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Home Improvement Projects On A Budget
Every year thousands of home owners do major renovations on their house in order to improve the value as well as enjoy their improvements. Some home improvements are very costly and many do not have a good return for the money spent. If you want...

How To Take Care Of Your Cuckoo Clock
A cuckoo clock is a humorous and charming addition to any home. In addition to notifying you of the time with its classic “cuckoo,” these conversations pieces are historically made in the beautiful Black Forest region of Germany, so they make...

Is An Old Home for You? – The Cons - Repairs
So you think you might like to buy an old home? Perhaps even something old enough to be historic? It’s a good idea to carefully evaluate the pros and cons before you decide. There are plenty of both. Will the pros be valuable enough for you to be...

Prevention is Key to Safer Home Heating
(ARA) - If you can’t see it, smell it or taste it, how do you know if carbon monoxide is trapped in your home? Carbon monoxide is the result of incomplete combustion of liquid, gaseous or solid fuel. Before you light the first fire of the heating...

When You Want To Purchase Real Estate, Write An Offer!
Yes, write an offer for the real estate you wish to purchase. Sounds easy, doesn’t it? Well, it is more difficult than you might think. It’s not impossible, but there are a lot of things you have to include in an offer to purchase real estate. Think...

 
The Best Kept Secrets In Kitchen Designs


It has often been said that the heart of the home is the kitchen. If that is really true, then why is it that some kitchen designs just don’t seem to support more than one cook or guest at a time? You can turn your kitchen into a functional and beautiful workspace and gathering place for the entire family. Even if you have limited square footage, there just may be more room for expansion, storage, and oh yeah, cooking in your kitchen than you think.
Counters & Cabinets
Storage is definitely a consideration in designing a functional kitchen. If you are limited by floor space, just look up. There is often a great deal of space between the counter tops and ceiling that just isn’t being used in a kitchen. Look at the space above the refrigerator. Is yours just collecting dust or take out menus? If so, add a cabinet and you’ve got a great place to store seldom used platters or treats you want to keep hidden from the children.
Kitchen cabinets also don’t have to be limited to one side of the countertop. If your kitchen design has a peninsula or island, you can use the ends and back side for more cabinet storage space.
Kitchen cabinets come in more styles and finishes that you can imagine. However, if your budget is limited then you don’t need to replace them for an entirely new look. Cabinet refacing lets you select cabinet patterns that are up to date and beautiful.
New countertops don’t always need to be included in this home improvement project either. Laminate countertops come with repair strips that will give new life to a worn surface.
Laying Out Completely New Kitchen Designs
If your budget calls for a complete renovation, then now is the time to


really think about layouts and maybe calling in some specialist. The basic theory is that there should be no more than 2 steps between work stations. That means you should be able to go from the sink to stove in 2 steps; from the range to the refrigerator in 2 steps and so on. However, with today’s extra large sized kitchens that’s not the case any more. You still should choose layouts that consider how much time it takes to accomplish the normal tasks of putting dishes away from the dishwasher or getting foods from the refrigerator to the stove.
The newest gadgets in these mega kitchens make timesaving and energy efficiency into an art form. There are refrigerator drawers right next to the range and microwaves that brew your coffee while making your toast!
Fixtures and Furniture
The finishing touches are what make kitchen designs more inviting than ever. The furnishings, light fixtures and even the cabinet hardware can make kitchens into real living rooms. Look for task lighting that can highlight work spaces and then radiant lighting for atmosphere. You can even turn the legs of old furniture or newel posts into bases for centre islands to make you kitchen furnishings blend with the rest of the house. Get creative and enjoy doing much more than cooking in your new kitchen.

About The Author

Guy Morris is author and designer of the website http://www.kitchen-cabinets-tips.com. He is featuring kitchen cabinets and articles on kitchen designs http://www.kitchen-cabinets-tips.com/kitchen-designs.html.