned transitional kitchen. They're a durable option, but keeping the white super bright might be a bit more work than I'd enjoy.


This Verity model from Kohler delivers apron front style with an updated twist. I like the fact that it's 18-gauge stainless, which is better quality and easier maintenance than most builders offer. If I went this route, I'd opt to panel the adjacent dishwasher... A little bit of stainless goes a long way!


An undermount sink is a practical choice, especially in Blanco's super-durable, easy-maintenance Silgranit material. You can practically throw carving knives at it without damaging the finish. I like its array of convenience accessories, too, and its matte look.


What would a kitchen sink be without a great faucet? I've long admired the traditional styling of Kohler's Vinnata and I like the convenience of a pull-down spray. I've yet to find a new model I like as much, though I keep looking!


Final thoughts

So this is what I have in mind for my next kitchen. It's not necessarily what I'd specify for my clients, as each has his or her own personal style. I'm not one of those designers who has a "trademark" element that shows up in every project. If a JG kitchen or bath has a signature, it's styling and functionality tailored to that client. That's my definition of Sensible Style.

FOUR PRODUCTS FOR A HEALTHIER (STYLE-SMART) KITCHEN

Last week, I wrote about the much-hyped granite-radon-cancer link. This week, I’d like to suggest some stylish products for a healthier – and style-smart – kitchen. From top down, they are:

COUNTERTOPS

Quartz in its many varieties offers style, durability and easy maintenance. Quartz tops are nonporous, so you don’t need to worry about food-borne bacteria penetrating their surface. Quartz is sold under numerous brand names, including Cambria, Zodiaq, Silestone and Caesarstone. For more information about quartz, please visit my archive for the “Ode to Quartz Countertops” posting.

Corian is a countertop option that I haven't specified in more than two years, as most of my clients want granite or quartz. However, some people still prefer it for several reasons: Corian will integrate a sink more smoothly than any other material, giving the sleekest, easiest-clean edge on the market, and there’s something to be said for its almost-invisible seams and reparability. Corian is also much softer and warmer to the touch than stone. Last week, I spotted Corian’s new Illumination Series at the Southeast Builders Show and absolutely loved its cool, contemporary looks. It’s translucent, so you can uplight it for countertops – especially dramatic islands or vanities – or backlight it for easy maintenance backsplashes. Very dramatic, yet still non-porous and repairable.

CABINETS

In response to challenging economic times, there have been a rash of low-cost import cabinets from countries without environmental controls. These may have lead content or unsafe levels of formaldehyde that can be hazardous to your health. This is especially true for young children and the frail elderly, those with respiratory issues and anyone whose immune system has been compromised. A healthier alternative for this segment of the population are cabinets with low- or no-VOC finishes and formaldehyde-free construction. The challenge is finding attractive cabinets that meet your style needs, along with your health concerns. I’m delighted to share that I’ve found such a brand: Breathe Easy Cabinets. Their construction offers the benefits of high-quality, formaldehyde-free custom cabinetry, along with an attractive range of healthier finishes . Unlike some of their competitors whose design savvy is as green as their eco-status, you would not know that BEs are as great for your health as they are for your home’s value. I consider them the Volvo of cabinets: ideal for safety-conscious families, durable, stylish and mid-high priced. You can find a dealer at the Breathe Easy site. The Florida distributor is working on finding one in the Tampa area to serve my clientele.

FLOORING

Marmoleum is not a new product. Nor are its environmental properties new. It’s all natural, but it’s also allergen-free, antiseptic, antistatic and soft underfoot. You’ll love that softness when you have to spend hours preparing a family dinner and your feet, legs and back don’t ache like they do on tile. The company's new Marmoleum Click product installs easily and can be configured into a range of retro-friendly design styles. You’ll have no grout to clean and won’t worry about your children playing on it as you’re preparing meals.

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IMAGE (Above): Marmoleum Click offers a healthier, stylish kitchen and great room flooring option.

Please let me know if you'd like to create a room using any of these materials. As an independent designer, my role is to pair clients with the best-available components for their projects. When it comes to healthier but still style-smart spaces, these are among my recommendations. For those clients outside the Tampa, Florida area, I do offer long distance design consulting by phone/email/internet. Please see my design firm website to view some recent projects and complete contact information.