Kitchen Cabinets

When renovating or remodeling a kitchen your choice of kitchen cabinets might be the most important selection you make. Cabinet selection is important for two reasons.

First, the cabinets you choose for your new kitchen will be the items having the greatest visual impact. In the average kitchen cabinets are mounted on or against at least two walls (or the equivalent), and perhaps more. Cabinets will also create the base for an island, whether designed for cooking or for casual dining. The cabinets you select will establish the design of your kitchen.

Second, the cabinets you select will account for about half of the total cost of your kitchen renovation or remodel. Although you can find and purchase cabinetry in a wide range of price categories, this is an almost universally applicable rule of thumb. Good cabinetry in not inexpensive. Most contractors and kitchen designers will agree that kitchen cabinets are not the place to scrimp when designing a new kitchen. Your cabinets will outlast your kitchen floor, your appliances, and possibly your countertops (depending upon the material you choose).

Kitchen Ideas

So you've decided to redesign your kitchen, and you're looking into themes, budgets, and contractors just like any other homeowner. But if you haven't been in the loop, you may be surprised at the range of designs now on offer. Do you go for an edgy modern kitchen or stick to the basics? Which one will suit your budget and lifestyle? If all the options are leaving you confused, here's a guide to some of the most common kitchen design themes and what they're like.

Traditional: A traditional American kitchen keeps things simple and utilitarian, but adds decorative touches whenever possible. Here, the "work triangle" rule is more prominent: the sink, stove, and refrigerator form an imaginary triangle where most of the work happens. Use this if you're a come-and-go cook who likes to keep things fast and efficient.

Country: Country kitchens are making a comeback after the straight, rigid designs that ruled the market these past few years. This theme is all about going back to basics. Lots of wood and warm light add a cozy glow to the kitchen, and natural materials such as stone and hardwood keep things sweet and simple.

Minimalist: If you have a large kitchen, try emphasizing that space with a minimalist kitchen design. Minimalist kitchens create the illusion of space by flushing most, if not all, of the items against the wall and leaving the central area blank, except for a small kitchen island if necessary. Neutral colors such as black and white are beautifully contrasted with splashes of color on the tile, walls, or countertops.

Classical: Ornate designs and intricate details are the main elements of classical design. Try replacing your cabinet doors with rich carved wood, or adding curved metal handles to cupboards and drawers. Use strong, warm lights and set it off with elaborate fixtures. If you have any kitchen furniture, go for wood or at least faux wood, preferably in a deep, varnished color.

Modern: Like most modern designs, a modern kitchen incorporates elements from several other themes. The key concept is customization: your kitchen should be customized to suit your lifestyle and personal tastes. Some must-have elements include natural elements, fast, user-friendly kitchen gear, and a smooth overall feel that's easy to clean and maintain.

White Kitchen

More often than not, you would choose a white kitchen renovation if you are a person who yearns for spotless and sleek design for your home space. Many homemakers now are choosing to cheer up their kitchens by designing it focusing on white as a binding theme. White is a very versatile choice of color. The best reason why white is often used because it projects a larger kitchen compared to the actual size. If your kitchen now is small, painting the walls white and getting white items can make your room feel larger.

Most of your times with your family and friends are spent in the kitchen, so the bright and clean tone of white can help you and your family or friends to have a comfortable and relaxing environment. This will project bright mood and will definitely make your day.

You can start working on your white kitchen by painting the walls with white paint. Never choose glossy white since it could be over reflective of natural light. Choose opaque white since this can blend easily with most furniture and accessories. Painting the walls with white paint is easy, but if you don't have the time you can hire services for the paint job during your kitchen renovation. It is okay to add other color shades other than white just make certain that they are only for accent and will not dominate the primary color for your kitchen.

Kitchen

Why choose a pretend play kitchen?

From all of the things you can buy for your favorite girl or boy, why a play kitchen?

First and foremost, it creates interactive play. It encourages imagination. It allows your child to role play and cook like Mom or Dad. This is a great way to play with your child, and a great way for your child to play with friends. And if you choose, you can turn kitchen play into a learning opportunity. Play food can be used to teach about different foods and nutrition. Also social skills can be practiced with serving food and play eating together. What sort of play kitchen do you want? Children's kitchens range from very small toy kitchens to very large and feature full. You can find a single unit kids kitchen, which include many appliances, to multi-piece kitchen play sets with individual appliances. Choosing a play kitchen set depends on the age of the child, your budget and your setting. It also depends on your personal philosophy. Where is that play kitchen made? Is it eco-friendly and made with sustainable manufacturing and fair business practices.

What kinds of play kitchens are available?

Single Unit Kitchens - These play kitchens include many appliances such as a stove, oven, microwave and sink in one unit. These units have a "front" and "back", so that they can be placed against a wall. Typically this style of toy kitchen is either a "assembly-required" wooden kitchen or it is made from molded plastic. A typical large, self-assemble wooden kitchen measures about four feet long, four feet tall, and about two feet deep.

Island Play Kitchen - These are stand-alone pretend kitchens. Children can play on all sides of these kitchens. Island play kitchens also feature various combinations of sink, stove, ovens and microwaves. Toddler kitchens are typically this style.

Complete Kitchen Play Sets - We are talking about a multi-appliance set here. There are separate toy stoves, toy refrigerators, toy microwaves, toy sinks, and toy dishwashers.

Table Top Toy Kitchens - These are small, typically "two burner" stoves, that are designed with portability in mind. These pretend kitchens can be moved from room to room and be used on a table, shelf or even the floor.

Natural wooden kitchens - These kitchens are made from solid wood and not particle board. Many of the "assembly-required" are made from laminated particle board and are still considered wood by the manufacturer. The natural wooden kitchens are typically made from spruce, pine or cedar. Many of these designs are more abstract in nature. That is they do not offer realistic detail; however, there is no mistaking that these are play kitchens. They usually combine a sink and stove and have moving parts. It is just that the details are left to the child's imagination.

Is my child old enough?

In a word, yes. Well, let's qualify that. Some kitchens also have small parts that may come off and pose a choking hazard for a younger child, so your child should be at least three years old. With a small child it is tempting to get a very small kitchen play set. However, a busy preschooler can quickly out grow the small toy kitchen. On the other hand, if you get a large play kitchen, it might overwhelm a younger toddler. You have to know your child, but you want to plan for growth.

A smaller child may not be able to reach the upper appliances on a large single unit play kitchen. On other units, the stove top or counter height may be too tall for the child to effectively play with the toy kitchen unit. Your choices are three-fold: buy a smaller kids kitchen and patiently wait until your child grows taller. Or, get a little step stool or bench, just like the one you use in their bathroom, to help the child reach everywhere in their kitchen.

Remember, children play with their kitchens for many years, so you probably want to buy a play kitchen as soon as you can and plan for growth.

From what material should the toy kitchen be made?

Wooden play kitchens are sturdy, durable and last for many years. They are less likely to crack, fade or warp as they age. However, assembly may be a challenge if it is a flat-packed unit. Wood makes a sturdy childrens kitchen, but sturdy means heavier and harder to move.

Plastic play kitchens are typically smaller and lighter than their wooden counterparts. They are easier to clean too. However, if the plastic kids kitchen is designed as a wall unit, as opposed to a free standing unit, it could be a tip-over hazard. And just because it is made from plastic, it does not necessarily mean it is cheaper. Nice plastic full featured children's kitchens may be more expensive than many nice wooden play kitchens.

Eco-friendly? Some of the wooden play kitchen manufacturers use sustainable harvesting and use no finish, natural finishes, or low V.O.C water based finishes.

Where are you going to put the play kitchen in your home?

A lot of homes do not have the area to accommodate a large toy kitchen or multi-unit kitchen play set. If you have a play room, multi-unit pretend kitchen set may work for you. If you have the wall space, then a combination single-unit kids kitchen will work. Otherwise consider a play kitchen island or table top toy kitchen.

Once you have decided where the kids kitchen will go, you need to look at the decor of the room. Kitchens come in all sorts of colors, shapes, and patterns, so you should be able to find something that matches or least does not clash with the room.

How long are you going to keep the kitchen?

If your play kitchen is going to hang around for a year or two and then head off to a new home, there's probably no need for a large, heavy, elaborate kitchen. On the other hand, if you intend to keep the kitchen for five or six years or more, you should get a sturdy wooden one that isn't going to fade or crack with time. If the kitchen is to be passed down through a progression of children and perhaps generations of children, a handcrafted, heirloom quality wooden kitchen would fit the bill. Where are you going to put the all the play kitchen accessories? Play kitchens beget play kitchen accessories. There are all sorts of play kitchen toys: pots and pans, small appliances, ovenware, aprons, kitchen towels, utensils, and pretend play food. Some play kitchen sets have more storage than other kitchen play sets. You may want to take that into consideration.