Kitchen Design Show
Segment 1: Kitchen Design
You are in the kitchen with Christopher today! We will be talking about planning a kitchen renovation by touring the Expo Design Center.
Segment 2: Tour of Expo Design Center
Guest
Gina Linch
Expo Design Center
expo.com
Gina Linch, senior designer of the Expo Design Center in Westwood, CA takes us on a tour of the Home Depot Expo Design Center. There are more than 30 Expo Design Centers across the United States. They have online tools and designers at each location to assist you through the design process. The designers are there to explain the planning, budget and timetable for reconstruction of a kitchen. From concept to completion, the designers help plan your renovation and oversee the contractors they work with for the approximate 6 months time period for renovation.
Here are Gina's suggestions:
1. Bring a floor plan with dimensions, window and door locations and
what you want to change.
2. Take photos and bring them in. The visual presentation of kitchen
displays in their entirety in the store helps a person put together
a plan. The Expo Design Centers help customers relate to how the space
will feel in their own home and get them excited about the planning
process.
3. Have an inventory list.
4. It's ideal to have someone on site to inspect items as they arrive,
whether it's someone designated by the designer or someone designated
by you.
5. Provide a budget to the kitchen designer. You can get an adequate
kitchen for $30,000, a nicer kitchen for $40,000 and a fabulous kitchen
for $50,000.
6. Cabinets are the furniture of the room and the first to be chosen.
They are the most expensive and take up most of the space in the room.
7. Banks often approve loans for kitchen remodeling because they know
a good kitchen will add to the value of a home.
Segment 3: Cabinets
Thirty percent of your budget goes into the cabinets for your kitchen.
The Embassy brand gives you the flexibility to go semi-custom or custom.
You can take up to five pieces of the custom line without taking the
kitchen into custom pricing thereby getting the look of a custom kitchen
without the cost. There is a broad selection of cabinets, with the most
popular being the Shaker, clean style. You want to keep the design simple
because you will be multiplying it many times around the room. You can
always change the accessories in the kitchen which can be in brighter
colors. Inside the cabinet you want to go with a melamine interior.
This laminate is easy to clean and won't soak through to the wood. You
can add interior accessories (such as spinners, roll outs, interior
spice racks) at any time in the future. To reface the cabinets, make
sure you like the layout of the kitchen and expect to pay 75% of the
cost of the cabinet. Don't match the cabinets to the floor. Kitchen
islands should look like a separate piece of furniture.
Segment 4: Stylestone and Granite Countertops
You can use an engineered product or granite for your countertops. Engineered stone, called Stylestone, is 93% quartz, which is the hardest part of granite crushed down with added epoxies and colors. It is 100% non porous so it cannot stain or hold bacteria. It runs about the same price as granite. Stylestone has a more speckled look and is suggested for a more modern home. Granite has more natural irregularities and does well with a contemporary home. Both come in pieces measuring 4x8. There is no care to Stylestone whatsoever. Granite should be sealed once a year by using a spray sealer. . Granite is a little porous so you need to be careful with red wine, lemon and oils which will penetrate the surface. The more neutral are the most popular colors.
Segment 5: Surfaces in the Kitchen
The Expo Design Center can be a great way to get some good ideas, even if you don't buy a thing! They have 15-20 full kitchens set up which can give everyone great inspiration of what you can do with your own home. Consumer Reports latest issue gives the pros and cons on laminate, stainless steel, marble and ceramic tile surfaces. There is another article titled "Five Ways to Save Money Remodeling Your Kitchen" which gives information on how you can use granite tiles to give your kitchen an upscale look without the cost of real granite countertops.
The backsplash joins the cabinets and the counters together. Make this the focal point of the room because there are so many tile options available. Metallic is becoming very popular and comes in a variety of finishes. The countertop and backsplash should remain simple and match well.
The kitchen should be built around the appliances as some have oversized
hoods and other considerations. Most appliances are stainless steel
these days and it will never go out of style. You can conceal the appliances
by paneling them to match the cabinetry. The latest in dishwashers are
drawers that work independently thereby saving energy.
Segment 6: Refrigertors, Sinks and Faucets
The Thermadore Refrigerator is a true built-in and is 24 inches deep with the panel, meaning it is the same depth as the cabinetry. Buttons adjust the shelves among other features. You can also adjust the temperature of the crispers and it will notify you if the temperature is not correct.
In choosing sinks, most people choose the configuration of a smaller sink joined with a bigger sink, but it is a personal preference of which configuration a person prefers. You should not skimp on faucets which is the work horse in the kitchen. The retractable sprayer/nozzle is the most popular. You get what you pay for as the less expensive faucets are made with plastic parts that don't hold up over the more expensive metal parts which last much longer. There are some integrated sinks which are built in to the countertops, however they are not recommended as the sink should add another detail to the kitchen and it's a rather dated idea. Christopher recommends stainless sinks as they are very durable, won't stain and match the other stainless appliances now popular in the kitchen.
Segment 7: Lighting and Floors
People often overlook the lighting and forget it is a real design element. Think in terms of restaurants that have wash lighting and pin spot lighting. People do not look as attractive in big, bright lighting. A person half in shadow with the glow of a candle up lighting you looks gorgeous! You can create a real ambiance and feeling for the room with your lighting. Virtually all good cabinets have under cabinet lighting. For older kitchens that do not have enough room under the cabinets for strip lighting there are now light rails that can be added. They are a wood trim put at the bottom of the cabinet which creates the depth you need to add under cabinet lighting. Many companies have lighting designers which help with the many complications of creating a kitchen with great lighting. Have a good idea of the type of lighting you wish to have before consulting with a lighting designer. Altering the lighting can be a great change to a kitchen and makes all the difference in creating the ambiance in an area you want to linger in for a long time.
Flooring is the last item to be installed. The decision should be made
initially as there are many options. They include hard wood, tile, stone,
Amtico, which is vinyl
flooring that is very durable, and cork, which is a good, soft surface
for feet and is very durable as well as being environmentally friendly.
Composite floors, which look very similar to wood, are also a great
option as they are easy to install, and lock together so they don't
shift. You can paint or refinish your cabinets, rather then replace
them. However, it is very labor intensive! Update the hardware which
makes the cabinets look very contemporary.
The Lowell Down
- Layer 1: Think of your new kitchen cabinets as the room's architecture. And if you, like me, think the space above your upper cabinets is a waste, take it to the ceiling. Fill that empty space up with longer cabinets. As far as paint, look for colors that will blend with your cabinets by minimizing the contrast.
- Layer 2: When choosing your flooring, it's far better to match the floors in the rest of the house rather than to the new kitchen cabinets. This will provide these new communal spaces with greater continuity.
- Layer 3: When choosing bar stools to pull up to your new granite countertops, think comfort versus hip. Upholstered with backs is best because you'll be spending more time on them then you ever thought-trust me!
- Layer 4: Keep accents to a minimum and think of your countertops as the room's accent fabrics instead. As far as the window treatments, think in terms of wooden shutters that will match the cabinets for a visually seamless look that can withstand food and water.
- Layer 5: Begin the new life of your kitchen with everyday plates and serving platters that you don't mind having in full view. This will help you better plan your hidden storage space keeping essentials behind closed doors.
- Layer 6: Remember that counter space is a premium. So keep your decorative accents to a minimum. And don't choose decorative accents until you've used your new kitchen for awhile. Today, our small electric appliances are acting as this room's accent pieces.
- Layer 7: Lighting in a kitchen is key and no longer just utilitarian with its new front and center status. Think of how you want the space to glow in the evening with the dining room table full of guests just a few feet away.