KITCHEN DESIGN TRENDS
I Spy with My General Contractor’s Eye…
Who doesn’t love a kitchen? I know I do. We all know when there is a party, dinner or just a general get-together, almost everyone for some reason ends up in the kitchen. We are eventually shooed away and advised that it is now time to take our seats. But we all look longingly towards the kitchen!
Why is that? Why do we instinctively head to a kitchen at a party and feel secure and comfortable in this area? Some may say that this is where one finds glasses, the tap/faucet, the fridge for liquid refreshments/beverages, and lastly, where the food is either being made or displayed.
During most parties, I see people bumping into each other and using that favourite Canadian phrase, “Sorry, sorry, do you mind if I squeeze by”! We know that although it is the best place to be at most parties, after a while, the tight quarters whilst navigating within the kitchen makes for uncomfortable moments and is somewhat claustrophobic.
So we leave to another room, rather reluctantly.
However, as a general contractor I usually look at all parts of this heralded room and try to think of how it could be better, what is the colour, what style is the kitchen, how are the drawers made, what are the cabinets made of, are the doors traditional or modern, are the shelves level, what type of island, what are the countertops telling me, where is the sink located, what are the handle types, how is the kitchen triangle, and on and on.
I Spy … Colour
There are trends and then there are trends and then there are classics. There are timeless classics such as an all-natural wood kitchen and the all-white kitchen. There are colour trends that suggest and date the kitchen to a time period (Hello Grey from 2015!) There are trends that make people stand back and say wow that is bold. Again these all look great but eventually they date the kitchen in a matter of a few years. Sometimes, those trends do return after a long absence just like brass fixtures that died in the 1980s and were resurrected recently. As the adage aptly states, what old is new again!
For many homeowners and designers, there is only one colour that seems to work the best for a classic look - white. Now don’t get me wrong. White is great but which white are you going to pick? There are a few whites kicking around that are the white flavour of the month! Some people simply hate white as it shows off every smudge and seems to attract dirt etc. I will reflect on this too in the door and drawer front section.
The colour issues I notice are where uppers and lowers are a different colour and also the island (another completely separate item to be dealt with later in the blog) may or may not match the uppers and lower cabinets. This can be complicated but a knowledgeable interior designer will make good use of the colour wheel and ensure that colours are complementary, work with each other and differentiate and articulate cabinet and island and the countertop.
I Spy … Style
The first thing I notice is the overall look of the kitchen and what is the kitchen design type as compared to the rest of the house. I look to see if the kitchen is its own separate entity or a statement piece. Also, I try to ascertain whether it is traditional or modern, farmhouse or cottage, rustic or craftsmen. When reviewing a kitchen layout or kitchen design, I want to see how it makes me feel, whether I feel comfortable, excited, wowed, overjoyed, sad, uncomfortable or is it completely out of place with the rest of the house.
The other reviewing categories are the style of the uppers and lowers and then the dreaded artistic licence of the ISLAND. I sometimes do what I like to call “The Flash Test”. This is not to be confused with the electrical flashing test or an insulation flash test but is something I have utilized in the past when placing art or pictures. It definitely comes in handy with respect to kitchens and other key surroundings within a home.
Essentially, The Flash Test is performed by walking into a room with your eyes closed and then quickly opening and then closing them. You can also perform this by walking into a room backwards and quickly turning around in a circle! Now I know it sounds funny or ridiculous. However, the results are dramatic and telling. There are few results that you accomplish when performing the flash test, there are what immediately stands out, what do you remember the most, what catches your eye, what is pleasing etc. Again, it is an overall feeling that will come to you when performing The Flash Test.
I have used this successfully many times. I just discussed this with a former client whom we did the flash test at least 20 years ago. She advises that she remembers doing it then and uses it now whenever she buys new art. Try it and see if it can work for you!
I Spy … Drawers
I just love well-made kitchen cabinets! Well-made cabinets are a pleasure to see and you can tell a well-made cabinet by how the drawers are made. There are a few different drawer standards that different manufacturers use, such as all-wood basic joinery, dovetailed all wood, and metal drawers with masonite bottoms to name the most prevalent drawer systems.Why do I love well-made drawers? Because they usually are used the most and have greater wear and tear. I have seen in the past where masonite bottom drawers have cracked or have given away due to weighted items after a short period of time. I find that the metal drawers are not fully built up on the sides and the contents of the drawer could possibly fall to the side and cause a jammed up drawer (trust me that is not fun!).
Not all wood drawers are created equally. What I mean by this statement is that there are all wood drawers, and there are melamine drawers. Of course how they have put together matters too. Are they glued and stapled, are they slotted in with a thin bottom veneer, are they screwed/nailed together and finally are they put together with dovetail joints. Depending on price point (an issue we can leave to the end of this section), they all will work fine but will they last is another story.
I would rank the best and longest-lasting drawers to be all wood and fasten together with dovetail joinery! These drawers are high end and usually upon review during a party, it is a pleasant surprise to see them roll so beautifully out of the cabinets. If the budget is available, I recommend this drawer type first and foremost. If you have some budget constraints, then ask for an all-wood door that has a full bottom and also requested a sample and a description of how the drawers are made.
I Spy … Kitchen Cabinets
Now the drawers have to roll out of a cabinet and what are those cabinets made of is a very important item. I recommend to all my clients, budget permitting and prefer cabinets where the carcass or structure is fabricated from plywood. I find plywood stronger and more durable than melamine or pressboard. If there is ever a leak (I know that never happens but just in case it does) I prefer plywood over the over substrates as any leaks shall likely affect plywood the least. The other two, however, shall likely swell up like Chandler from Friends when he stepped on the jellyfish!
Again, the budget is the key. Some fabricators will charge a huge premium for plywood where others will charge a nominal upcharge to move from melamine to plywood. I strongly suggest working with the fabricator who charges the least for the upcharge and who will also provide all wood dovetail drawers.
I Spy … Doors
Recently I have found that door fronts are based on a number of design issues that rarely do I comment on how they are made or what paint is used. I do have one recommendation for doors and that is for pantry doors. No matter what climate you are in, those large long doors will warp. I recommend using a metal door hardware (one of my favourite suppliers is Richelieu) that stiffens the door and avoids warping. This is a worthwhile investment. To me, warped doors along with masonite bottom drawers spell cheaply and poorly made cabinets.
I Spy … Shelves
Along that end is the corner-cutting interior section of cabinets, which are the shelves. Oh those dastardly shelves, how they carry a lot of weight and then eventually sag! Like a smile when you open your cabinets, you are greeted with a sagging smile which truly is a frown upside down. How to counteract this issue is pretty simple. Ask the fabricator or the supplier what material they are made of and how thick are the shelves. Hopefully, the answer is not ½” thick! If yes, insist on a thicker shelf, at least ¾”. While you are discussing this issue, you could discuss the bottom of the cupboard that sits over the fridge. Is that cabinet one long open space, is it divided or are there multiple pieces of wood used to make this cabinet? Like other shelves within your kitchen, this one shelving unit is always ready to sag!
I Spy … Kitchen Island
Who doesn’t love an island? Island serves many purposes, from eat in, to the storage, to drop off points, to the conversation during prep time. Some people will renovate their whole main floor to shoehorn in an island! I love a good island, especially one with a sink and a dishwasher. As long as the design doesn’t have a range that sits directly in line with the dishwasher. There is nothing worse than opening up your oven and being unable to open it up due to the dishwasher being open too!
For some houses, it makes perfect sense to have an overhang and stools for eating around the island. It is cosy and if done right is a perfect family moment having dinner. However, if it is only one side and not an end, it is a bit uncomfortable for passing items or conversation for dinner. Everyone lined up in a row is not the best use of family time when eating dinner!
I am not a huge believer in an overhang on an island especially if there is a kitchen table in the same area. To me, an overhang and stools with a perfectly situated table is a no brainer choice: I pick the table. Every. Single. Time. As stated earlier, everyone can sit, talk face to face and pass items with ease. Also, if someone at the table finishes early they can easily walk over to the island and leave their dirty dishes. Now if one is sitting at the island, there is a parade of dirty dishes sitting next to you while you finish your dinner. I am a bit fussy about this given I am the person who cleans up after all meals in my household!
At my own home, I have possibly sat at the island two or 3 times in 7 years. It reminds me of a client conversation I had once regarding a master bathroom renovation. They had this large albeit dated jacuzzi tub. They were discussing removing the jacuzzi tub and replacing it with a soaker style one. I asked why they didn’t want to replace it with another jacuzzi tub, and they advised me with - they used it regularly for the first month and then slowly over the next 11 months they stopped using it. It hadn’t been used for years. Now, why am I telling you about a jacuzzi tub when we are discussing kitchen islands? Because like an overhang with stools and readily available table nearby said island, the island will be used less and less as time goes on. Just like a jacuzzi tub!
Side Note: This was one of the first First Place Renovation Truism if you can avoid an eat-in island, then do it as it likely will fall out of favour in time.
I Spy … Countertops
Recently I learned something really interesting and new from a client: throw out well worn interior design commandments; aka rules of thumb when dealing with countertops. Let me explain this scenario which became a new First Place Renovation Truism.
We were finalizing the cuts to a quartz countertop which had a few veins in it. Normally, the rule of thumb is to put the significant veining on the backsplash and not the island. This is the focal point of the kitchen, above the centred cooktop and hood fan. It is suggested to leave the lesser or smaller veining to the island.
Well, my client insisted on the waterfall part of the island along with the island top have book-matched veins. Now this ended up being the focal point of the kitchen, The waterfall veining was the first thing one saw in the kitchen and it made a statement over the backsplash.
I suggest that all issues related to a countertop, especially if the countertop chosen has veining, should be viewed on what is seen first prior to automatically placing the veining on the backsplash.
There are a number of things one can do with a countertop, such as having it and the backsplash all the same material or having a waterfall on one or on both ends. Also, there are sizes of build-ups on the edges, ranging in thickness from 1½” to 4”. Also, there are influences such as having an island carry the more substantial edge thickness and the surrounding cabinets carry a lesser dimension (if the material is ¾” thick or 1 ¼ “, then use this thickness and the mitred edge on the island would range from 1 ½” to 2 ½”). All of these are based on style, personal preference, and trending kitchen design ideas!
Finally, there is a decision to make about materials. Will it be a natural stone, concrete, large porcelain sheets, stainless steel, quartz, or acrylic resin? All are great and depend on the look you are trying to achieve. Each one has its pros and cons such as size, seams, care, staining, sealants, patina, etc. I have used all of them and I am a fan of most. However, I don’t like sealing materials such as concrete or marble unless one wants an established patina. Another issue is Seams and where they are placed within the layout. A good fabricator can hide them well by placing the cuts in non-strategic places such as around a sink or in a corner of an L shaped kitchen. Regardless, certain materials and colours and length limitations will not lend themselves well to hiding seams.
Decisions are based on seams, durability, staining, style, and finally budget.
Here is another First Place Renovation Truism on Material Choices that is important to consider: when styling an outfit, a $5,000 item with a $15 accessory will make the item look like it is worth $1,000. Conversely, a $1,000 item with an expensive-looking and well-crafted accessory, will make that outfit look fashionable and richer! So in the end, the budget for the best and most suitable product you can afford. Your kitchen and your suit will thank you for it!
I Spy … Handles, Sink Location, and Kitchen Triangle
A well-made handle can aid in opening a drawer or a door. Also, they can add to the best-made kitchen. They can also detract where a modern kitchen with a farmer style handle will look out of place.
Handle size is important too. A drawer with a small pull and that is used for your heavy pots and pans, will become problematic over time. You won’t be able to grip it well and open a heavier drawer. Also, if you are deciding between pulls and handles, you should review whether the very stylish and expensive handle requires maintenance, will they last without fading, are they well made and will not require constant screw tightening. I have seen the most expensive pull fade from use in short order, or the screws not holding and constantly requiring work to keep them tight. Additionally, which size hands will be opening the drawers/doors is an important consideration. A larger hand will sometimes have difficulty opening a drawer or door given that gripping said handle is difficult!
This can become an issue when you are in front of your sink and can’t open a drawer or door easily. Where the sink is located is also a consideration too. Sometimes, sinks are put against a wall looking out of a window to the back or side yard. Modern living suggests that the kitchen and adjacent rooms are now one. If one is working at the sink with their back to the adjacent room and people therein, it could defeat the purposes of combining the two rooms as you may not be able to watch what is going on or converse with people in that room. This is a benefit of the island at times when it is centrally located within the kitchen and adjoining room! Also, there are times when a two-sink solution works two; a main working sink and a small bar type sink that gives the people in the kitchen options of where they are going to prep etc!
Now that we have determined where the sink is going to be located, the infamous triangle comes into play: where the stove/cooktop, fridge and sink are lined up. The old adage is that the length in total should not be greater than 26 feet. Let’s examine this a bit more in detail.
The National Kitchen and Bath Association defines a work centre* that “No leg of the work triangle should measure less than 4 feet nor more than 9 feet. When the kitchen includes additional work centres, each additional distance should measure no less than 4 feet nor more than 9 feet. No work triangle leg should intersect an island or peninsula by more than 12 inches.
* The distances between the three primary work centres (cooking, cleanup/prep and refrigeration) form a work triangle. NKBA Layouts. A well-designed kitchen should take into consideration this adage, always!
I Spy...Budget and Advice
Finally, before we move on to the next blog, let’s chat about one of my all-time favourite pieces of advice to all of my clients: the top drawer depth should be 8” in depth!!! I can not stress this enough. If you have ever put a ladle in the top drawer and then later tried to open that stuck drawer, you will know what I mean about this one major issue. You can not have the drawers made out of wood with dovetails, and the carcasses out of plywood (these are budget-based decisions and I understand budgets better than most!), but if you are going to instruct your supplier/fabricator/contractor about only one thing, then this is it! 8”!!!!!! This depth will definitely leave more than enough room to virtually eliminate a ladle jammed drawer.
As they kind of said in the movie Casablanca, “Maybe not today and maybe not tomorrow but soon….” you will thank me for this!
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