Thursday, April 23, 2015

Design Trends to Meet Practical Solutions

Most of us approach remodeling our current kitchen biased by the experience we've had with the cabinets and appliances we are familiar with. It is impossible to know all your options unless a true professional educates you about all the amazing new products available to you. Get ready for an adventure! There is a solution for every possible need!

Fortunately, the Kitchen Design business is responsive to people's needs and preferences. It is the way trends get established. Granite replacing tile and grout counter tops is a perfect example. Stainless Steel appliance's popularity still endures.

The one negative about stainless is how fingerprints and smudges constantly need to be removed.
Can you see the Hero riding in on his white horse? Nearly every major manufacturer of appliances has responded to the frustration of constantly dealing with fingerprints. There are now painted surfaces with names like Silver Mist, Black Diamond, Slate, and Smudge Proof Stainless finishes.
These range from textured metal, brushed stainless with texture, and a shining stainless mirror like finish, to a contemporary matte slate gray look. The newest kid on the block is Black Diamond. This sophisticated beauty has a new depth of true black. There are also Black or White with stainless handles. Some are created as paint hues very similar to a stainless look and a full spectrum of gray and black choices.

Creative solutions to refrigeration abound! Built Ins for the Pro look make a big statement. They also show a big dent in your bank statement. The combinations are endless. You can purchase a refrigerator tower along with a separate matching freezer tower. Very convenient if you have a large kitchen. Bottom Mount units with the freezer on the bottom are all the rage. It is wonderful to
open up the refrigerator an see all your fresh food at eye level. Excellent choice for people who love to entertain and keep wide trays or cakes fresh in the fridge! Side by Side units and top mounted freezers are still available. Counter Depth refrigeration allow the built in look for a lower price point than true built ins. However, you pay a premium for less space to avoid a depth that extends far past the counter's edge.  

Let me tell you about one of my favorites. Imagine how handy it would be to be making a salad or sandwich at your island or counter with every ingredient needed in a drawer right in front of you! Yes, refrigerator drawers are wonderful uses of space in a kitchen. There are ice makers and wine coolers that match all your other appliances too. On the opposite end of the spectrum are warming drawers near your stove or ovens! Holiday dinner dishes can all be served at the same warm temperature simultaneously! This is true luxury during busy cooking or baking seasons. When your normal routine returns. they can be used for extra storage.

Making sandwiches reminds me of how messy I can be. Hardwood floors are so beautiful. I love them and I hate spilling condiments on my floors. It does happen. It can be more difficult to maintain the beauty of hardwood floors.Tile is excellent as well. Tiles come in so many larger square and rectangle shapes now. Just recently our Tile Rep brought in the newest samples of rectangular tiles. My favorite? The faux wood choices. Yes! Textured Tile that looks like wood! Amazing, beautiful, and so  practical!

I have so many other new fangled features to make your dream kitchen more functional than ever.
Next week, we'll discuss those pesky corner cabinets that have just been so frustrating in the past. You are going to love the practical solutions designers have come up with for your kitchen corners!

Remember that "Design Wish Folder" we talked about last week? Now that the sun is out and we feel like window shopping, try a research trip to a top end appliance retailer. Touch and feel all these new surfaces and finishes. It is fun to check out the new trends!

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