The kitchen for family cooks and keen cuisiniers is the heart and soul of the home. Having it organized and decorated to suit your lifestyle is the key to making it run smoothly when preparing those tasty treats for your dinner party or date! Furnishing it for keeping the clutter at bay will make food preparation run much more smoothly and your experience in the kitchen will be a much more enjoyable one. You don’t have to go out and buy a whole new kitchen, but giving it a fresh lease of life with a bit of a tidy and maybe a splash of paint will do your kitchen wonders!

• Keeping the kitchen free of clutter, and easy to clean will make it much easier and healthier to work in. If you have little room in your house for paper work and are using your kitchen workspaces as a study as well, consider putting up some shelving and some storage to put it away in when you need to cook. Sending back official files, forms and letters covered in cake batter will not look professional and you may lose out on that job opportunity as a result.
• Get rid of clutter and things you don’t use. Get some extra cash in for selling that waffle maker you only used for the first week, and use it to get a fresh lick of paint on your walls to brighten up your work space. Have a look through your cupboards and stack up boxes and separate all your plates and crockery into organized piles and get rid of all of the things you never use, throw out the chipped mugs and cracked plates you don’t use.
• When choosing a color for your kitchen go for bright and fresh colors, lemon yellow is always a fruity and fresh color whilst green walls and white fittings will keep your head cool during those tense moments of trying to stiffen your meringues! Avoid white walls as generally it tends to go a bit yellow and specks of food stain it much more easily than other colors, however white can be used on areas that aren’t too close to the preparation areas. If your home has a particular color scheme, try and continue this in the kitchen. If your entire house is yellow and white themed for example, it may be more uniform to keep your kitchen on a similar pattern, as having a bright pink kitchen may seem a bit strange!
• When it comes to work surfaces, it really depends on how much time you have to put in maintenance work. You have to be careful when using plastic work surfaces as you cannot put hot pans or trays on them without marking them permanently. Likewise, if you want wooden work benches, they will require re-varnishing every 4-6 months. The safest option is marble or stone surfacing, however this is a very expensive option. The only maintenance it requires is a quick wipe-down when you’ve finished working with it.
• Finally, add some exciting ornaments to your kitchen. Find quirky knife racks, or maybe just one big really impressive landscape photo will draw the eye and give your guests something to talk about. A large clock can be very useful for timing all of your food, however these days, most ovens come with timers to warn you when your food is ready. So get creative, just make sure any ornamental pieces you select don’t get in the way or pose a fire risk!

• A table top is a great source of wood. They come in any size, which makes them suitable for folk art painting, wood burning or even outdoor signs. You can even sand old finishes, allowing new paint to stick easily.
• Short tables or tables with broken legs make useful benches. Old dressers, with or without drawers, can also be shortened to make sturdier benches. Padding and fabric can be tacked to the top to make a comfortable seat.
• Old entertainment centers and television tables make adorable kitchen play sets. Cut a hole to insert a steel bowl into the top for a sink and add a low cost hardware faucet. Black painted wood circles make good burners while video cabinets can be redesigned as ovens.
• Entertainment centers can also be remade into clothing storage units. Armoire or cabinet style entertainment centers only need a clothing rod and shelf to become a free-standing wardrobe. Add a clothing rod and bins to an open-fronted entertainment center or a computer desk for a more exposed wardrobe.
• Table legs can be good wood pieces for crafts, as they can be drilled out for pencil cups or candle holders. Depending on the length, combine old table legs with other discarded wood pieces for remade play chairs and stools.
• Wooden chair seats and table tops are great for creating simple shelves. Cut the pieces in half lengthwise and attach them to the wall using shelving brackets. Paint the shelves to coordinate with room decor.
• Simple tables of different heights combine for multi-level shelving. Attach one table top to the feet of another table and refinish all pieces to match. Stagger tables and adjust leg heights for more visual interest.
• Home remodeling projects can use small, solid wood chests of drawers to replace bathroom cabinets. Attach drawer fronts to ply-wood and add hinges to create unique cabinet doors.
• Older chests and trunks make nice cat hideaways. Cut a large hole in the side and leave it open or add a pet door. These hideaways can be refinished in plush or carpet on the inside for a cozy cat bed or left plain to use as a litter box cabinet.

As you can see there are hundreds of great uses for those old pieces of furniture you have in your house. Make sure the next time you are thinking about throwing something away you at least ponder some great uses for it.

Author:
Josh works with Remodelr.com which sells tons of kitchen and décor products.

Cabinetry Trends

“Dark, rich finishes have been increasing in popularity. This trend will continue into 2012 as homeowners choose darker, warmer colors over more traditional natural and mid-tone finishes. This year, Banks Custom Cabinets has made soft-close doors standard on its Custom Cabinets. New hardware technology incorporates the soft-close feature right into the hinge for a cleaner, simpler look, too.”

For more 2012 cabinetry trends, please click here.

Wood-look tile from Ceramics of Italy makes a great kitchen floor.

Tile Trends
“The first big trend to come out of Europe and be picked up by manufacturers in North America is tile that looks like stone. Whether it’s the look of slate, granite, onyx or the grey-green marble, the same look can be had in tile. In tile, however, you’ll get the maintenance-free characteristics of ceramic tile without the hassles of natural stone. One of the other big trends is the idea of tile standing in for wood planks.”
—Paul Anater, blogger, Coverings and Kitchen and Residential Design

For more 2012 tile trends, please click here.

Clean-lined, large bridge faucets like Grohe’s Bridgeford model are on trend for 2012.

Fixture and Faucet Trends
“The rustic look is anything but, and it doesn’t have to be limited to country houses. This farmhouse feel gives that nice “down home” look and warms up a kitchen. Larger, bridge-style faucets add an interesting, yet professional look to the room, and also look very proportional when put in kitchens with many appliances. Water Sense technology helps you save up to 32 percent water use without taking any hits to performance.”

—Sarah Fishburne, Director of Trend & Design, Home Depot

For more 2012 fixture and faucet trends, please click here.

Tech-inspired design, seen here in Zephyr’sArc series Horizon vent hood, is hot for 2012.

Appliance Trends
“Smart phones were among the first products to introduce touch-screen technology to the masses. And now you can have that same functionality in the kitchen, with touch-screen interfaces on dishwashers, refrigerators, ranges, ovens and microwaves. The new Jenn-Air Pro-Style range even allows cooks to program cooking method, time and temperature of successful recipes and recall them when repeating the recipe. Not only are appliance manufacturers replicating the functionality of high-tech gadgets, they are also replicating the style. Appliances will closely resemble the look of an Samsung Galaxy Nexus
—Fred Minnigerode, Corporate Senior Product Manager of Residential Finished Goods, Ferguson

For more 2012 Appliance Trends, please click here.

Watery blues are a cool, sustainable 2012 kitchen color trend.

Color Trends
“In 2012, pairing colors within the same color family will be a dominant trend. Whether it’s different shades of red or varying hues of blue, kitchens will display an array of combinations within color families to give a room a fresh look this year. The colors also embrace the sustainable landscape ― which has become an enduring influence on all aspects of décor and design.”
—Jackie Jordan, Director of Color Marketing, Sherwin-Williams

For more 2012 Color Trends, please click here.

Metal retro signs are something that have become increasingly common in recent years. Whether advertising, or something humorous, these signs provide a quite cool and fun feel to a home and can also be a great way to inject a little brightness.

Many of these metal retro signs are modelled on products of the past and have that certain kitsch feel to them. This of course gives a humorous feel and can be something that is almost often taken in an ironic manner. The smiling faces and over-the-top feel of such adverts can be a great way to lighten up a dark day.

Classic Design

Another thing that strikes many people when they see these retro signs is the art that has gone into them. The periods these signs span is vast and so are the number of design eras. These signs are often reflective of some of the greatest periods of art and design of the 20th century and are aesthetically beautiful. There can be a great depth of history behind this signage that may not be apparent initially. Saying that they are often just accepted for the sake of beauty’s sake.

These signs really go with the retro trend that has become common in many kitchens throughout the world at the moment. This fondness for the old fashioned is reflected in the design of the kitchen, furniture and also the utensils used in the kitchen. A metal retro sign can be a great reflection of the sort of style you are looking forward to achieving and can aid the creation of that classic, retro style in the home.

Dual Purpose

Dual purpose of these signs is also quite evident, and though they may be both funny and attractive, they may furthermore remind people of certain house rules in a coy manner. Signs that ask for the removal of shoes, a bit of quiet and solitude, or other needs, can often seem a little more subtle when the retro and vintage design is used. This of course is a great, understated way to ensure the kitchen is cleaned, etc, without having to ask, or for that matter, place an overtly passive-aggressive sign up in the home.

Humour

There are also a number of great retro signs that can inject humour into the home. Whether due to their out of place cheesiness, or more because of their obvious irony, or smart jibes. These signs provide an insight into the personality of a person and also serve to lighten the mood in the home – something that can be very important when the floor is flying, and the kitchen is a battlefield.

Retro signs seem to have a perfect balance of the old and the new, the light hearted and the seriousness, and the attractive and the informative. By taking your time and looking through the numerous signs on offer you can be sure to find one that ticks all your boxes in a way newer sign never would.

Citations:

• There are lots of fun, and weird, designs of tin signs that make great conversation pieces.

TCH has an incredible choice of designer homewares and retro kitchen goods, soft furnishings and outside wall light.

When it comes to white kitchens, Banks Custom Cabinets can give you that look you want. While others go the simple route and finish the cabinets at there shop. We at Banks Custom Cabinets spray on site. Also to note, we use conversion varnish. Using a conversion varnish is a much stronger product then just a lacquer based product. We install the cabinets unfinished. Then we bondo, sand and  put that amazing conversion varish on your custom made cabinets!

Rich Cherry Kitchen

This beautiful cherry kitchen was installed in Salt Lake City Utah. The dark color and rich tone of the stain really make this kitchen.

The custom range hood has a hidden spice roll out for perfect convenience for your spices.

This is a great feature to have built into your Custom Hood. Always have your spices close at hand and ready when you need them.

While under cabinet lighting is a great feature to have under your upper cabinets. So is having lighting installed under your toe kicks of your base cabinets. It adds that calm cool feel at night and a really cool effect.

These questions were designed to help you start thinking creatively about how
you use your existing kitchen and how you’d like to use your new kitchen. The
answers will help you set some guidelines for making many of the decisions
you’ll face as you go through the design process. Be realistic while answering the
questions, and be sure to get input from everyone who uses your kitchen.

• What is the primary use of your kitchen?

• What major change would you make to the space in your kitchen (larger,
smaller, shape, traffic flow, etc.)?

• What percentage of each day do you and/or your family spend in the
kitchen?

• How often do you cook?

• How many people will be cooking and/or working in the kitchen at the
same time?

• How often do you entertain?

• How many people do you typically entertain at one time?

• What is the most elaborate meal that you’ve ever cooked?

• What is the most elaborate meal you can imagine yourself cooking?

• What is the single worst thing about your present kitchen?

• What would you change about each of the following:

• -Floor?
• -Counter/work space?
• -Lighting?
• -Storage?
• -Appliances
• -Traffic

• How hard are you and your family on your kitchen (wear and tear)?

• What would you like to show off in the new kitchen?

• What would you like to hide?

• How much money do you want to spend?

• If you had to pick a single luxury item for the kitchen, what would it be?

“When you’re a carpenter making a beautiful chest of drawers, you’re not going to use a piece of plywood on the back, even though it faces the wall and nobody will ever see it. You’ll know it’s there, so you’re going to use a beautiful piece of wood on the back. For you to sleep well at night, the aesthetic, the quality, has to be carried all the way through”.

- Steve Jobs

Beautiful White Entertainment Center

Banks Cabinets located in Springville Utah made this Custom Entertainment Center.
The crisp clean lines and finish help make this Entertainment Center really stand out

Crisp clean lines for a modern look