Designing your kitchen with your family in mind calls for specific planning, the planning process of one with kids and one without children may differ dramatically. Remodeling your kitchen to be a family-friendly modern kitchen must take into account what your family need currently is at this time in your life. Do your children like to help cook or are your children the type that run in and out the kitchen quickly between their sport activities? No matter how your children use the kitchen, there is a way to include your children in your kitchen remodeling plans.

Safety comes first when designing your kitchen around what your family needs. Does your child like to cook with you? A great addition to your kitchen for the little one that desires chef-like responsibilities would be a modern island built away from the stove so that your child has room to work in a safe manner. If you don’t have the space for a kitchen island making one counter space, far away from your stove, lower than the others helping your child to work safely in their own cooking space. Lower counter top will give them more comfortable and enjoyable working surface.

More kitchen safety, place knives out of reach and make sure your water temperature is lower than 120 degrees F. Another great addition to your modern kitchen would be buying a cold to touch induction cook top. Make sure you install child proof locks where needed. Many appliances have child proof capabilities already.

Most families use microwave ovens but microwaves are usually in the worst positions to begin with. Most homes have microwaves close to the oven, even above the stove. The best location for a microwave oven for the family-friendly kitchen is away from the stove and within reach of your child. A below-countertop microwave, drawer type, is safer and more functional. It is hard for a child to safely reach above the stove, especially while food is on the stove. Staying safe and making your kitchen work for you is the idea when making a family friendly kitchen.

Deciding to remodel your kitchen is an easy choice. The floor is worn. The cabinets are outdated. Your refrigerator is small and your oven runs hot. However, now that the decision has been made, what should you do?

Your first step is to determine exactly what about the room needs fixed or updated. Clean out your cupboards and de-clutter the space. Determine if you need more storage. Decide which appliances will need replaced.

Next you should review magazines, books, and showrooms to decide exactly what you would like in your new modern kitchen. Which colors do you prefer? Which styles complement your home? Is there a particular pattern or texture that you favor? Consider contacting the professional design team at Today’s Kitchens for an extensive analysis of your needs and assistance in choosing a style specifically for you.

Professional designers can assist you in joining function with fashion. Experienced and trained individuals will help determine a satisfying color palette with woods and finishes that work in harmony with the overall design. Architectural styles will also be established. The Today’s Kitchens staff can help you establish which appliances you need and the best choices for your space and budget. With a professional’s help, your kitchen will feel like home. You will no longer need to search for items in your cupboards, nor wonder why the plates are stored so far from the dishwasher. Everything will be as it should. If your newly remodeled kitchen is done right, your kitchen chores will be simpler and your life will be easier.

Remodeling a kitchen is said to be the most challenging yet the most exciting phase in any home improvement project. It is challenging because literally there are a great number of design options one needs to consider. Design options can vary from a more traditional kitchen, a classic kitchen, a contemporary kitchen to something more of a modern kitchen. Whatever design option appeals to the home owner it is worth noting that this is just the beginning. One still needs to consider the type and quality of materials to be used, the cabinets, the kitchen countertops, the flooring, the sink and the appliances that would go well with the kitchen. A kitchen layout should also underline the kitchen design and should answer questions related to the placement or arrangement of the components that will make up the kitchen. The design option selected addresses the aesthetic part while the layout addresses the functionality and utility aspect of the kitchen.

The exciting part of any kitchen remodeling project has a lot to do with the home owner being involved in almost every aspect from the planning phase up to the execution phase of the improvement activities. Most home owners would have already painted a picture in their minds on how they want their dream kitchen to look like even before the project starts. Being involved while the project is in progress not only allows home owners to provide input for slight modifications but it also gives the owners a glimpse already of how their kitchen is slowly being built according to their expectations. In most cases, home owners also enjoy having a say on the type of cabinets to be built down to the very intricate detail of selecting certain types of cabinet handles. It’s like shopping because you will be given a catalogue containing the materials to be used except that in this case, you won’t immediately pay for your purchase. At any rate, kitchen remodeling is fun and it’s a good way for us to explore our creativity as we actively provide input or as we passively critique how the job is being completed. In any case, one should consider partnering with an experienced and reputable company to deliver quality services before any of these can be possible.

Your dream kitchen

We all have a dream in which we want our kitchen to live up to. Some prefer something of a traditional kitchen design while others prefer a contemporary kitchen. Then you have others that don’t want either and who are looking for more transitional options for their kitchen design. What does this all mean, what does one look for in these different designs?

Traditional kitchen décor usually consist of very straight lines with country like appeal including wood and rustic details. In a traditional kitchen one would see maple, pine, oak, birch or cherry cabinetry. Handles often are made of iron or bronze. Countertops often made of soapstone, granite, or laminate. Colors are often those of reds, blues, and yellows. Flooring usually is tile or beautiful wood planks.

Contemporary kitchens are much different in that of a traditional kitchen, usually having straight grained woods for cabinetry like maple or birch with an acrylic finish or gloss. Handles are usually stainless steel. Countertops are often natural stone, quartz or concrete. As for colors that make up a contemporary kitchen one would usually see many options. Floors are usually made of concrete or cork.

Transitional kitchens often include modern and traditional styles into one, a fusion of two worlds. Cabinets usually are maple or birch and often include two different colors, one for the cabinetry and one to accent the cabinets. Handles are often like that of a traditional kitchen being iron or bronze. Countertops more like a modern kitchen being granite or quartz but often including wood as well to make it stand out. Colors of this kitchen design are usually bright and stand out as well. Floors are usually wood in this case.

Different kitchen designs and styles to suit many dream kitchen seekers, what will be your kitchen design. Please share by commenting below.

Twelve Kitchen

Your house is a gathering place for quaint parties with a few friends or large get-togethers with extended family. You feel that your kitchen – while an important part of the house – should not look like a traditional kitchen. Your mother’s kitchen counters are crowded with small appliances such as the toaster, a coffee pot, the blender, a griddle and more. A microwave is mounted under the cabinets and a hulking, mustard yellow refrigerator is against the wall. There are rooster salt and pepper shakers on the kitchen table. The cookie jar sings when you put your hand inside. While this style suits your mother perfectly, you do not want this kitchen. You want a room that is the opposite of your mother’s kitchen. You want Twelve.

Twelve, by Today’s Kitchens, is the result of meticulous research into a design of minimal horizontal thickness and maximum width of surfaces. The freedom inherent in the modular arrangements allows you to create an un-kitchen. You can assemble a room that is free from the clutter of small appliances. The large appliances, such as the refrigerator and stove, are inconspicuous as they fit seamlessly into the wall.

Twelve contemporary kitchen is an exceptional mix of chrome and wood, a cheerful co-existence of light and dark. It lends itself as a perfect room to gather for an intimate dinner party, a boys’ poker night, or a romantic dinner for two. Available in a variety of materials and finishes, this modern kitchen can be personalized for your taste to complement your home.

Minimal Kitchen

Sometimes we race through life, working to earn money to spend it on items that we don’t ever use. Setting goals for your life will center you on where you need to be now to get to where you see yourself in ten or twenty years. Gina Parris, a blogger and life coach (http://www.ginaparris.com), recommends making a timeline of your life to help you get to your future. Write down important events in the last ten years and then expected events in the next ten, including major birthdays, graduations, and anniversaries. Then fill in where you would like to be – a new house, a new job, ten pounds lighter, back to school, or whatever goals you might have. If you know where you want to be, it is easier to set a course towards it, rather than floating aimlessly.

This idea can also apply to your current life and living conditions. Is the “stuff” in your life overwhelming you? Do you spend too much time organizing and cleaning up? Then maybe it is time to reconsider your goals. If you can remove the clutter, you’ll end up spending more time doing what you want rather than sorting through the excess. If it’s not something you use regularly, then throw it out or donate it. Resolve not to bring in new items that will become clutter. Do you really need that item, or are you only getting it because it is a bargain? If you make the right choices, your home will be clutter-free and you will be stress-free.

The Minimal contemporary kitchen offered by Today’s Kitchens is completely functional while utilizing the minimalist style. Light, clean, and simple with a bold and exciting feel. The integrated handles for the cabinets and drawers add to the effortless beauty. Select from an array of different woods, finishes, and other materials to make the Minimal contemporary kitchen your own.

Resources:

http://www.ginaparris.com/

Simplicité Kitchen

In these tough economic times of lay offs and business closings, many people are being forced into learning a valuable lesson. That lesson is that less is often more. With the high flying business era in the 80s and the Dot Com boom that followed, many people began to work longer hours. In doing so, they left behind valuable family or personal time in search of more money and additional possessions. Bigger cars – SUVs and Hummers – began crowding the roads. Larger, new houses began popping up in suburbia, leaving the rental market packed with empty houses. People began buying more and more fashionable clothes at higher and higher prices.

With the large number of people out of work, and many others with less working hours, people are seeking out a less expensive way of living. A simpler way of life. They are trading in that gas-guzzler for something that is a little more fuel efficient. Rental homes are becoming scarce and the house prices are plummeting. Many people are shopping at discount stores and refurbishing things found at garage sales. With their spare time, people are rediscovering hobbies like sewing and woodworking, and they are creating useful items for their homes that otherwise would have been purchased.

This “less is more” ideology is sweeping the nation as even those who are not in danger of unemployment find the joy in living simply. Owning less “stuff” offers the opportunity for greater organization and higher quality items.

Simplicite from Today’s Kitchen offers a minimalist design for a clean, organized modern kitchen. Designed by Wm Ohs kitchen and cabinet design company, this transitional kitchen breaks away from the ornate to rely on the simplicity of marble, stainless steel, and horizontally grained woods such as beech, white oak, mahogany, or walnut. Simplicite proves that less truly is more.

French Provencal Kitchen

Located in Southern France, the region of Provence has a perfect, Mediterranean climate with sunny, dry summers and mild winters. With its many rivers, highest peaks, and location adjacent the Mediterranean Sea, Provence is a perfect vacation spot. Luxurious villas touting traditional architecture and ambiance dot the area. The landscape is timeless and the view is breathtaking. This region of France is hard to leave and even more difficult to forget.

Today’s Kitchens make it possible to take Provence home with you with the French Provencal traditional kitchen style. The custom cabinets and rustic design are reminiscent of the quaint country homes. The colors of this style mimic the hues found in nature. Sunflower and lavender are abundant in landscapes in southern France. The garrigue landscape supports plants such as sage, rosemary, and wild thyme, as they are able to thrive in the limestone soils of the region. With aromatic spices so readily available, it is no wonder that such fine food emerges from the area. Unlike typical French food, Provence cuisine has both Greek and Italian influences with a focus on olive oil, herbs, and tomatoes.

The French Provencal classic kitchen is the perfect place to recreate those Mediterranean style dishes so prominent in the Provence region. The distinct scents drifting from the pots on the stove will mesh flawlessly with the view of rustic textures and wood-carved natural motifs that are just some of the authentic features of this design. Well-built, beautiful cabinets and counters will complete your dream kitchen and bring a little piece of Provence to your house.

Resources:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Provence

http://www.foodreference.com/html/art-provence.html

French Country Kitchen

One of the most popular choices in interior design is based on the quaint towns in rural France. The rustic look, the comfortable feel, and the bright colors are all captured in this chic design that is especially welcoming in a traditional kitchen design. Colors that one might find in a spring field – such as soft greens, brilliant yellows, shades of orange, and rusty reds – make for an inviting place to sip coffee and catch up with a good friend. Fabrics with pastoral scenes, trees, and roosters are commonly used, as well as plaid and floral prints. Some fresh flowers and wrought-iron accessories only add to the welcoming look of the French Country design.

With the help of Today’s Kitchens, you can feel like you are living in a southern French town each time you enter your kitchen. The use of vivid colors and rustic woods create a beautiful living space that is both modern and classic. Open cabinets and glass covered doors give an airy, country feeling. Use of the wrought-iron chandelier and bar stools add to the unique style. Add the your favorite colorful accents. Use bowl and vases with sunset colors – bright reds fading to golden yellow – as decorations on your shelves or behind the glass doors. Acquire rooster salt and pepper shakers at the antique market or perhaps toile drapery and a plaid table cloth.

So prepare your meals in a classic kitchen design that is the bold, vibrant, and cheerful. And don’t forget to bring home a bouquet of colorful wildflowers to help develop the country style that is fitting your French Country kitchen design.

Napa Classic Kitchen

Today’s Kitchens offer the Hamptons Classic kitchen and custom cabinets as a tribute to the East Coast. The Napa Classic is our homage to the West Coast. Home to rolling hills, fragrant flowers, ocean views, and endless vineyards, Napa is a beautiful country to visit and even better to call home. The Napa Valley is one of the most prolific and certainly most famous areas for wine production in the United States. With a history dating back to the nineteenth century, the area is currently visited by about five million people each year.

The Napa Classic transitional kitchen and custom cabinet design perfectly replicates the style of the Napa Valley. Deep stained woods with simple, yet elegant molding on the cabinet doors and drawer faces provide a sophistication that is timeless. The golden doors, like a sunny wrought-iron gate, create a scenic view into the wine rack cabinet. The style is reminiscent of an entrance gate into a vineyard at the turn of the century. With plenty of room to house the best wines from the Napa Valley or from your wine cellar.

So pour yourself a glass of wine produced on the West Coast, such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Merlot, Zinfandel, and relax in your Napa Classic kitchen by Today’s Kitchens. Romance is inevitable when you surround yourself in this stylish transitional kitchen design. You can almost feel the breeze from the Pacific Ocean rustle your hair when you envelope yourself and your home in a style that is truly one inspired by the Napa Valley.

Resources:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Napa_County,_California