kitchen
onsider Prep Tool Storage Since prep sinks function for before-meal preparation, you want to include shallow drawers nearby for your tools: knives, peelers, whisks, spoons, measuring cups and all your favorite gadgets. Small appliances like your food processor or rice cooker, mixing bowls, colanders and salad spinners can be stored in deeper drawers or rollouts underneath. This is the oceanfront real estate in your kitchen — make sure that everything stored here gets used frequently. If the potato masher comes out only at Thanksgiving, put it somewhere else.
chopping block and also: Homeowner Marie Barth never met a found object she couldn’t find a use for. In the Italian countryside-inspired kitchen she designed herself, she used a piece she discovered in the dirt at a salvage yard to hold her pots. It’s an old iron lamp minus the dirt and rust she cleaned off. The dark patina and unique silhouette draw the eye to her collection.
Create an illusion with a panel. A mirrored panel is typically bought cut to size, so it has the potential to be installed in a number of areas in the kitchen, whether over a door, on the fronts of cabinets or, as seen here, horizontally fixed across the width of an island. Here, the panel creates the illusion that the floor extends beyond the depth of the island. This clever positioning means the kitchen seems far more expansive than it is.
concealed range hood ====== In the ceiling. Another option for above an island is to select a range hood or exhaust system that can be built in flush with the ceiling. These hoods are generally more expensive, as they need to be extremely powerful to suck up greasy air and odors from such a distance. The advantage is that the area above the island and the view to other parts of the home beyond the hood remain unobstructed.
Integrating range hoods into traditional-style kitchens has been a popular choice for many years. In these kitchens, hoods are often built into ornately designed custom cabinets, such as the mantelpiece-style unit pictured here. This creates a feature in a cooking area that often has a large freestanding stove as its visual centerpiece.
Column refrigerators. Unlike traditional refrigerators with their predetermined refrigerator-freezer spaces, column refrigerators are full-sized single units that are either all refrigerator or all freezer. They’re quickly becoming a client favorite due to the ability to customize chilling spaces based on one’s needs and preferences. Column refrigerators are available in sizes ranging from 18 to 36 inches wide, and they can be installed separately or combined side by side for a cohesive look. They can be paneled to blend seamlessly with the cabinetry or left stainless, as seen here.
Comfortable seating areas. For years, islands have been considered the ideal gathering spot in the kitchen. But now there’s a trend toward more comfort, and seating areas in kitchens are evolving accordingly. Clients want a place to kick off their shoes and relax with a glass of wine while waiting for their dinner to cook. Expect to see more soft seating in the kitchen, like the light blue couch in this photo.
The best part about drawers is that they display all your flatware and utensils at once, which allows for easy grabbing. You don’t have to get on your knees and peer into the back of the cabinet to see what’s available. Large drawers don’t skimp on storage space. Any set wider than 30 inches can stow plenty of pots and pans.
Viking’s French-Door Oven got a lot of attention for its single-hand operation. (How nice also not to have to lean over the open door to put things in!) This oven has Vari-Speed Dual Flow Convection and a host of other features, including an extremely fast preheating time, so you can get cooking faster. Not surprisingly, the French-Door Oven received the KBIS People’s Choice Award. Retail price: $7,549.
Exploring Caesarstone’s booth, which was a collaborative effort with Bosch and Thermador, we found this bit of kitchen eye candy: a battered and polished steel countertop that was seamed into a sink. (I’m guessing it’s a Kallista in a polished distressed finish). The booth was designed by Mick DeGiulio, who does a line of sinks for Kallista, and it was one of the most interesting uses of materials we saw in the whole show.
The right backsplash should be forgiving but still gorgeous. Gradient hexagons are up to the task: They’re easy to clean and maintain, hide water marks and, of course, look stunning.
ceiling
backsplash
Our kitchen configuration?
love island size/format
refrigerator stg. cabinet
Wood ceiling/white walls color concept for kitchen
narrow size work for end/counter North Side
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