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Your kitchen is one of the most used rooms in the house.  From storing food to cooking to eating to cleaning up after dinner—and all three times a day—the kitchen is a well-used place indeed. That’s why it’s so important to get a good idea of what you need and want in your new kitchen before you hire any contractor to do any work. This way, you and your contractor will be on the same page when you start your new kitchen.

Sketch up a Plan    

Even if you can’t draw well, you can still create a basic outline of your kitchen that will help you get a few ideas down on paper.  Start with a basic outline of your kitchen from above. Items to include:

• Cabinets
• Appliances
• Islands
• Doors
• Windows
• Lighting

Once you’re satisfied with the drawing, make a few dozen copies of the picture & use the copies to create new kitchen ideas.   The more ideas you have the better chances you have of getting the most out of your design.  Pick out your three best ideas and present them to your architect and builder to finalise your design brief.

The Kitchen Triangle    

The kitchen triangle is an important part of any kitchen design. The triangle in any kitchen is formed by three points: 

• Refrigerator
• Sink
• Stovetop

The kitchen triangle is the most used area of the kitchen space.  By keeping the triangle points within reach of one another, you can create an efficient cooking space that makes everything from preparing food to cleaning up as easy as possible.    

Appliances
 
One of the best parts about getting your new kitchen is when the new appliances arrive. However, before you take a trip to the local appliance store; consider this.  When many homeowners pick out appliances, they often impulse buy their favourite colour or style.  Things to look for when buying appliances: 

• Work Capacity
• Energy Efficiency
• Unique Features
• Size
• Storage Space

Countertops    

When we think of countertops, we think about colours and materials, but more often than not we neglect size and space.  Your kitchen counter space is critical in getting your daily kitchen tasks done efficiently.  Without the correct amount of counter space, cutting veggies, putting away groceries and setting out dinner plates can be difficult at best.  No matter what materials you use for your kitchen countertops, be sure the design layout and size is exactly what you need in your new kitchen addition.    

Storage
 
Another very important aspect of any kitchen addition is good storage.  Storage solutions that take advantage of dead spaces are just the beginning to good cabinet design. A good appliance layout can create storage spaces that work with the kitchen triangle, creating the ultimate efficient cook space. Unique storage solutions are the key to perfect storage in imperfect spaces. Some unique storage solutions include:

• Lazy Susan’s
• Pull out Trays
• Built in Drawers
• Built in Door Shelving
• Slide out Vertical Shelving
• Built in Recycling/Refuse Bin

Lighting    

Lighting plays the ultimate role in any kitchen design.  A good kitchen lighting plan involves a blending of task lighting sources and ambient light sources.  Task lighting like recessed lighting can focus the right amount of light on any kitchen surface.  Ambient lighting like fluorescents or skylights lends the perfect lighting source for the ultimate blend of kitchen light.

 

Tile floors create a clean and natural feel that opens a room and shows off design elements well.  Because they come in a wide variety of interesting shapes, styles, patterns, colors and materials, they are versatile enough to look great in any room or space. Flooring tiles work especially well in kitchens and bathrooms where a tiles sharp lines and flat surfaces denote cleanliness. With so many options available, it’s easy to see why it can be hard to choose between the many types of tile for those uninitiated in tile installation. Use this guide to help you make an informed decision when purchasing tile for your home.

Stone

Stone tiles have been around as long as stone tools, making it the most dated method of covering a floor in existence. Because stone varies from region to region, it comes in a huge selection of natural and exotic colors. After it is quarried from the earth it can be shaped into any size, making it a highly prized floor tile.

Marble, granite and limestone are all examples of stone tiles that can be used in bathrooms, kitchens, living rooms and bedrooms. While the materials may cost more than ceramic, the process of installation is virtually the same, keeping labor costs consistent with ceramic.

Ceramic

Ceramic tile is over 4,000 years old and can be seen in monuments all over the world. The Greek word for ceramic—‘Keramos’—roughly translates into the word ‘pottery’ thought to have derived from a Sanskrit word meaning ‘to burn’. Ceramic tile is clay that is fired into slabs at high temperatures several times; creating a glazed top that resists water well.

Ceramic tile comes in a wide variety of colors, shapes and styles making it a versatile product for design. Because the process for making ceramic tiles is automated, it can be made quickly and in bulk, making it an affordable and easy product to install.

Porcelain

Porcelain has its historical roots tied into the eastern culture of Asia and China. This white powdered clay has been mined for centuries for its strength and durability as that is demonstrated well with today’s modern porcelain electrical insulator. Porcelain is made from kaolin and petuntse clays. Petuntse is a variety of feldspar typically found only in China, while kaolin is white clay that forms when feldspar deposits breakdown. When the two ingredients are mixed and fired at extreme temperatures, it melts and petrifies into a nonporous natural glass.

Because porcelain tile is such a durable and strong product, it’s hard to cut. A diamond blade wet saw can’t stand up to the speed and agility of an experienced porcelain tile installer using a scoring cutter. By virtually breaking the tile, the installer quickly cuts tiles much faster than a wet tile saw. Chips and breaks easily occur when cutting porcelain tile, so buying an extra box might be necessary.

Mosaics

A mosaic tile can be made from ceramic, porcelain or stone but is cut into smaller shapes and glued to a fiberglass, paper or fabric backing into a mosaic tile design. Since the tiles are so small, they can be arranged into any pattern, style, design or mural. These tiles work great for shower enclosures and kitchen backsplashes as they are simply cut with a razor knife and easily adaptable to fit any custom width or length.

 

 

 

There are a good number of appliances that you used in your home on a daily basis. Some of them are built into your home, while others are not. While much time is spent choosing a floor plan, site location, wall covering, flooring, windows, and doors you will want to spend some time selecting the appliances that run your home.

The Built-In Appliances of the Home

While all appliances are important in a home, the ones that are actually built in and often require a professional to install tend to be the most costly. For this reason, you should spend some time finding out which ones will be most effective for you.

• Heating Source – It is important to find out which heating sources are acceptable for the type of home you are building. From there you will want to determine which ones are the most economical both in initial costs as well as maintenance and continual costs of use.
• Air Conditioning – Again, find out which brands provide the best bang for the buck. Consider your maintenance costs and what the cost to run it will be under normal conditions for your area and house size.
• Security – What are your family’s needs, there is a vast array of options available to you so taking the time to research is of value.
• Audio – Great emphasis is now placed on “home entertainment” the many facets that are available, worth considering as the relative costs are coming down and the value for money going up!
• Vacuum system – Great benefits from external exhaust, only need to carry hose around the house, works well in multi-story houses, all in all great value to your new or renovated home. Look at the suppliers, what their machines can do, how they are maintained and how they finish inside the building.
• Internet / communications – These areas of service are developing quickly and require good advice so that the work that is done now provides ongoing value in terms of service and cost.

Other appliances can be built into the home such as dishwasher, garbage disposal, even refrigerators and oven. These require consideration as well, but are not quite as imperative as the heating and air conditioning. However, you will want you have energy efficient appliances that visually fit the décor of your home.

Easily Removable Appliances

The majority of the appliances can easily be removed and replaced in the home. You may even have appliances that you will bring with you from your former residence to help you save a few bucks. There is no reason that you can not do that. However, take your new home’s décor into consideration when you make the decision to use your existing appliances or purchase brand new, you may want to look at the impact on the existing cabinetry, changes can be required to install? . The most common removable appliances include:

• Refrigerator
• Stove
• Microwave
• Washer
• Drier

Other Considerations

Although it does not exactly fall into the category of appliances, an important consideration is your computer and telephone capabilities. Because so many people spend much time for work or pleasure, and sometimes both, using the computer, phone and internet you should consider what services are available in the area that you intend to build. Find out if you will have easy access to what you need. If not, determine ahead of time how difficult it will be to gain the access you will need.

Once you have determined who will provide the services and how you will receive them, you may need to take specific steps to ensure that the necessary wires are run, receivers and transmitters are installed and everything is accessible in the area that you intend to put your home office.

Express any concerns that you have to your builder. He will become your new best friend for the planning and execution period of your home building project.

Appliances that Drive Your Home Successfully (31 KB)