kitchen
Accessible oven
Back-of-Door Organizer Expand your organizing possibilities with back-of-door shelving designed to hold bottles and jars one-deep. To make the most of this prime pantry space, use it to store your most frequently reached-for spices and staple ingredients. The best back-of-door shelves have guardrails (as seen here) so items don’t topple off every time you open and close the door.
After. Designer Lucie Ayres ripped everything out and started fresh, beginning with a slaphappy backsplash tile that sets off the aqua color (Serene Breeze by Benjamin Moore) on the custom cabinets. She kept the black-and-white theme going on the floor, but chose a cement tile design with more white than black to lighten things up.
If you’re a frequent baker, separate dry ingredients and baking paraphernalia that are used only when you bust out the bread maker or whip up your famous snickerdoodles. By keeping them together, you’ll be able to quickly figure out what you have and what you need for your next culinary masterpiece, and your space will be much easier to clean when you’re done.
. Don't fight with a small space. As much as I love an island in the kitchen, I also value space for moving around. If you have a tight kitchen, keep it as open as possible. You can always add a movable island cart that you can tuck off to the side out of the flow of traffic when it's not in use. As tempting as it may be to cram as much cabinetry and countertop area in as possible, it's just not worth it if that makes the space awkward to use.
The idea for this kitchen design, by M.J. Lanphier, was to have standard dining-table-height seating for the clients' children. The homeowners didn't want any chairs to be too tall for them, especially in light of the island's above-standard height of 36½ inches. A bonus of varying heights. This lowered table also provides a physical separation between the children's clean homework area and the food prep station. Though this table purposely can fit only two chairs for the two children, your own stepped feature can just as easily fit more with judicious leg placement.
Features that can be stepped up or down in a kitchen. Eat-at counters offer great benefits, as this one by Yvonne Randolph shows. The 12-foot island was divided in half to form a table-height eat-at counter. “The clients, who are in their 60s and entertain a lot, didn’t want the clunky effect of sitting at bar stools,” Randolph says. “They have a deaf son and daughter-in-law, so they decided to round the edge. It’s much easier to sign around a table without corners.” You don’t need to communicate through sign language to appreciate such a feature.
Having multiple counter heights is a great solution for multiple users. “I prefer to see more than one height of countertop in a kitchen, rather than all the counters raised up because the owners are tall, or all the counters lowered because the owners are petite,” Sundstrom continues. “Aside from making friends and family who may not share your same proportions feel comfortable when they are helping you, you also preserve your resale value.”
In addition to functionality, the new pantry is a design asset. Wendy came up with the idea of covering the sliding door with a magnetic chalkboard. “It’s a great way to post the recipe we are making and to leave notes for each other. It’s also become a place for guests to leave us notes for us to see after parties,” Scott says
or plan. Here you can see the easy work triangle and how the island serves as a workstation and social zone. “Their large traditional kitchen served these homeowners well for many years, but they are having lots of fun with their new look and all of the new features in their new kitchen,” Johnson says.
The island is 98 inches long by 28 inches wide and is 38 inches from the perimeter counters. It has seating on one side, which was important to the couple, and storage on the other. The work side of the island contains the everyday dishes and china, which are easy to access when unloading the dishwasher or serving. There’s an electrical outlet on the work side next to the baking station
Island. A striking Fantasy Brown quartzite waterfall countertop wraps around three sides of the island, creating a lovely view from the adjacent living room. A special must-have the homeowners carried over from their former home was a dedicated baking station. Johnson found room for it at the far end of the island. Its 32-inch height (compared with the 36-inch height of the other counters) makes rolling out dough easier.
transitional-style kitchen in their new home wasn’t providing it. And while the peninsula portion of the U-shaped kitchen provided some seating, it was cutting off the kitchen from the living room. “It was really just a cook space,” Johnson says. “There was no room for anyone else to join the cook within the kitchen without getting in the way.” Must-haves. The homeowners wanted an island with seating and a low baking counter, pantry storage, a large refrigerator-freezer, a cooktop with wall ovens and a TV that could be viewed from the island seating area.
A U-shaped island lets Jennifer work in the center with all her baking utensils in drawers and Kelly on the other side of the cooktop. There are controls for the cooktop on both sides.
uilt-in storage was another key requirement, and this pantry has plenty of room for packages and jars, with the wooden shelves inside looking as good as the exterior. “The larder was very important to our clients,” Ashwin says. “They wanted it to house all their food storage. It includes an integrated spice rack and bread drawers.” Hidden details like this extend throughout the kitchen. “There are pullout tea trays on one end of the island, and a TV is hidden behind bifold doors,” Ashwin says.
The dresser in the dining room houses all of the owners’ best glasses and crockery,” Ashwin says. “The center section is reserved for drinks. It’s mirror-backed with lights inside and has a pullout shelf for making drinks and cocktails.” The drawers and cabinet underneath provide plenty of room for napkins and tableware.
The little angled cupboard with a bifold door is a smart addition. “The owners saw it in our showroom and really liked the idea. It’s used to house everyday spices and oils, rather than having them sitting out, as there’s not much worktop space either side of the Aga,” Ashwin says.
The island includes a spot for cookbooks. An overhanging countertop means there’s plenty of room here for bar stools, which makes it the ideal place for family members to perch with a cup of coffee or a glass of wine.
Casual eating area. A banquette and dining table make for a comfortable place to eat when the couple’s grandchildren visit. The banquette cushion is upholstered in a green velvet that echoes the cabinet color. The homeowners found the antique oak table at a local shop.
Rounded on island. In this Minneapolis kitchen, squared-off cabinets at the perimeter maximize storage, but the curved shape of this island’s end zone offers a practical way to avoid uncomfortable bumps where people tend to hang out. As with the first example in this story, rounding the island adds to the room’s transitional feel, as do the speckled countertops and horizontal bar pulls on the cabinets.
This end of the island nearest the oven serves as a baking center. “The mom was a big baker, so it was important to the two daughters to keep Mom’s mixer,” Frees said. “I made sure they had a special place for it.” The mixer lives in the cabinet to the left of the panel with the outlet; the kids can pull it out and use it on top of the kitchen island.
5. A modern, colorful and global outlook. Another fabulous mix of styles and color. The colors and lighting are decidedly ethnic, but the walnut cabinets are earthy modern. What's interesting is that the tile is really simple and unadorned, but with that color mixed with the Venetian plaster feel on the walls, it looks more ethnic even without a specific pattern. The red bentwood cafe stools add a vintage flair, but in that color mixed with the turquoise tile, they take on a whole new language.
bkfst nook
dining room with booth
Pantry: Custom build a pantry cupboard. Well-planned storage makes efficient use of space and can help keep your kitchen organized. Consider a custom all-in-one pantry cupboard if you’re designing a kitchen from scratch. Install custom storage baskets for shelves and rail bars and baskets for cupboard doors to make the most of the space inside. A cupboard pantry can be used to store everything from food to china and kitchen equipment. And when the doors are closed, it’s all neatly out of sight.
many doorways
AFTER: The new plan shows how the kitchen got pushed into the dining space, allowing some breathing room. “What I love is that it’s not only a beautiful kitchen, it has great function too,” Jacobson says. “It’s easier to cook in, and it’s fun to be in too.”
0. Working sinks. Many clients are requesting sinks that double as work stations. These working sinks can be as small as 36 inches wide and as large as 80. Fitted with accessories like cutting boards, colanders, bowls and drying racks, they’re designed to improve function in the kitchen.
Ann McCulloch Studio SaveEmail In a storage bench. These clever dining benches often flip up like a trunk (above) or have built-in drawers for storage. A long drawer like this one has room for tablecloths.
Heartwood Kitchens SaveEmail In a cabinet. You can opt to conceal pull-out racks behind cabinet doors as well. Here, a grille on the cabinet door allows a peek at the cheerful fabrics inside.
Closet Factory SaveEmail Pull-out pants racks are another pantry solution that’s growing in popularity. A lot of these systems have the tablecloths hanging at this height so they are easy to store and retrieve. If they are stored in an open rack rather than behind closed cabinet doors, you will want to make sure they are not picking up any dirt or dust bunnies from the floor — remember to clean the area beneath on a regular basis. Pull-out Pants Rack, Hafele
n a spare closet or armoire. Houzz user Katie Greenwood shared this photo of her tablecloth storage solution. Because her kitchen doesn’t have room for tablecloths at the moment, she stores them in a nearby spare closet. Her organizational system is worth emulating. Tip: “I hated having to guess and remember which tablecloth fit with how many leaves in the dining table. So one day I measured and labeled everything. And I have the measurements for the table in the notes on my phone so I have all the info at my fingertips before I purchase a tablecloth or pull one out to iron,” she writes. “And hung this way they don’t need much ironing!”
11. Tablecloth storage. If you’ve got a lot of something, you’ll want a solid game plan for keeping it all organized. Houzz writer Becky Harris looked into several clever ways to store tablecloths — and the innovative approaches just might inspire you.
The team removed a wall between the kitchen and the dining room to unify the space. A long bench window seat was constructed in the dining room, with faux leather cushions that pick up on the blues used throughout the home. Lighting in the adjacent spaces is a mix of pendants and sconces in a variety of finishes and styles. The brass-and-glass globe chandelier adds an elegant midcentury touch over the table.
Two drawers on top of the counter offer additional storage and, now, a platform for a microwave and toaster oven (not seen in photo).
For more storage, Upton added built-in cabinets, including a window seat with storage underneath, in the adjacent dining room. She also added a partial wall to create a doorway and define the two rooms, something she likes to do in older homes to help make things feel as if they’ve evolved over time.
The sink stayed in the original location, while the refrigerator and range moved. The gas line was moved, and a new vent for the stove’s downdraft had to be routed through the floor and out an exterior brick wall.
new size:3/3 meters X 2 meters Customizable inserts maximize storage in every drawer and cabinet. Pullouts beneath the sink hold garbage and recycling bins. The microwave drawer helps keep the counter clear. “Most clients would rather lose a drawer than have a microwave on the counter or hanging below a cabinet,” she says. A new pantry around the corner from the refrigerator stores food and small appliances, such as a toaster oven and juicer.
Looking toward the kitchen from the living room, you can see the double-door pantry around the corner from the refrigerator and get a sense of the more open interaction with the dining and living spaces. “It’s a compact kitchen, but you never feel that way,” Rubin says.
From this angle you can see that Rubin was able to leave plenty of room in the dining area while adding to the kitchen.
To make small kitchen feel more open: 2. Hang your upper cabinets higher. For this 72-square-foot kitchen, architect Lauren Rubin hung the cabinets a little higher above the counter to give the feel of more space. Standard cabinets typically hang 18 inches/45.72 cm above a counter. Rubin hung these at 22 inches/55.88cm. (our cabinets- microwave 43 cm/ cabinets 66 (too high) bc of window/// “I find for small kitchens, hanging cabinets 18 inches above a countertop makes things feel small and congested,” she says. “You lose some storage, but it’s important to make those small spaces feel as light and airy as possible.”
Island storage: A quartz-topped island features a slim built-in cookbook holder that puts front covers on display. There’s also a wine fridge on the other end of the island.
Homeowners’ request: A fresh look with more functional space and a layout that would work for a busy household. Island storage: A transitional-style island features a bar fridge that perfectly fits the available end space.
Island storage: Cabinets painted coastal blue with a marble-looking quartz countertop. Four glass-front drawers on end with glass cup pulls. The drawers have a false back with storage behind so the homeowners can display colorful fruit, candy, pasta, cookbooks and more.
As you can see, a barmoire is an armoire outfitted to serve as a bar. And just like a freestanding cabinet you’d use for clothing, the doors close to conceal it all when it’s not in use. The mirrored back, glass shelves and bottle drawer make this custom piece a current Houzz favorite.
home bar into a spot you may not have thought of, such as a hallway or small alcove. The bulk of this bar is housed within the wall, with just a few inches intruding into the hallway.
3. Dark cabinets and brass hardware. In the modern butler’s pantry trend, this color combination is growing in popularity just like it is in kitchens and bathrooms.
Although it was a money saver, repurposing was not a decision made based upon budget constraints; it was common sense. “Why would we throw out all sorts of things that were working so well?” Giese asks.
These cabinets include a coffee and tea station with integrated outlets for the coffee maker and microwave, and the bottom shelf pulls out. They also include filing cabinets for schoolwork and other household papers. Retractable pocket cabinet doors tuck out of the way.
The new breakfast nook is enjoyed by the family and their guests. “Our clients grew up in India, so that influence came in through the colors and patterns, like the one on the banquette, which fits in [with] New England but also nods to India,” Giese says. The seat fabric is a durable vinyl, and the fabric on the banquette back has been treated to stand up to spills.
This wide drawer places multiple sizable bins side by side, while still leaving room in the back for the sink plumbing. Ultimately, the exact configuration that’s best for you will depend on your layout and your typical food waste, but a system like this that holds freestanding bins can always be reconfigured a bit down the line if your needs change.
This wide drawer places multiple sizable bins side by side, while still leaving room in the back for the sink plumbing. Ultimately, the exact configuration that’s best for you will depend on your layout and your typical food waste, but a system like this that holds freestanding bins can always be reconfigured a bit down the line if your needs change.
For example, this system uses four small angled bins, which allow for waste, organics, papers, and plastics and other recyclables to all go in their own compartments within one convenient drawer.
Here’s another smart take on this idea: a pullout chopping block (in place of a typical drawer) positioned above a waste pullout, with a simple hole to allow for trimmings to be swept directly into the bin. A great option for small kitchens, as the whole chopping station can be closed away when not in use, and the main counter can still be used for other things.
mediteranean color
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