Universal Design means planning the spaces that everyone finds easy to use. Kitchen design is a sea of opportunity filled with potential. There are certain areas that require consideration when a homeowner is remodeling or renovating the kitchen. It is important to ensure the basic principles of kitchen design are kept in mind, while incorporating innovative ideas. Once found only in the rear of the house, today’s kitchen design takes the kitchen out the background. The challenge for kitchen design is in creating a more open-faced kitchen that is part of a dining area, a family room or a great room.
Kitchens need a personality and a look and feel that can liven up the senses in addition to being a functional place for the preparation of food. The French Country Kitchen design is one of many classic kitchen design themes that you could consider. Tuscany a region in north central Italy is known as a warm place almost year round and Tuscan kitchen design should reflect this. In Tuscany families tend to eat and cook together. A good kitchen design should have sensible work triangles and the right appliance arrangements so it will be easy to move around.
Family
The design of a kitchen, the settings and the appliances vary from one person or family to another. The design will depend on how large the family is, the size of the kitchen, the lifestyle of the family and how much time is spent in the kitchen. There is no place in the house that is used more often than the kitchen. The kitchen is the nerve center of any family’s operations; meals are created there, snacks prepared, often it is the area where the family will get together.
Color
When choosing the color for the curtains; make sure that the color is bright and matches to your kitchen textures. Painting is the easiest and most affordable kitchen remodeling jobs and can easily alter an existing kitchens environment. Fresh, clean walls in a neutral color are best. You will want to consider a neutral color, and two accent colors. Color is an important place to start the design process. Color is very important design element for kitchens and bathrooms since it plays an important role in affecting our moods.
Space
The design will depend on how large the family is, the size of the kitchen, the lifestyle of the family and how much time is spent in the kitchen. Another important thing to consider when designing your kitchen is how much walking or moving space is needed. One key solution to maximizing kitchen space is to think beyond borders and don’t be limited by the designated dimensions of your kitchen. Appliance placement, kitchen traffic and your necessary workspace are all practical concerns. For example, do you really need an extra table for dining. If so, then design around that idea that the space will be for dining.
Flooring
Vinyl kitchen flooring is a very popular choice by homeowners with it’s multitude of colors and patterns as well as it’s ease of installation and cost. These floors are very durables, scratch and dent resistant. When selecting kitchen flooring, it is a good idea to select something that has elements of beauty and durability. Kitchen flooring can accent the counters, cabinets, and appliances. However kitchen flooring must be able to take everyday wear and tear such as spills and heavy traffic.
Cabinetry
The type of kitchen cabinets you have are an important consideration in regards to the overall kitchen design style. The cabinetry can have a powerful effect on the design of your kitchen. Custom cabinetry is available in both traditional and contemporary styles as well as many wood types and colors. Cabinetry should feature open shelves for displaying your ceramics, as well as baskets, and cooking utensils.
Cook
A properly designed and organized kitchen is not only lovely to look at, but is also a wonder of efficiency, convenience, and function. Any accomplished cook will tell you that one of the secrets to achieving culinary success is to have a properly designed and equipped kitchen.
Kitchens need a personality and a look and feel that can liven up the senses in addition to being a functional place for the preparation of food. The key to a successful kitchen design is the complete understanding of the true needs of the intended user.
Hello Helen,
Here is a program that you can use to 'visualize' your interior design scheme. It's free to try for 15 days, I have this myself, it's very user friendly. I'm not sure about 'cut out' templates though, I think this might be helpful to you. If the link doesn't work down there, the program is called Punch Professional Home Design Suite. Good luck.
It's your kitchen, just tell her where you want it. It is common to have them side by side though
I just went to this one last night, HGTV, click on kitchen design. I am going to be renovating my kitchen in the near future. They will give you basic layouts to choose from, they also have some finished kitchens to get ideas from. You can also put in your rooms dimensions and select cabinets, appliances for the layout of your new kitchen. You can sign up and it will save your designs and plans so that you can go back and make any changes until you are happy with what you have, then you print it out. Good luck, from what I hear WE are going to need it!
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You probably want your production to flow, just like a factory floor. You don't want people trying to go around each other and getting paths crossed when trying to get food from the coolers or freezer, you want one area where people are preparing food and can pass it off to the waiters without crossing the path of the cooks or busboys. You want the chef to have access to all the ingredients and pots and pans easily accessed.
You want each person to be doing what they do best and not mixing routines.
Basically you lay out the floor pan so that the flow of food from the refrigerators and pantries and food processors goes directly to the chef and then handed off to the preparer and then to where the waiters can get to the plates and deliver them without traipsing thru the kitchen
'Kitchen backsplash ideas'
Designing a kitchen is as much a science as it is an art. Knowing the recommended measurements to use when planning the project can make all the difference in the final outcome.
Here are important guidelines for your kitchen design project.
1. For efficiency, the work triangle (the space between the sink, refrigerator, and stove) should measure 26' or less with no single side longer than 9', or less than 4'.
2. In kitchens smaller than 150 sq. ft., opt for at least 13' of base cabinets, 12' of wall cabinets, and 11' of countertop. In kitchens which are larger, go with at least 16' of base cabinets, 15 1/2' of wall cabinets, and 16 1/2' of countertop.
i also found the great link about the kitchen especialy kitchen backsplash ideas for u..
ARTICLES 1 : Tips Kitchen Design articles
http://kitchen-backsplash-ideas2.blogspot.com/2008/12/kitchen-backsplash-ideas-10-important.html
ARTICLES 2: Simple Kitchen Backsplash Ideas For Your Kitchen
http://kitchen-backsplash-ideas2.blogspot.com/2008/12/simple-kitchen-backsplash-ideas-for.html
ARTICLES 3:Value For Kitchen Backsplash Idea Tile
http://kitchen-backsplash-ideas2.blogspot.com/2008/12/value-for-kitchen-backsplash-idea-tile.html
Sources
Kitchen Backsplash Ideas Blog
http://kitchen-backsplash-ideas2.blogspot.com/
It's called 20/20 Twenty twenty
arch 101
An efficient work triangle in the kitchen doesn't have to be equilateral but it does help to keep it reasonably close. Measure the distance between the 3 major work areas, sink, cook top, and refrigerator. Total the distance between the three. The optimum distance should be between 12-21 feet. In an equilateral triangle that's 4 to 7 feet per side. There are other things to consider such as how many people will be cooking at the same time and is there enough space to accommodate all persons comfortably.
I would search into google: "ikea kitchen software", they have a great piece of 3D software for kitchen designing.
Google Sketchup will work very nicely. It's the program I use to design cabinets for clients. IT's FREE!! Good Program!!