Before and After: Kitchen Design
Kitchen designed by Coastal Kitchen Interiors; Cabinets made by Shiloh.
You're dreaming of a new kitchen and you know pretty much what you want... so just order it and that's all, right? Well, there's a lot that goes in to kitchen design and it's always best if you seek a professional to do the job right.
If you're replacing cabinet for cabinet and leaving the footprint of the kitchen exactly the same then sure, you can just order those cabinets and go forward with your intended plan. Keep in mind that you'll need fillers, crown mouldings, and plenty of toe kick, too. Hmmm... maybe this is a bit more than you want to bargain for.... a consultation with a kitchen designer can help you get everything right the first time.
Sometimes having another set of eyes looking at your kitchen (or bathroom or media center or laundry room, etc.) will bring a new and maybe even better idea to light. Kitchen design professionals will evaluate your space and maximize the most efficient use of space within the constraints of your unique home. Tell us what is important to you - what you need or want most out of the space - and a designer will take that list of needs and wants and couple them with suggestions and concepts that will harmonize your space and maximize not only your space but your investment, too.
The photo above is a Shiloh kitchen we designed. In the photo on the left you see the refrigerator in the center back of the kitchen. The work triangle doesn't exist in this original design. The sink, dishwasher, stove, microwave, and refrigerator are all lined up, one after the other, on the same wall. If there is more than one person in this kitchen they should be able to dance well to avoid bumping into each other especially with hot pots and pans involved. The redesigned kitchen shown on the right shows the refrigerator has been moved to another wall and the kitchen island now houses the cooktop. Workstations are spread out where a family can all be in the kitchen working to create meals together. Each appliance has countertop space very close by. Another benefit of moving the refrigerator is anyone coming into the kitchen from the back hallway can now pass through the kitchen without having to wait for the person at the refrigerator to finish and close the doors to open up the passageway again. Simple, small changes greatly improved this kitchen.
Kitchen designed by Coastal Kitchen Interiors; Cabinets made by StarMark.
Here's another before and after photo. In this StarMark kitchen, appliances and cabinetry were not moved. Work stations were properly placed in the original design. The outdated overhead soffit was removed which allowed the homeowners to have taller cabinets instead. The beauty of this design: increased storage space! In the 'before' photo you notice the microwave dips below the bottom of the cabinetry flanking it but in the 'after' photo, the cabinets and microwave all line up for a clean look. This was achieved by making the flanking cabinets just a little taller which, again, increases storage space.
Storage space is always a premium and seemingly insignificant changes can effect storage space. For instance, the bottom cabinets in the 'before' photo clearly show four separate drawers but in the 'after' photo you see only two drawers. Truth be told there are actually two separate base cabinets between the refrigerator and the stove in the 'before' picture and in the 'after' photo, the same area is now occupied by one cabinet. Does this make a big difference? While the amount of physical space used has not changed, the usable space has. How? Not only do you gain the additional area that used to be between the two drawers but now the whole area behind the doors is open. If you're exchanging cabinet for cabinet, you would not have gained this bit of space but a kitchen designer is able to maximize the same area simply by changing from two cabinets to one. Another good feature: you'll save a little money also. More space and more money in you pocket.... maybe it is worth calling a professional!
Cabinet companies also have many whistles and bells available and these options are designed to make your time in the kitchen easier and more enjoyable. A kitchen designer will address your specific needs within the space of your kitchen like wheelchair accessibility or unusual height issues. A kitchen designer is also able to recommend better ways to access the space in a "blind corner" or how to de-clutter a spice cabinet by using a spice drawer instead. A professional is there to help you every step of the way.
New cabinetry in the kitchen is only one part of the equation - this is your kitchen and it should be the best for you that it can be. The expertise a kitchen designer can offer you should be ways to make your kitchen appealing, comfortable, and efficient with lots of storage and function. They should be able to offer advice on what works and what doesn't and this advice should be based on the experience of working with previous clients needing kitchen design work. They should make recommendations based off of current trends and help you visualize your new kitchen. Your kitchen designer should also be able to work in tandem with your contractor to make your kitchen dreams come true.
Give us a call today and speak with one of our kitchen designers so we can help make your dream kitchen a reality. We're here to help you and we want to make your kitchen remodeling job as easy and painless as possible.
