Kitchen: Design
"chukutgal I do not get putting quartz or even marble in kitchens. Our friends put in quartz and someone put a hot pan on it and it marred the expensive quartz. I have no interest in policing who is putting hot pots where when I have bunches of us cooking Thanksgiving dinner for instance. I still love my granite which is indestructible and after 15 years is still perfect with lots of company, cooking and hot pots and pans everywhere. As for the marble - looks beautiful but I would be paranoid about stains. Not for this girlie. But we all like what we like - my theory." HOUZZ CONTRIBUTOR
Butcher block has been a mainstay in restaurants, home kitchens, and, of course, butcher shops for centuries. As wood tends to warp with repeated exposure to water, homeowners of the past typically used butcher block for stand-alone islands in the middle of the kitchen. Nowadays, people have largely forsaken butcher block, turning instead to countertop materials like granite and marble, but butcher block has several advantages over these trendy stones. It adds visual warmth, it isn't too difficult to maintain, it's usually one of the cheaper countertop alternatives—and, unlike most other materials, you can safely cut on it.
More homeowners should seriously consider incorporating a multifunctional wood stove into the kitchen. This old-fashioned classic provides economical, effective heating that won’t fail when the power goes out. Plus, a wood stove can double as a stovetop, and because burning wood is considered carbon neutral, it's environmentally friendly too.
When built-in cabinets became the norm, the traditional wall-hung spice rack disappeared from kitchens. Now that herbs and spices have been largely shut out of view, we miss their vibrant colors and textures, which almost beg to be displayed as decor. Plus, keeping herbs, spices, and oils close at hand can really speed up food prep.
Originally, the island sink was to be inlaid directly into the wood, but then Brioza and Krasinski remembered that water and wood don’t mix. While seeking a suitable solution, Brioza discovered a bronze drainboard, shown at the end of the island in this photo. The bronze inlay will eventually take on a patina and add another organic element to their kitchen.
From Country Living:For the kitchen, Donna envisioned an antidote to the all-white, stainless steel norm, choosing a black La Cornue stove, dark-soapstone counters, and a floor of salvaged bricks. "I love the texture," she says. "It's a little 'downstairs at Downton Abbey.' " She limited the black cabinetry to lower units, in order to install a bank of windows at eye level. Explains Donna, "Seeing the hedgerow was more important than storage"—no matter that the results rendered the dining room extraneous. "We always wind up eating in here!" she says. In this photo: A local carpenter constructed the cabinets, painted black to match the range and topped with soapstone counters. The floor—made of bricks from the old chimney—is heated radiantly. The cabinets are painted Black Blue by Farrow & Ball. Bright idea: A secondhand brass desk lamp, set to the right of the window, gives the kitchen cozy style.
The shallow pantry cabinets took advantage of an area that couldn’t accommodate traditional cabinets. Small holes drilled into the upper pantry door faces add dimension and ventilation.
Incorporate black since appliances bring black into the room. MK
Incorporate black since appliances bring black into the room.
Black appliance and base cabinet trend. MK says black counter tops look good with them.
Greige in cabinet paint and Thermadore oven.
“People think smaller kitchens are hard to work in, but I feel the opposite way,” the designer says. “Having a small triangle is very convenient. You’re really just pivoting around most of the time. Smaller kitchens are awesome!”
"Spring for a pullout drying rack. It doesn’t matter how many dishwashers you have; you’ll always be air-drying a few pieces in your kitchen. If you’ve got room in your budget for a little splurge, consider a pullout drying cart like the one shown in this Northern California kitchen. It takes the place of a cabinet right next to the sink and keeps the clutter off the countertop."
Lee Ann Thornton
Lee Ann Thornton
"Beneath the hood is a backsplash that’s made from the same Perla Venata quartzite as the countertop, to keep a cohesive feel in this part of the kitchen. “We didn’t want a different product because that would invite another element into the room,” Imber says. But to add interest, the backsplash has a curved cutout on each side, filled in with shiplap. Lighting: The sconces create direct task lighting that shines down on the sink. To bounce more light throughout the room, Imber installed antique mirror fronts on the vertical cabinets that flank the hood."
SOUTHERN LIVING MAG
Here is what a green gray limestone floor looks like for comparison’s sake.
Kitchen with Taupe Floor Tile via ReFabbed
beverage niche
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