Using Glass as a KItchen Design Element

photo by Jeff BaumgartWhen planning and designing a pleasing and functional kitchen, there are many factors to consider. The obvious ones are layout, appliances, materials, and finish options. One design element that is often overlooked is glass.

Glass can be used in a kitchen design in many ways besides just the simple glass door to show off decorative items. How can this be done? One of our designers here at Kitchen Associates, Rich Dupre, has been creatively incorporating glass in his projects and his clients are loving it. How did his love for using glass develop? Let’s hear from him!

photo by Jeff Baumgart “Approximately 20 years ago, I would incorporate glass only upon request. Occasionally, I would place it where valuable family items would be displayed, but that was it.

One day though, I came to realize that a lot of the kitchens I had designed, while functional, were kind of “closet like” and depressing for people to prepare meals in. Wanting to help people have a dream kitchen they would love for years, I thought about other options.

I realized that in many kitchens glass would be a nice way to bring the outside environment into the kitchen, increasing the homeowners joy of cooking. I started to consider ways of removing walls and then adding glass cabinets to see through to

other adjoining rooms or beautiful lawns and patios. Instead of being “stuck” in the kitchen when preparing meals, the homeowner would now be visually joined with others in another room or to the natural views of the back yard.

The feedback that I have received has been that people now love staying home and enjoying the view as well having guests over more often.”

Rich also tries to use glass panels on the tall end cabinets beside refrigerators and other appliances. Cabinets that can potentially block views and portions of the room are now opened up. This gives the illusion of a room appearing larger than it really it as well as allowing light which otherwise would have ben blocked by such cabinets to shine through.

"Today, whenever glass is used in my designs it is with the goal to reflect light and act as a mirror enlarging in a subtle kind of warmth people fall in love with as well as to display beautiful items. Using double access cabinets built into walls with glass on both sides or putting glass in front of windows with a see through view has been an exciting experience especially when my clients are amazed at how this really transforms their kitchen.”

Glass is not for every application, but when properly placed, it can add a unique and functional element to your new kitchen design.

photo by Jeff Baumgartphoto by Jeff Baumgartphoto by Jeff Baumgart

photo by Jeff Baumgart

Wood Hoods Can Be a Beautiful Focal Point

Remember when the range hood in the kitchen was a “necessary evil”? They were ugly and never really worked right. If you burned something or you were cooking fish, they did little to nothing to evaporate the odors like they were supposed to do. 

Today the hood over the range or cooktop can be a focal point that makes a kitchen stand out above and beyond the others in the neighborhood. There are several different types. At Kitchen Associates, there are five wood hoods to see on display, as well as an interesting plastered hood with wood trim. Some were built by the skilled craftsmen in our woodshop. They certainly make a kitchen look unique and special. However, there are some things to consider if a wood or plastered hood will work for your kitchen. 

Do you have room for one?  They generally will take more room than a conventional hood, so make sure a professional kitchen designer has shown you how much space it will take.  

Make sure you get an adequate blower for the cooking surface you are using. Generally, a blower that takes 600 CFMs (cubic feet per minute or the blower's ability to move air) is sufficient in residential cooking, but if you have a commercial cooktop or range, it may require more.

Make sure whoever is designing your kitchen guides you on the size blower you are getting. Some hoods look deceiving and the blower you purchased will not fit into the hood you get. 

Keeping these points in mind and working with a professional designer will be of benefit if you want to have that beautiful focal point in your kitchen. We invite you to see the wood hoods and other beautiful products at  Kitchen Associates.

-Jay Sponenberg

Television Kitchens

 

Most baby boomers grew up watching "Leave it to Beaver" or some other famous sitcom and felt like  their home was your home. Watching June Cleaver bake cookies or prepare dinner for Ward and the boys while wearing a dress and hardly breaking a sweat brings back fond memories for me. After I began installing and designing kitchens myself I noticed that every time I watched a sitcom or even a commercial I began to wonder how the design and layout of these TV kitchens could be improved.What would happen if we gave June Cleaver more counter space between the stove and refrigerator?

Or let’s knock down the wall of Archie and Edith’s kitchen on "All in the Family" and put in a nice big island, but we would lose hours of laughter watching Archie get hit by that infamous swinging door. 

How about the open concept kitchen that was shown on the "Brady Bunch" featuring that bright orange Formica on the walls? We laugh at it now but that was “state of the art” for its time. I remember seeing Wood Mode brochures from that time period and those types of colors and layouts were what was primarily featured. 

We look at the kitchens on our favorite TV shows and some we love but some we can't imagine how anyone could possibly boil water in. If you can remember “The Honeymooners” kitchen you'll recall it was nothing more than a sink, an ice box and a stove. Zero counter space!

What are some of your all time favorite (or not so favorite) TV kitchens? What would you like to see improved in the  kitchen designs on your favorite shows?  We would love to hear your comments.

 - Jay Sponenberg

Should I Put New Granite Countertops on Old Cabinets?

Many people recognize that remodeling their kitchen can increase their home's value tremendously. I wonder, though, if in their desire to make an upgrade many people are making hasty decisions and doing a "half job" on their kitchens. This may well result in making it much more costly if they decide to do a bigger kitchen remodeling job in the future.

For example, some people decide to install brand new granite counters on cabinets that are either very old and poorly made and/or have a poor design. Many have fallen into the trap of thinking that those new granite tops are going to totally transform their "blah" kitchen into something they have seen pictured in  high-end design magazines. This can result in the disappointment of investing $3,500-$5,000 only to realize they are stuck with the same old cabinets and kitchen design for many years to come.

Some people have tried to re-use their counters when they have their cabinets replaced. This in itself can be a very expensive project. I am working with someone who wanted to save their counters but change their cabinets. Fortunately, they liked the kitchen design so there were no modifications needed for the countertops. However, the cost to remove, set aside, and return to re-install was around $1,400 and it couldn't be guaranteed that there would be no damage to the tops during removal.

So what does this mean? Should nobody get new granite countertops on their cabinets? No, but homeowners need to avoid making a quick decision and end up doing the kitchen backwards. Give some real thought to how well the layout of your kitchen is working for you. Are the appliances in the best location? Will they need to be replaced soon? Then, look at the cabinets. Do you like the finish? Are the drawers and hinges working correctly? Basically, see what it would cost to do a modest kitchen renovation. You may be surprised that, all in all, it will end up being a much better investment and save you major aggravation later on. It has the added benefit of greatly increasing the value of your home!