HOLIDAY KITCHEN

Hi all,

I've been away a while helping a friend with their showroom in
the Bronx, NY. It is a great showroom to visit. If you are
ever in the Bronx, drop in to Morales Kitchen/Bath Center
1862 Jerome Ave, Bronx, NY


Now...is your kitchen ready for the holidays?

If not, I will show you what to do to get it ready for
company and all the cooking you will be doing.

The kitchen is the heart of the home. During any
holiday gathering, we all know, that everyone gathers
in the kitchen to chat, munch and just be together.
Be ready for your guests by following the few basic
points below:

-Clean all your kitchen cabinets a few days before.
-Check all your light bulbs are working
-Clean off all countertops and put away any clutter
-Change out the knobs and handles on the cabinets to make
the kitchen look updated
-Buy some new kitchen towels to add a splash of color
-A day or two before, prepare some nice appetizers and
finger foods. These will keep your guests happy until
the main meal is ready.
-Make a fun punch for the kids and adults to drink in cute cups

Most important...pace yourself and enjoy the day. Don't stress.

Kitchen Materials

Modern Crystal Custom Kitchen-
Courtesy of Crystal Cabinetry's site



Ok,vacation is over and it is back to blogging.
I missed all of you. Hope you are enjoying your
summer and getting lots of projects done around the house.

The material choices for kitchens is incredible.
Of course, your first decision is going to be the
cabinets. However, just to decide on the cabinets
you will have to consider the following:

-Framed or Frameless cabinet construction
-Custom, semi-custom or stock
-Full overlay, partial overlay, or inset doors
-Stain, paint, paint with glaze, distressing, rubbing
etc. for the finish of the doors.
-Cherry, maple, oak, laminate, veneer, pecan, alder, birch
or some other wood
-Wood construction, particle board or a combination
-Solid wood or particle board drawer construction
with or without dovetail joints
-what type of glide for the drawer-self closing undermount,
epoxy coated aluminum side mount, or full extension
-What accessories in the cabinets- roll outs, tray dividers,
cutlery dividers, garbage bins and many more.

There are more but I do not want to make you crazy.
That is the job of the kitchen designer!

Then you have to think about the counter tops, sink, appliances,
faucet, flooring, electrical, plumbing, backsplash and accessories.

Not to worry. With a little time and patience it will all come
together. You will need a notebook to keep ideas in and jot down
materials you see that you are interested in. Also, time on the
internet to research.

I will go over some of the materials on the market, give you links
to some product websites that I think are interesting and go
over some of the pros and cons of different cabinet types.

Stay cool!

Starting

Ok, so now I have gone over some of the basic kitchen
design layouts. You might think that remodeling a
kitchen is no big thing! Well, you are wrong. It
takes a lot of preparation and research to really narrow
down what you like, who you want to design it, what style
of cabinetry you think you will like for 30 years and
which contractor to work with.

I will go over some of the basic questions you will need
to ask yourself and others:

Yourself:

What appliances do I want? Appliances really make the
design of a kitchen.There are so many choices and sizes.
The kitchen designer will need to know
which appliances you want to be able to know how much
space there is to design with.

What is wrong with the current layout?

What do I absolutely have to have in the new design?

Are there any special needs or considerations to keep in mind?

What is my budget? Am I willing to go over it to get the
look I want? Do I have an extra 10-15% for problems or delays.
Remember that a kitchen remodel doesn't always go smoothly.
Eating out or ordering materials that are
more expensive than first estimated will add to the bottom line.

Designer:

How are you paid?

Do I get to keep the plans even if I do not order from you?

Is there a deposit?

What is the payment structure?

What is the manufacturers warranty on the cabinets?

What is the construction of the cabinets? Can you tell
me the difference between full overlay, partial overlay,
frameless, framed and inset cabinets?

I have a wish list, would you like a copy?

Do you need my appliance choices? Of course any good designer
will start by asking this question, because it directly impacts the design.

Contractor:

What is your payment structure? Is it time and materials or a
flat rate and I buy the materials. Construction materials like
dry wall, electrical parts, plumbing items, paint, etc...

Do you pull the permits for the job?

Are you licensed? If so, get a copy and the number.
If not, do not work with them.

Do you have insurance? If so, get a copy sent to you from the
insurance company. If not, do not work with them.

Do you have references? Check them by calling and going to see the work.

How long do you think the job will take? It is never an exact time.
However, it should be correct within a week or two, if the cabinets
arrive in good condition.

Once you decide on the layout, cabinetry style and manufacturer,
kitchen designer, and contractor, you are ready to start your job.
You should get a permit from your township. It protects you by having
inspections done of the various stages of the job. You will also not be
fined in the future when the town reassesses properties. Usually homes
are re-evaluated for tax purposes every 4 years or so.

In future blog posts I will go over some of the many material choices
you will need to make for your kitchen remodel.

Take good care and enjoy the day!

The Island Kitchen

Photo from Crystal Cabinetry.

Crystal is one of the premier American
manufacturers of custom and semi-custom quality cabinetry.





The Island Kitchen is the most popular look of all the various kitchen designs. It is the one that everyone wants. The problem is that many people decide they want it even though they don't really have the space for it. Builders often include an island in a new construction because it sells the home more quickly. However, I have seen too many cramped kitchens,with islands that don't work, to tell you that you need to really think about the space and the way you want to use the space before deciding if an island is right for you.

I went to the home of a friend that bought a gorgeous 2 million dollar home, only to find that the kitchen was very poorly designed. They put an island so close to the refrigerator(with seating on the refrigerator side as well) that you had to stand sideways to open the $7,000 sub zero refrigerator. No rules had been followed and she had to just live with it.

Yes, there are many rules to follow in kitchen design. I will go over most of them in future posts. However, the most important one is space allowance around an island. For the side of the island with seating you should allow 60" of space. Why so much...because when someone gets up they need more than 2 feet of space behind them. If there is a passage way or aisle, then you need to allow 36" for that = 60". On the work sides of the island you need a minimum of 36" clear. However 42-48 is preferable. These space allowances are studied to allow appliances to open (dishwasher door and range or oven door) and for someone to pass while someone else is working.

The other really important thing to remember when designing with an island is that the work triangle needs to be on the same side of the island. The island should not bisect the work triangle. This is for ease of use and practicality. If your island obstructs the work triangle, you will need to travel further and not have easy use of the space.

The Galley Kitchen

Photo from Channel 4






The basic galley kitchen is actually very efficient to work in. Everything is at arms length and easy to work in. I had a galley kitchen many years ago and loved it. The children were small at the time. So, when I needed a little peace and quiet, I would shut the doors to the kitchen and have some quality cooking time.

The galley kitchen consists of two walls of cabinets and appliances across from each other. The work triangle can be quite efficient. The one draw back is the lack of counter space. Unless it is quite a long space, the galley is usually lacking in counter prep area. With a little creativity though, it can be a very attractive and inviting design space.



You can find more information on designing a galley kitchen at the link below:

http://www.channel4.com/4homes/design-style/design-byspace/
kitchen/how-to-plan-design-a-successful-galley-
kitchen-09-01-27_p_3.html

Welcome back. Now for the U shaped kitchen. This can be done in a few ways. The U can be formed with 3 walls or it can be formed with two walls and a peninsula at the end. If the space is large enough, an island can also be added for more space.



This is the best of all the layouts for the most efficient work triangle. When you have the refrigerator, sink and range at optimal distances, your work in the kitchen seems so effortless!


A peninsula layout is great for doing a breakfast bar or table. People love to congregate in the kitchen, so why not give them a place to sit!

If its Wednesday, it must be floor plan day on my blog. What is a floor plan and why is it such a big deal in kitchen design? Well, a floor plan or layout is the basic shape of the kitchen.

There are a few main types:

The straight wall
Example of European Kitchen
The L shape

The U shape

The galley

The Island kitchen

The Peninsula


Today I will touch on the Straight kitchen

The straight wall kitchen is usually found in apartments. It is one wall of cabinetry with the refrigerator, stove and sink all on the same plane. This is as efficient as the space allows. Usually, it does not allow for a great deal of storage or counter space. There is no work triangle, since everything is lined up straight. However, it can still be designed in an interesting way. Colors can be mixed, cabinets can be staggered in and out and wall elevations can be varied up and down. Cool accessories can be added to add space, such as: pull out table or cutting board, accent lighting and a backsplash hanging rail system to hold cooking utensils, cookbook or other items.

Keep checking back for more info. on design. Feel free to ask any questions you like about kitchen design. I will try to answer. Don't forget to invite your friends to follow my blog and my Facebook page.

Have a great evening.

Carla

THE WORK TRIANGLE

An example of a good work triangle in an L shaped kitchen with an island.

These are Georgetown cherry colored cabinets from JSI Cabinetry. They are all wood and look great!






What is a kitchen work triangle and why is it necessary? This is really the main starting point for any kitchen design. The work triangle is a guide line of design principles developed over many
decades by the University of Chicago, the National Kitchen and Bath Association
and other organizations that concentrated on daily use of the average kitchen.

The TRIANGLE is the space formed between the refrigerator, sink and range or
cooktop. This space should not be obstructed or bissected and should not be longer than
26 feet in total length. Why? Well, this is the main working area for any cook. You should
be able to work without interruption, have plenty of counter space and easily move between
the appliances and water supply.

Now, look around your kitchen. If you like your work triangle and it works for you...great!!
If it doesn't then, you may want to consider changing your kitchen.

Tomorrow, I will talk about some basic floor plans.

Kitchen Basics

Ok, so now I know how to return to my blog and post more. What a sense of
accomplishment!

Where to start in Kitchen Design? The first step is really taking a good look at the space.
This sounds easy but it really isn't. You will find that looking at a space, that you live in daily,
with an impartial eye is really very difficult. Take a good look and decide what you most like and
dislike about it. Also look on the other side of walls, to see if the space could be enlarged or
altered in some way. This is useful if your kitchen lacks natural day light, enough square footage
or you just want a more open and modern floor plan.

Next step is to get a sense of your design style. How do you know what you like with the incredible selection of styles and choices that are on the market? There is also the option of full custom cabinets with infinite possibilities. Well, the best way of judging what appeals to you is to do some research. Look at neighbors kitchens, buy magazines, search kitchen design photos on the web and also look around your house at your decorating style. Usually, what appeals to you will almost jump off the page.

I would recommend you take all your research to a Kitchen Designer to discuss design options based on what you like and the space you have. In future blog posts I will go over the basics of good design, material choices, mistakes to avoid and how to choose the right designer and contractor.

Have a great day. Remember that you can always ask me questions. I would love to hear from you.

Welcome to the 'Dear Kitchen' blog that I just started. My name is Carla Gaeta. I have been in the kitchen and bath design field for over 14 years. My experience spans Europe, South America and, of course, the US. I have decided to start this blog to share with people some of the knowledge and experience I have accumulated. On it, you will find help and ideas for your kitchen and bath questions. Kitchen and bath remodeling is excruciating. Most people
do it once in their lives, if that. Why...because it is overwhelming and confusing. Most people are really afraid to make choices, do not know what their design style is, and are petrified to work with a contractor and/or designer.

The key is to gather information, get recommendations and do some research. This blog will give you tips on how to work with the trades, what are the cool trends in design, how good design can make or break the project, and how to stay on budget.

It is so much better to have knowledge before the project starts than to find out their was a
better, cheaper, and more attractive way to do the job after it is installed.

So, grab a coffee, take a seat and follow me on the journey of a lifetime....

Don't worry, it will be fun!!