Category: Kitchen

Recent Blog Posts

June 16, 2021 No Comments

How to Prepare Before Meeting With Your Kitchen Designer

You’ve booked an appointment with your kitchen designer and are excited to begin. But before you meet, there are a few things to consider so you’re ready to answer your designer’s top questions and make the most of your time together. Your answers will help shape the design and construction plan of your new kitchen. Your preferences will help your designer create the best possible design for you and your home.

Know the 'why' behind your project.

Are you looking to renovate your kitchen for better function, to finally achieve your dream of having a full “chef’s kitchen” or are you hoping to improve your home’s value? Knowing why you’re investing in your kitchen will help your designer understand how best to meet your needs.

Have a rough idea of your budget.

The cost of renovating a kitchen can vary widely. If there is no limit on cost, then dream away! However, if you’re like most, you’ll have an approximate budget in mind. By understanding your budget, your designer can steer you toward choices that fit your priorities while keeping costs in check.

Think about what isn’t working in your space.

Grab a pen and paper and walk around your kitchen. Do you remember a time when you wanted to change something? Does the natural path from the fridge to your usual prep space have any obstacles? Have you bumped into corners while carrying items from one spot to another? Do you wish you had a place for everything you typically need to fix a meal? These are just a few of the things you need to share with your kitchen designer.

Have an idea of when you want the project to start.

If you’ve been thinking about renovating your kitchen for a while, you may be excited to get started but building a plan that works around other renovations and life events is an important consideration. Are you hoping to have a brand-new kitchen to show guests on a special occasion? Do you have a baby due, a wedding or a milestone birthday coming up? Be sure to let your designer know your ideal start date and about events that may affect the timing of your kitchen renovation.

Collect photos of spaces you’re attracted to.

Can you see yourself living in a French chateau, a mid-century modern bungalow, or a rustic cabin? Your designer should be creating a space to fit your style, not their own. Collect images of home interiors that please your senses and make you feel joy. Your designer can take inspiration from the images to ensure you get a kitchen style you love. Look for inspiration on websites such as Pinterest and Houzz, and in magazines.

Working with a designer is a collaborative process. Preparing for your first meeting together will help your designer create a kitchen that suits your needs, style, and budget!

September 18, 2020 No Comments

What About the Kitchen Work Triangle?

When you start researching how to plan your kitchen, the first item that will come up with the Kitchen Work Triangle. What this means is the location and spacing between the fridge, stovetop and sink. This space planning method was developed in the 1940’s to maximize the efficiency of the cook in the kitchen, while also starting to standardize construction and reducing costs.

This set of planning principles has many rules. Each item is to be no less than 4 feet apart, but no farther than 9 feet. All the sides of the triangle should not exceed 26 feet. Corners or other obstructions should not interfere with the triangle.

This planning strategy was great for a long time. But a lot has changed since the 1940’s. We’re not designing for single cooks in the kitchen anymore. Often there are multiple people performing various tasks – making coffee, chopping vegetables, using the cooktop, washing dishes, etc. Many families are wanting a more open concept to encourage the kitchen to be a social space. This means there are less walls to work with and we need to be more flexible and creative with our design.

So what’s the new strategy of kitchen space planning? Creating zones for each activity to happen in the space. Each family uses their space a little differently but the main tasks being performed are Food Prep, Baking, Cooking and Cleaning.

At the prep zone, you need a sink to wash and some countertop space to work. The baking zone needs a good deal of counter space plus proximity to the oven(s). To cook efficiently, you want to have at least 18” on each side of your cooking surface. To plan your cleaning area, you’ll consider your food waste placement, sink size and style, and dishwasher location.

There are activity zones, but there are also storage zones to keep in mind. You likely want to locate the dish-ware near to the dishwasher, as well as towards the eating area. Food storage can be grouped together – both the pantry and refrigerator. Don’t forget the cookware and bakeware, and plan for them to have homes close to where they will be used.

Then it is time to consider the extra activities that are happening in your kitchen. Maybe a small desk is what you really need to keep the family organized. Or maybe coffee is king in your household and an espresso station is a non-negotiable. Or maybe it needs to have a TV, a charging station, or a bar area. Those are the items to keep in mind to make the space really suit your needs.

Let’s agree that the Kitchen Work Triangle model had a good run, but isn’t applicable to the way we now use our homes. Plan your kitchen so that it best suits the way you live, move, and enjoy your space for many years to come.

August 5, 2020 No Comments

Learn Your Countertop Options - Part II

Wood/Butcher Block

Butcher block tops offer a warm, natural look and are available in a wide variety of species including oak, maple, cherry and beech.

PROS:

DIY Installation
Relatively easy to clean
Can be sanded and resealed

CONS:

Requires oiling to maintain
Mid range pricing
Can be scratched and damaged by water
Bacteria can be a problem if not maintained

Glass

Yes, you can have glass countertops! Often used as an accent as the colour, texture, and shape options are endless!

PROS:

Unlimited design options
Low maintenance
Options for creative lighting

CONS:

Expensive
Can chip or crack

Concrete

Concrete countertops are an option if you’re looking for something truly unique and industrial. Be prepared – these are very heavy slabs!

PROS:

Colour can be added with acid
Scratch and heat resistant

CONS:

DIY not recommended
Very expensive
Porous surface
Cracking and crumbling can occur

Stainless Steel

Stainless Steel is a modern / industrial choice that could be the right choice for your space. You can have your sinks integrated into your countertop.

PROS:

Impervious to heat
Easy to keep clean
Regarded as ‘luxurious’

CONS:

Very expensive
Noisy
Easily scratched

Soapstone

Countertops made of soapstone have a beautiful soft, aged look. This material is often used in historic homes.

PROS:

Rich colour
Heat resistant
Gets a “patina of age”

CONS:

Must be professionally installed
Easily scratched and dented
Must be oiled regularly

Sintered Stone

This is the newest product on the scene. Brand names include Neolith, Dekton, and Geoluxe. Sintered stone is a man made product. They use 100% raw materials (no fillers or resins) that are compressed under massive pressure and heat to mimic what happens to create natural stones.

PROS:

Indoor or outdoor use
Scratch and stain resistant
Heat and fire resistant
5x stronger than granite

CONS:

Edges can be susceptible to chipping
Must be professionally installed
Comparable in price to quartz
Pattern may only be on surface

July 21, 2020 No Comments

Learn Your Countertop Options - Part I

When renovating your kitchen or bathroom you have many choices for new countertops. I’ve chosen the 12 most popular options and will share the pros and cons to help you make your decision. Here are the first 6 options.

Laminate

Laminate countertops are often referred to as Formica, but there are other popular brands such as Wilsonart and Nevamar. The most common type of laminate tops are called ‘Post-form counters’ which are a plastic laminated synthetics which is shaped and bonded to a particle board core.

PROS:

Easy to maintain
Low cost
Many designs available
DIY installation is possible

CONS:

Visible seams
Not heat resistant
Can be considered too ‘cheap’
Scratches cannot be repaired

Tile

Tile countertops offer so much creativity for design and layout, or the selection to keep it simple as the photo above.

PROS:

Easy to clean
Inexpensive
Possible to DIY
Unlimited design choices
Heat resistant

CONS:

Grout can stain and be difficult to maintain
Tile can crack or break
Surface can end up uneven
Is not as valued as solid stone

Acrylic

Acrylic countertops (also referred to as solid surface) have been around for about 50 years. They are composed of acrylic and other resins that are pressed into sheets and other shapes. The most popular brands are Corian, Avonite and Swanstone.

PROS:

Invisible seams
Easy to repair
Integrated sinks are available
Stain resistant
Many patterns possible

CONS:

Easily scratched
Not heat resistant
Moderately expensive
Must be professionally installed

Granite

Granite slabs are slices of natural stone cut from the earth, so each piece is unique. If you are looking to have a statement countertop, granite is an excellent choice. As there are so many different designs, there is a broad range in price for granite slabs.

PROS:

Heat resistant
Adds value to home
Very strong and durable
Thousands of natural designs

CONS:

Requires sealing to resist staining
Professional installation only
More expensive
Can have natural imperfections

Marble

Marble is a timeless and beautiful material and may be what you visualize when you picture a new kitchen or bathroom in your home. But marble is not the easiest surface to live with.

PROS:

Beautiful veining
Adds value to home
Heat resistant

CONS:

Easily scratched
Easily stained
Expensive
Must be professionally installed

Quartz

Quartz countertops are comprised of up to 93% natural stone, the remainder being the colouring and resins that are proprietary to each manufacturer. Popular brands include Cambria, Caesarstone, Hanstone (Canadian), and Silestone. Quartz bridges the gap between natural stones and consumer wishes – the look of natural stone without the natural imperfections.

PROS:

Easy to maintain
Stain resistant
Adds value to home
Consistent and excellent patterning

CONS:

Must be professionally installed
Expensive

March 10, 2020 No Comments

Induction Cooking

When you are choosing to renovate your kitchen, it is often the time you are also choosing to upgrade your appliances. New fridges are different sizes, new dishwashers are much more powerful, and there are new cooking technologies to consider. I am a big fan of technology, and always want to learn about the newest and greatest products for your home.

Let’s talk about Induction cooking. Now available in both ranges and stand alone cooktops, induction cooking is slows transforming the marketplace for several reasons.

What is induction cooking?

Induction cooking is when you are heating the cooking vessel itself (your pot or pan) instead of the electric we’re all used to where the elements heats the glass, which heats the pot or pan.

How does induction work?

When alternating current is passed through the coil of copper wire it creates a magnetic field. This magnetic field transfers the current to the nearby ferromagnetic materials (your pan).

This means that your pots and pans need to have iron in them – and it’s easy to check. Just take any magnet and see if it sticks to the bottom. If so, you’re good to go!

What makes induction so great?

Control – Temperature changes are instantaneous as you don’t have to wait for the element to cool down or heat up. Temperatures are precise, you’re not just guessing by the flame height, and you’re able to achieve a true low simmer which is not possible on most gas ranges.

Safety – As shown above, the cooking surface doesn’t get hot. The only chocolate melting is in the metal pan! This makes the cooking surface safer for both children and seniors. Also most units have a safety stop built in that will not even allow a pot to boil dry.

Efficiency – Induction cooking offers about 85% energy efficiency, compared to electric maxing out at about 70%. Gas cooktops lose a lot of heat and are only giving you about 40% efficiency.

Cooking area – Traditional cooking methods have set areas where you need to put your cookware. With some of the new induction surfaces, you can place the vessel, no matter the size or shape, where you wish!

Care & Maintenance – Because the surface doesn’t get so hot, it’s easy to wipe up spills as they don’t instantly burn to the surface. One of the vessels that loves induction is a cast iron pan, but you might be worried about scratching the cooking surface. No problem – just slip a silicone baking mat under your pan! This will keep your pan in place and prevent damage to the ceramic top.

What’s next?

There are new countertop materials being installed so that you will be able to integrate your induction cooking. The kitchen of the future is fluid and multi-purpose, and this is going to be a major part of this movement.

Is induction right for you?

Stop in at your local appliance store to learn more. Many of these centres will also have live demonstrations so you can try it out yourself!

Jackie