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Showing posts from January, 2012

Home DesignA Creative Kitchen Renovation in the Craftsman Style

The original kitchen was designed as a separate space that did not lend itself to interaction with the adjoining spaces.  There were three single openings that led to the dining room on the west, to the family room on the south and to the laundry and garage at the north.  A priority for the owners was to have more openness between the kitchen and adjacent spaces without sacrificing large amounts of cabinet and counter space.  ?? ? Existing Kitchen Floor Plan ???????????? ??????????? Existing North Wall Existing South Wall Maintaining some visual privacy in the kitchen to hide the working areas was also necessary. The owners also wanted to preserve the breakfast table area and bay window, redo the cabinets and counters, and replace the existing appliances in a way that appeared to be original to the house. ? ??? New kitchen floor plan    ?? ???????The design solution that worked best included changes to the plan that would increase the openings between the kitchen, dining, and family ro

Home DesignKitchen Trends: Common Kitchen Configurations

Kitchens are as diverse and different as the people who own them; however, most kitchens tend to fall into one of seven basic categories.  The seven most common kitchen configurations include Single Wall, Galley, L-Shaped, L-Shaped with an Island, U-Shaped, U-Shaped with an Island, and G-shaped.  Each layout has unique advantages and disadvantages, but they can all be well suited for particular applications. Single Wall Single Wall: While this layout is most efficient in terms of the amount of space needed, it is least efficient in terms of use. All of the appliances must be located along the same wall, requiring the cook to shift back and forth between them while staring at a wall the entire time. It is not ideal for entertaining since the cook�s back is turned towards guests and family members and it is difficult for more than one person to use this kitchen at a time. This layout does work; however, in cases where space is highly restricted or where the owner does not do a lot of co