Kitchen Ideas

Today’s kitchens have evolved into more than a food preparation room. In many homes the kitchen has become the focal point. It can be the center of activity when entertaining and double as a small office when bills need to be paid. Whatever role you want your kitchen to fill, regardless of whether you are remodeling or building a new home, there are a multitude of kitchen ideas in the form of product choices available to accommodate your style.

The information here will introduce you to some of these ideas and things to consider when designing your new or remodeled kitchen.

Product Considerations

The types of products you choose for your kitchen in the way of floors, countertops, cabinets and even ceilings play a large part in defining the atmosphere and style of your kitchen. They also have a direct impact on the cost of your remodeling or new-home construction project.

Higher-end products or surfaces sometimes considered ‘luxury’ can be costly but that doesn’t mean they can’t fit into your budget if they’re chosen wisely. If granite countertops seem too expensive, consider using granite only on a kitchen island as a focal point rather than on all countertops. Semi-custom and even some stock cabinets can provide a look and functionality that rivals custom cabinetry.

The point is, don’t feel that you are locked out of certain types of products because you think they are not affordable or too luxurious. There are many different product choices available and becoming knowledgeable about them will go a long way toward helping you achieve your dream kitchen.

The key is that the more you know about what products are available, the wider your array of choices and the broader range of ideas you will have for your kitchen’s design.

Where to Start

One of the first things to consider when thinking of ideas for your kitchen is the lifestyle of your family.

• Do you have young children or are you empty-nesters?
• Do you entertain frequently and desire an expansive kitchen with dual ovens and a professional range or are you limited by size and budget?
• Will you be living in the house long-term or just for several years?
• Are there any persons with special needs that will need to use the kitchen?
• Do you cook often and need practical work surfaces and efficient storage areas for cooking ingredients and other items like mixers and cooking utensils?
• What do you want your kitchen to do for you and what type of atmosphere are you looking for?

Answering these questions will help you define your kitchen’s style and narrow down your kitchen ideas that will work best for your home and lifestyle.

Once you have an idea of the type of kitchen you want, start researching the products that will flesh out those ideas. This page provides ideas and things to consider about the main elements in your kitchen; namely, the cabinets, countertops, floors and ceiling. Other pages within this website provide information about these parts in greater detail. We recommend you read on first but if you want to go right to the place to learn what you need to know about a particular item, just click on the appropriate link.

Kitchen Cabinets – Ideas and Considerations

Here are some ideas and other items to think about regarding kitchen cabinets.

• Cabinets are divided into 3 broad categories: stock, semi-custom and custom. The boundaries between these categories blur somewhat but be advised that stock cabinets are at the most economical end of the spectrum while custom cabinets can be the most expensive. While many people consider these “big three” classifications first when looking to choose cabinets, there are other considerations that should be made beforehand, such as construction and style options.
• In addition to stock/semi-custom/custom considerations, you’ll want to consider whether to choose traditional, contemporary or period style cabinets. Period cabinets imitate the style of cabinets in older homes with specific design styles such as Craftsman or Early Colonial. In some cases you may have to use the services of a custom cabinet maker to reproduce specific period cabinet styles.
• Consider all of the items you currently have in your kitchen when thinking of cabinet styles and arrangements in order to ensure you have enough room and a place for everything.

  Many cabinet lines offer amenities such as appliance ‘garages’ that house things like mixers and toasters as well as places to hold recyclables and other items. Look around your current countertops and note what is taking up space that you’d like to put away if you had the space. If you don’t have the cabinet or drawer space now, keep this in mind when considering new cabinets. Often, the clutter you see in your current kitchen will still be there if you don’t have a place to put it in your new or remodeled kitchen.

• Cabinets come in a wide range of styles, materials and colors and if you’re having custom cabinets made, just about any conceivable style can be yours. However keep in mind that your cabinets will be with you for a long time so choose carefully to make sure you’ll still love your cabinets years from now. The trendiest color today may turn into the ‘harvest gold’ of the future.
• If you’re looking to dress up your kitchen, think about incorporating some more stylish features such as crown moldings or ‘feet’ or ‘legs’ on items like kitchen islands. These features make your cabinets look more like furniture than just storage boxes. Remember though that such details will increase your costs compared to plain cabinets. Some cabinet manufacturers make free-standing components like hutches or china cupboards that can really add personality to your kitchen.
• Use frameless cabinetry for a sleek look, often referred to as European styling. This type of cabinetry does not have a face frame on the front of the cabinet that the doors close against.

  The face frame is essentially a wood “frame” that attaches to the front edges of the cabinet sides, top and bottom. The doors rest upon this frame when they’re closed and a portion of the frame is usually visible around the perimeter of the doors when they’re closed.

  Frameless cabinets don’t have this feature and the doors close against the finished edges of the cabinet box. You see just the doors and drawers when looking at the front of the cabinetry which often has a more contemporary look depending on door styles and color.

• The use of glass in some cabinet doors can add visual detail and break up the visual monotony on a long run of solid-door cabinets. They can also be used as a focal point above a stovetop or the sink.

  Since clear glass will obviously show what’s stored inside, it’s a good idea to place items that you’d like to display such as fine china or glassware. For those who like the idea of a glass door but don’t want true transparency, there are glass fronts that are ribbed or have other surface detail that allow light to pass through but aren’t purely transparent.

• Buying kitchen cabinets is much like buying a new car in that many options and amenities can be added however you will incur an up-charge for these items. Be aware that there may be a wide difference between a ‘base price' and what you will actually have to pay to obtain the options you want.

  Examples of up-charge types of items are full-extension drawer slides, slide-out trays for pots and pans, spice racks and veneered plywood cabinet boxes as opposed to melamine-covered particle board. These are just a few examples, as there are countless options regarding finishes, door styles, fixtures, etc. available to choose from.

Countertops – Ideas and Considerations

Here are some ideas and points to consider when thinking about countertops for your kitchen.

• There are numerous materials available for countertops and even more choices within those categories. Since the countertop will be the primary work surface, consider your lifestyle and how you see your countertops being used when selecting the type of surface.
• Major categories of countertop surfaces are laminate, solid-surface, natural stone, engineered stone, wood, stainless steel and concrete. Click on any of the links for more detailed information on what you should know about these products.
• Dispel the thought that countertops are indestructible. Each material has its own unique strengths and weaknesses. Don’t just assume that you’ll never put a hot pot down on a countertop without protection or never let a spoon dripping with baking oil sit on an unsealed stone top. The reality is, it happens.

  Keep this in mind when choosing your work surface materials. Just about all types of countertop materials will hold up well for years, some needing a bit more maintenance than others. However nothing stands up to hard abuse or carelessness.

• Laminate countertops provide a very durable yet economical surface and are available in hundreds of colors and patterns, some even closely mimicking the look of granite and other natural stone. They’re still a very good countertop material with more colors and styles than any other surface at very affordable prices.
• Engineered stone countertops like those that use quartz as their major element make very durable and beautiful countertops in addition to being relatively maintenance free. Depending on the color chosen, some mimic the look of natural stone very convincingly.
• Combine more expensive countertop materials with less expensive ones to help minimize the impact on your overall budget. For instance, you could use granite on a kitchen island and laminate on the remaining countertops in a coordinating color or pattern.
• Metal countertops offer a unique change from the more standard materials used. They’re durable and often develop a characteristic patina over time. Use a unique countertop material like zinc or copper for a kitchen island to set it apart from the rest of the peripheral countertops and establish some contrast in the kitchen.
• The type of edge you put on your countertops will have an impact on the overall cost particularly if they’re a hard substance like stone. More elaborate and decorative edges increase cost due to the time and effort necessary to achieve them. Going with a more ‘standard’ or less-decorative edge might be the difference in being able to afford that particular countertop material you’ve always dreamed about.
• If you’ve never been fond of laminate counters because of their noticeable edges, don’t discount them yet. There are several different styles of countertop edge treatments that make the dark laminate edges virtually disappear.

  Using a wood edge that butts up against the laminate adds a decorative touch and eliminates the dark laminate edge. There are also very thin laminates that show no edge when used on a beveled-edged countertop. Probably the simplest method is by using a rounded edge where the laminate wraps over the edge so its edging is not visible.

To learn a lot more about choosing kitchen countertops and all the choices available, go to our countertops page.