Finding The Right Kitchen Island

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The kitchen is one of the highest traffic areas in the home and, because of this; most people want their kitchen to look absolutely beautiful. One way that people have added a touch of style to their kitchen is by adding an island. This not only provides more space for kitchen tasks to be performed, especially if more people are in the kitchen than normal, but it also provides a great look that makes the kitchen look ideal.

If you are looking to add an island to yourRX-iStock10023775_Antique-kitchen-island_s4x3.jpg.rend.hgtvcom.1280.960 kitchen so that it has that style you desire, here are some things to consider when you are making your decision.

First, you want to ask yourself if an island will even fit. If it will, how big of an island can you have? These are very important things to consider first, because there will be several questions you will need to answer later, but space is the important first factor to consider. If you do not have the space you are literally wasting your time if you are considering some of these options.

Once you have determined the availability of having an island, the next thing to ask yourself is what you want to use your island for. Some add a sink or an additional stove or oven to their island. To do this you will need to be able to have water and electricity or gas to provide water to the sink or electricity or gas for the stove or oven. If this is not possible to get these sources, then you need to think of other options.

Many decide that they want a little refrigerator in their kitchen island. While there is a larger refrigerator in the kitchen, some still like the added refrigeration space that is literally just at their fingertips.

While things like sinks and stoves are ideal accessories to the island, most choose to add a kitchen island for functionality. People need additional space for a variety of functions that extra space helps to be able to accomplish. The two most common functions of the kitchen island are cutting and storage.

People like the idea of a large central location that they can cut up vegetables, fruits and meats to use with meals. Usually the counter space can be too small of an area to do a lot of cutting on, and so the island becomes the ideal spot to do this. This is especially true because it does not require contorting one’s body to be able to cut at the right angle to accommodate cabinets and angles of the kitchen. The island is an open area that makes cutting much easier to do.

Kitchen islands also contain drawers, cabinets and hangers that can be used for storage. This can often double the amount of storage space to hold utensils, pots and pans, towels, cleaners, and all those odds and ends you stuff in a drawer. The possibilities are virtually limitless, and this is one of the primary reasons why people like the kitchen island so much.

5 Reasons to Replace Outdated Kitchen Appliances

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Tired of staring at that old dishwasher and trying to cook on that outdated stove from the 80’s? If the stain on your refrigerator door is older than you, it may be time to head to the recycling center. Here are 5 good reasons to replace those outdated kitchen appliances.

Older Appliances Can Be a Safety Hazard

Just because an older kitchen appliance is functional, that doesn’t mean it’s safe. The more use something gets, the more likely it is to have hidden issues. Fire, electrical, and other safety codes change over the years as people gain more education. Newer appliances will be up to code and you can recycle the older ones to help offset the cost. Be sure to remove the doors, harmful bulbs, and the like on items like refrigerators. Then, recycle or dispose of them properly.

Add More Appeal to Your Kitchen

Because appliances take up a good amount of space, they often end up being a focal point in the kitchen. Wouldn’t you much rather have your guests see something shiny, new, and stylish? That’s a much better vision than to look at your banged up dishwasher or a refrigerator that’s missing a handle or drip pan. More people are upgrading to fancier wipe-clean cooktops and leaving behind those old stoves that are a pain to clean.

Make Adding Newer Cabinets and Countertops Easier

If you ever decide to change your countertops or cabinets, it may prove a difficult task when you have older appliances. This is because pre-measured counters and cabinetry will come in sizes that fit newer styles. Sure, you can get them custom-measured and that can be a great option. But once they’re in there, newer appliances will show them off better than something that is outdated in style, function, and condition.

Newer Appliances Have More Features

Have you ever gone into a store in awe of all of the new features available on appliances? Older appliances just can’t compete when it comes to function and even style. There are options for just about every budget, style, and lifestyle. They even come in a large variety of colors to match with every kitchen you could imagine. Having kitchen appliances that actually work how you need them to doesn’t have to be the stuff of dreams. You might be surprised at how affordable it is to create your dream kitchen.

Newer Appliances May Be Healthier

Let’s not forget to factor in health. Older appliances may still be functional. But that doesn’t always mean using them is good for you. Consider chemical or gas leaks you may not see or smell. Carbon monoxide exposure is one dangerous possibility. When it comes to older microwaves, it is advisable by the FDA to avoid using one with a door that closes improperly, is dented, or is damaged or cracked in other ways. The older a microwave oven is, the more likely it is that risky damage has occurred and it may be leaking dangerous microwaves that could be harmful to your health.

Should You Follow the Latest Kitchen Trends?

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When you’re researching options for your new kitchen, it’s easy to get excited by the latest design trends. It’s also just as easy to become overwhelmed by all of the different options. We recommend you consider the latest ideas in kitchen design, but not necessarily take them as gospel. You don’t want to end up with buyer’s remorse in the long run. We approach every kitchen design with your whole house in mind, and help guide you through the decision making process.

Eastmoor Columbus Kitchen Remodel

 

In our experience, it’s best to take certain aspects of kitchen design and apply them to your own uses and personal style. Whether you’re into traditional, contemporary or other styles, try not to pigeonhole your kitchen into one particular type.  A kitchen remodel is a great opportunity to improve the value of your home, but to also create something you enjoy with your family. While going through our detailed design build kitchen process, we help you navigate all of the decisions that need to be made, and we will help identify any potential design decisions that may affect resale of the home.

It’s true that some design styles can be timeless.  All over Ohio, we’ve seen many styles of kitchens, but many of the best kitchens tend to mix timeless with the modern in a complementary way. Our expert designers work hard to make sure elements flow seamlessly in a design.

One growing trend to always keep in mind however are green solutions. Believe it or not, despite how trendy environmentally friendly materials have become, the prices are becoming more reasonable and locally sourced products can will sometimes be comparable to foreign products.

For homeowners who do not know where to even start, we can help guide you through different kitchen styles, a variety , my team and I keep up with the latest trends and can help you identify what aspects work best for you. We’ll help you to choose the best possible features you can fit into your budget. The end result should always be the best possible space for you.

Giving Your Kitchen The Ideal Look And Feel

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A beautiful kitchen makes a happy home no matter whether you are a mom, dad, son, daughter, grandma, or guest. A beautiful kitchen can become the showpiece of a home, which is perfectly ideal. Since the kitchen is oneof the highest traffic areas of any home, it is a real good idea to make a home a real showcase.

To do so, there are several different styles of color coordination and patterns that can be followed. If you are looking to remodel your kitchen, here are some of the options you can choose to make your kitchen that showcase you have always wanted.

Contrasting Colors– Many likeWorthington Kitchen Remodel the idea of selecting colors are opposite to one another on the color wheel. If you look at a color wheel you can see that colors are grouped according to the primary colors. Selecting colors that are diverse from one another can give an interesting look, which makes the kitchen kind of fun. For example, cherry red cabinets can be contrasted with green walls. If brown is the color of the cabinets, blue would make great wall colors.

Harmonizing Colors–in contrast to the contrasting colors idea, harmonizing colors are ones where the color schemes are chosen from areas of the color wheel that are in the same area. For most people they choose colors that are very close in shade to one another. White walls could have pale aqua or salmon cabinet colors, ivory appliances, and light yellow wallpaper schemes. These make for a great blending that looks so good because there is such a subtle difference between the different variants.

Speckling – one thing that many like to do is to choose to add speckles to the colors they are using for their kitchen. Often they select just one color for most of the items, including the appliances, cabinets, countertops and walls, then different colors of speckles. This allows the kitchen to have a very common look, yet different. Speckle colors on the wall can be different than that on countertops. It is a great look for sure.

Extreme Cabinet Colors – This works especially well if the cabinets are dark like a mahogany or a ebony. When light colors are used on the walls and appliances, the dark coloring of the cabinets makes for a very unusual look that contrasts so well because there is a real consistency in the way that the kitchen is designed. Light colors make the kitchen look cheery, while the darker cabinets add elegance and a high quality look. You’ll love it.

Accessories – In this look the kitchen is colored with different hues chosen depending upon the material. For example, all the walls would be one color. All the trims around the walls, flooring, windows, and ceilings would be another color. Cabinets would be a third color. Appliances a fourth. Countertops a fifth color. If there are bar stools or a breakfast area, it gets a sixth color. In fact, any furniture would be that sixth color. This kind of coloring makes the kitchen uniform and different. It is a clever look.

Making The Right Choice For That Home Improvement Project

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Making some additions or changes to your home can be a fun venture. Adding a new room, building a space above the garage, redesigning your basement, and expanding the kitchen are just a few of the things you can do to turn your home into an even more amazing castle. For those looking to do a project like this, the challenge comes in finding the right person to do the design and then looking for someone to actually do the work. This can be a lot of trouble, or it can be the ideal solution depending upon how you want to look at it.Worthington Kitchen Remodel

You should be aware that there are two different methods you can use to make the improvement: Design-Bid-Build, and Design-Build. The method will be determined by how much involvement you want in the project itself. Let me explain this to you.

In the Design-Bid-Build option, the homeowner finds a company or contractor that will do the design of the improvement. The homeowner then finds a different company that will actually do the work. These companies submit bids to the homeowner on what it would take for them to do the project based upon the specifications designed by the designer. Once a bid is accepted, the company that won the bid does the project.

This is the ideal choice if the homeowner wants to be more involved in the project itself. By selecting both the contractor and the builder, the owner gets to ensure that those who are involved in the project are right for each piece. There are some concerns you should be aware of, which I will come back to. In the Design-Build model, the company that is chosen to design the project is also the company that builds the improvement itself. This takes away an additional step the homeowner and streamlines the process.

While both have their benefits, there are some challenges that arise with both options. In the first option there is a great deal of limitation on the part of the home owner to make adjustments to the project on the fly. Consider that if a new room was being added onto the house. If, while the room was being built, the homeowner noticed that a window would have been ideal on a different wall there is little to no room to make the change. The builder did not design the room, and so you would have to go back to the designer to get the plans changed, and then get the builder to agree to make the change. That may not happen.

In the second option this is less of a concern. The owner can simply approach the designer and ask for the change, and since they are also the builders, it is less of a challenge to make this happen.

However, the second option comes with some challenges as well. Most importantly, a designer may not be as good of a builder, or vice versa. You may not be able to get as quality of a job done with choosing one company to do both pieces.

Adding an improvement onto your home can be great, and now that you know the benefits and pitfalls of both this will hopefully aid you in making an informed decision.

Read More about design build here: https://scotthallremodeling.com/design-build-services/our-process/

 

Some Tips on Finding the Right Appliances for Your Kitchen

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Getting anything new can always be fun. Going out to a get a new car or looking for a new house has an exhilaration written all over it. New computers, CDs or books don’t have the same pizzazz as a new house or car, but entertainment stuff is always a grand thing to buy. Buying things, especially when you can truly afford to do so, is just fun and we all known fun is good!

Even getting new kitchen appliances can be fun. While it lacks some of the luster of entertainment, fun, a new refrigerator, stove or dishwasher can make your kitchen really sparkle and add a whole new look to one of the most used rooms in your home. It can be just as much fun to see it rolled into your home and placed along or under your kitchen countertop. New stuff is just a fun endeavor for sure.

If you are in the market for new kitchen appliances understand that there are some things you need to do ensure that your new appliance doesn’t become a new pain instead of a new solution. It just takes a few simple things to do on your part.

The first thing to consider is space. Does that new double-door refrigerator fit where your old one did? Refrigerators come in all shapes and sizes and so you need to take some measurements before you go and buy. The last thing you want to do is to buy something that simply does not fit. This is true of a dishwasher, stove, microwave, or refrigerator. Make sure that length from the wall out into the kitchen meets the dimension of the appliance as well. You sure don’t want your dishwasher sticking out five inches from your counter.

Next make sure that the appliance works with your current setup. There is no reason to get that amazing gas stove if you have an electrical hook up there. It can be quite costly to change over, and would not be worth the added expense. In some homes the kitchen is equipped for both, but you need to make sure first. A refrigerator that has a water or ice machine is no good if there is not a water hookup behind the refrigerator. Check these kinds of things out first before you buy.

You also want to make sure that electrical outlets match what the appliance needs for power. Most use a regular wall socket for current, but this is not always true. Some electric stoves require special sockets.

Lastly, ensure that the appliance does not require more power than your outlets can handle. This is especially true if you have an older home. The wiring in your home simply may not be able to handle the demands of the appliance, thus you will frequently encounter overloads, or maybe even pose a fire risk. Check to see if there are drains on the power supply before you risk your home in this way. You will be glad you did.