Anybody know of a good site where I can look at a lot of finished kitchens? We are moving into a new house( New to us) and are looking for ideas on what to do with the kitchen.
Also we’re not to thrilled with todays style of Stainless appliances. We want to see how White and Black appliances look in different spaces.
Any help would be greatly apprieciated. Thanks.
Larry
Old masonry may look tough, but the wrong mortar can destroy it—here's how to choose the right mix for lasting repairs.
"I have learned so much thanks to the searchable articles on the FHB website. I can confidently say that I expect to be a life-long subscriber." - M.K.
Dig into cutting-edge approaches and decades of proven solutions with total access to our experts and tradespeople.
Start Free Trial NowGet instant access to the latest developments in green building, research, and reports from the field.
Start Free Trial Now
Replies
Anybody know of a good site where I can look at a lot of finished kitchens?.....
Also we're not to thrilled with todays style of Stainless appliances. We want to see how White and Black appliances look in different spaces.
HH,
IMO, Avoid white. A black oven and or cook top or range are the way to go as they don't show dirt and grime everytime you use them. Personally, I think stainless as an accent looks good. I.e. mixes things up a little. Something like a stainless backsplash for your sink or cooktop, and a SS refrigerator combined with black cooking appliances.
WSJ
A black oven and or cook top or range are the way my black range show dirt like crazy, it can be completely clean and show dirt. I think the avocado is the correct color
Naw. That old yellar color is the way to go. I think the high falutin fancy name was Harvest Gold.
This is my kitchen,white is not all that bad"Shawdow boxing the appoclipse and wandering the land"
Wier/Barlow
You could spend the rest of your life and not get through all the kitchen pictures on Google Image.
What? No 'avacado?" Or that favorite, "coppertone?"
bump
Unless you live in a rural area, there should be plenty of showrooms to see. Also, see if you can score some magazines from the NKBA. They'll have nice, glossy shots of crazy fancy kitchens.
Yeah, one really does need inspiration. So much is dependent on your preferences. I, for one, don't really get the trend towards massive focal points centered on the range. Some can be tasteful, but many remind me of an altar to the god of cooking. Like I'm expected to fully incinerate a sheep on the six-burner range.
Edited 5/3/2009 10:22 pm ET by Biff_Loman
the reason I still have not completed my kicthen and bathroom over the last four years is, no matter what I do, other wont like it. Everthing falls on the resell value. the tv shows do not help by putting $75,000 is a ten foot bathroom. who needs a $4000 tv in the bathroom.kitchens are the same way. I see more money in kitchen than my whole house cost. even the blowes store are out rangeous in price for particle board cabinet. what was $45 couple years ago are now $400so its a heet of plywood and sawhores for the last four years
Any of the home magazines will have websites where you can browse any type of interior for pictures.
I refer clients who want to browse for ideas to http://www.kitchenbathideas.com - that's the Better Homes and Gardens specialty magazine. It's the only publication I buy regularly because there's not as much schlock and patently incorrect design in there as you'll find in some of the "upscale" publications. Signature Kitchens comes to mind, in particular, for some really bad design. Also try out the BHG publication called "Kitchen Makeovers" for more minor remodeling projects.
You can go to http://www.NKBA.org (National Kitchen and Bath Association) for consumer information and links to resources and websites. They also have a list of members in your area. And there's me, and I work this site for free!!
Showrooms are a limited resource as the owners are cabinet dealers, therefore that's where the focus will be. You may not see many appliances, and not many people these days can support large spaces, so displays may be limited.
Manufacturers websites, like Wellborn (one of our lines), WoodMode, Plain and Fancy, etc. have lots of the photos from their brochures available online. You will mostly see the latest appliance trend (stainless), but you will see a lot of cabinet ideas. Bear in mind that here, also, you may see a lot of over-wrought design in the details and trimwork. The Wellborn site, in particular, has some design work that makes my teeth hurt when I see it!
Make sure to take advantage of the portfolio opportunities on the sites so that you can keep all your favorites pictures in a file. You'll soon start to see a pattern emerge from those pics.
As for appliances, use whatever you are comfortable with that suits your overall design. You don't see many white appliances today because current trends in design don't look well with white appliances. For example, handsome cherry cabinets in medium to dark stains with fancy granite tops make white appliances stand out and look cheap. However, black appliances can work quite well there. Pretty glazed white cabinetry never matches white appliances, which makes them stand out like a sore thumb. Black appliances there can also stand out because they are such a strong contrast.
Stainless is popular because it's color neutral, favors neither traditional or contemporary design and has a low contrast with wood stains or paints. That doesn't mean it's the only choice for a kitchen, just like stone or solid surface isn't the only option for countertops. There are some great looking laminates out there for those of us with limited budgets.
Happy browsing, and let me know when you need help!
Congratulations!
susiekitchen receives the Breaktime 'Excellence in Service' Award.
Saaalute!View Image View Image
Edited 5/4/2009 11:53 am ET by rez
I very humbly accept! Thanks!
and you can always take the appliances to a car body shop and get them painted in any color you like
Yep, one can match the fridge to the Beemer if desired! Actually, provided the finish will stand up to heat, you can have an appliance in any color you like or painted in patterns, or even custom painted. I've seen stars and stripes, and other scenes reminiscent of those popular on vans!
Saw some glass-front appliances at the Dacor booth at KBIS Atlanta last weekend, available in about 5 colors.
glass is making an inroad here in VAncouver too.
Over the many years in construction I have seen all kinds of colors being fashionable. I remember the chocolate color to be THE decorator color, just to be banished after housewives were faced with constant cleaning to get even small spots off their appliances.
Nowadays you see deep colors on walls (some houses look like being occupied by clowns)trying to copy Buckingham Palace.
I advise my clients to put in their kitchen what they like; after all they will live in that house for at least some years. Why buy something for others? If you do, chances are you will not match their ideas anyway.
Often it depends on comments and expression by "designers". Just mention the word cold and commercial and all your stainless steel appliances become worthless.
Form (and looks) follow function. That way you can never go wrong
Form (and looks) follow function. That way you can never go wrong
Would that people (designers included) would follow that dictum...
Like you, I recommend my clients avoid trends and do what makes the most sense for them. If that means they do laminate counters and floors over granite and hardwood, then so be it.
I keep hoping that, after experiencing the reality of having to budget in tough economic times, people will stop demanding 48" pro-style ranges and 6' of built-in refrigerator/freezers just because it's being done.
Sounds like Vancouver is a fairly contemporary market. What's the current cabinet trend?
I dont want overhead cabinet but just a stainless steel shelve for my plates and glasses. Is that wrong?
Nope. The trend is away from standard wall cabinets in all but the most traditional settings, so you'll see lots of glass or steel shelving in a lot of the magazines. Some of the manufacturers are offering steel doors and tambour, and I expect that shelving will follow soon.
Open shelving for everyday items is the easiest way to access things quickly, and it's easy for people to help put dishes away since you can see where everything goes.
However, unless you're after an eclectic, random mix of colors and textures, it's a good idea to try for some consistency in your glass and dinnerware. Makes the open shelves look neater if the various dinner/dessert plates, bowls, etc. can stack precisely and if the colors have some connection.
it's a good idea to try for some consistency in your glass and dinnerware. can I keep my flintstone glass?
Only if you keep it behind your Star Trek lunchbox!! Have some standards, man!
It varies. But the European influence is dominant. Probably because Vancouver is culturally diversified.
I noticed that the cabinet door construction with wood and polyurethene is giving way to laminate surfaces imitating wood. Saw some solid color facing with horizontal woodstrips (laminate) inlays. The cabinets appear somewhat lighter and have both worlds combined.
Don't see any of your trends in our market, but many younger folks are gravitating to simple Shaker-style doors with glass insets instead of the usual raised panel styles. We're still a traditional frame construction market, and laminate is reserved for commercial casework.
I'll be glad to see the end, in this area, of what's been the standard practice, which is white/glazed or fake cherry kitchens overloaded with every possible piece of moulding available, and topped with the gaudiest granite to be found.
Working on a contemporary natural maple kitchen right now; only the second I've done in 5 years.
I think your mention of the solid color with woodgrain laminate inlay is interesting. Not something I've seen - send a pic if you have any.
the shaker style is used here too.
From a practical standpoint: I do not know if you have ever cleaned the edges where the inlay panel is. If you use a sponge or rag the dirt remains in the sharp corners. Scraping it with a knife is not the best solution.
From an appearance point: Large dark surfaces do not well in small spaces. They look nice in larger kitchens with room for islands and pantries, doors to the outside etc.
Not all kitchen layouts allow for that. If a dark colored kitchen is installed housewives will push for a renovation very soon.
Ultimately I install what the householder wants; I can only present ideas, they will have to live with their choices.
I will see if I find a picture with the horizontal wood inlay
There is a company called Taunton Press that has some nice books on kitchen design. Maybe you could find them on the internet.
<g>
There was a competition on this website last month. Maybe you can see if all the entries are still posted somewhere.
http://finehomebuilding.taunton.com/item/6776/announcing-our-before-and-after-contest-winners
Someone ought to fix that loose hanging calender on the uppercabinet by the sink.
View Image
Edited 5/4/2009 12:04 pm ET by rez
Go to this page, and scroll down through the various business partner cabinetmakers, all part of the True32 business partner network.
Most all have websites with links right there, and at their websites, you can browse their portfolios of finished work.
Remember that what you will be seeing, is all frameless cabinetry, when you are looking at a True32 business partner site.
If you go here, there are a lot of photos to peruse, much of which will be showing work done with faceframed carcases.
What do you think?
View Image
"A stripe is just as real as a dadgummed flower."
Gene Davis 1920-1985
Hi Larry the HomeHack,
Also we're not to thrilled with todays style of Stainless appliances. We want to see how White and Black appliances look in different spaces.
Wife says never stainless unless I want to be the one to keep it clean and same thing for black......white is classic or contemporary depending upon how it's paired. I've overheard comments from others looking at new homes for sale.....didn't like stainless or black due to young kids.....this from what appeared to be young parents and grandparents. With the right finish available on most white appliances today, they are easy to wipe up after cooking.....we love our five burner, gas convention unit and the top grates are dishwasher safe and remove with one hand to "fully" expose the bottom sealed tray for easy cleaning.
White just keeps coming back in style even though it never goes out....always been there, always will be. White simply exists while your fancy wood cabinets and sharply detailed tile backsplash and window view of the pond make all the statement. Appliances that stand out on their own make a room look too busy in my opinioin.
Although I'd love a commercial sized Viking.....love to cook as much as I love to eat....our next house will have two of the same white one we have now......two together cost about 1/4 the Viking I want......haven't yet decided how I'll fit them into the next kitchen plan......side by side or space between or opposite corners??? who knows.....we'll continue to debate that.....
http://www.frigidaire.com/products/cooking/ranges/free-standing_gas/prod_GLGF389G.asp
Pedro the Mule - Headed out to the kitchen to cook a bag of oats now.....
"I have developed a consistent, nagging, but low-level loathing of white decor, or off-white as the case may be.
"White is a loaded, on a lot of levels, color. Cleanliness, order, light, truth and beauty all have contexts within the mythology and associations with this color. Or as my physicist friends would point out colors, as in all.
"Not surprising that HOs who have children, and the disordered and messy life they imply, would see photographs of an all-white house as an ideal to be striven after.
"Of course white-on-white decor, outside of meticulous couples without children with large domestic staffs and regular scheduled redecorating, starts deteriorating from it pristine perfection the moment, sometimes before, it comes out of the box. White-on-white ideal beauty is an ideal that humanity seems likely to strive toward but not reach. Not as long as humans actually live in around it. It might work fine as long as you could build the house and keep it essentially free of human contact once near perfection is reached.
"But, alas, the money to build a home does not always confer wisdom enough to avoid this trap. Too often I wire homes with an active white-on-white theme. Often they want minor changes a few months after completion. The signs of deviations from the ideal are obvious even in that short time. But true folly falls to those who move in with children. White sure does show the dirt and wear. White, or off-white, cabinets and carpets start working toward abstract works in the Jackson Pollock school.
"Every rub, scrape and bump clearly visible. Every drip, smear and greasy thumbprint telegraphing itself from across the room. A pristine perfection defiled in an almost Zen manner. Of course I can say that given fifty years of semi-random encounters a certain organic patina can start to develop. Humanity and nature reasserting itself in the face of human imposed monochrome. In the mean time, prior to the half a century of refinishing, the results are seldom pretty.
"IMHO it would be far wiser, and considerably less stressful and time consuming, to start off with a decor that is people friendly and more cooperative with natural organic processes of humanity."
-4lorn1 55558.18
Edited 5/4/2009 8:26 pm ET by rez
I got stainless and black and hate them, never clean.
In my life I've had white, black, avocado green, harvest gold, almond and stainless appliances.
When clients ask me what finish won't show dirt, I tell them it's the one you never touch!
I will say that doggy nose prints look very interesting on stainless....
Yeah, he was right about white. It shows dirt.
I could use the large cooking pot on the right in the pic of your kitchen. Wanna sell it?
Do you want the dead cat drowned in the chili too?
Hi rez,
"Not surprising that HOs who have children, and the disordered and messy life they imply, would see photographs of an all-white house as an ideal to be striven after.
Maybe you would prefer something that has a heavily textured surface such that leftover food particles would simply become a part of the appliance and it could be the color of burnt spills so as to camouflage it altogether.
All I'm concerned with for my home is an appliance that performs it's job correctly and one that my wife is more than happy to clean. Around our home I generally cook enough on the weekends to last all week but she does all the cleanup. I'm a careful responsible cook but things do occasionally splatter.
False or not, we both appreciate an appliance that appears sterile when we begin food preparation. That pretense is easy to fulfill if it has been properly cleaned to at least appear to be healthy and that is so easy to accomplish with a "white" appliance that has a quality surface designed to make cleaning simple and long lasting. Oils in the skin leave easy to see impressions on virtually every appliance color that exist with white being one of the least visible. If the child is running around the home with unwashed hands marking up the appliances, said child will be the one to clean the appliance the first two times.....third strike they can live in the woods behind the house.....that's why we only have one child in the house now....the other 17 are wandering aimlessly in the backyard wishing they had nice white appliances to cook on.
An "all white" house as you've stated has no direct correlation with my recommendation for white "appliances". You're at 100%, I'm at less than 1% of the entire home excluding the ceilings. My home is filled with Australian Knotty Pine, Slate, Earthy ceramic tile, Red Oak, Brown Leather, Blue Leather, Woven fabrics of natural deep greens, Brass finishes, wall colors of cut hay, olive, compatible cream, passion purple and lavender, river blue, silver sage and black forest green finished with many textures.....and white appliances.
Pedro the Mule - Don't yet have a clue why white appliances means a whole house of white, please explain....
Actually, those descriptive paragraphs about the color white were written a goodly number of years ago by a regular poster at that time which I preformed a copy/paste with,
hence his name and a link to the original thread are highlighted in blue.
ah, black forest green! That's the best. Compliments to the color coordinator.
Hi rez,
Actually, those descriptive paragraphs about the color white were written a goodly number of years ago by a regular poster at that time which I preformed a copy/paste with,
hence his name and a link to the original thread are highlighted in blue.
Missed that....my bad...gotta start lookin' fer doze deatailz
ah, black forest green! That's the best. Compliments to the color coordinator.
Thanks for the compliment.....it's in the dining room.....around here I see too much "red" in dining rooms.....I'm color sensitive....red makes me nervous to edgy....wife won't even let me own a red saddle and harness.....I think it started when I was but a we bit of a mule and had a little red wagon that ran over me.....that Black Forest Green is right on the money.....with good lighting it's definitely green but in candle light it goes nearly black.
Pedro the Mule - Readin' between the lines
ah, the little red wagons of youth.
Recalling another tramatic experience regarding that instrument of torture
when I, in the brilliance of young creativity, decided to run holding the wagon waist high like a surfboard running to the water
and then threw myself facedown on it with the idea of an exciting downhill trip
only to find myself laying on the ground trying to gasp for air as I'd knocked the wind out of myself.
small breaths, small breaths, you can do it, small breaths, try, try, ...ahhh.
those little red wagons...
Hi rez,
when I, in the brilliance of young creativity, decided to run holding the wagon waist high like a surfboard running to the water
and then threw myself facedown on it with the idea of an exciting downhill trip
excuse me a moment....I just fell out of my chair and hit the floor....breathe, breathe, catch breath.......heheh haha.....some things are clear as mud when you're a kid huhn?
I used to be great at riding a bike without my hands.....coasting along, I could even make gentle turns by leaning just right......of course I felt as though I needed to make better turns and not wanting to give up the freedom of my arms I decided I could turn with my feet.....ok now.....lift the first foot carefully while balancing.....now gently place it on one side of the handle bar.....OOOOOOooooops too much pressure.....no time to recover........Aaaaauuuuuggghhhhh......furr on road.....furr on gravel......no furr on Pedro........
By the way.....something hard to remember at the time but......when you get the breath knocked out of you.....you're actually suppose to "exhale"......it really works.....something about the diaphram returning to a working state or some such thing......but once again......it really works......got a lot of experience....
Pedro the Mule - Somebody call 911, I'm laughing myself to death
You can't afford it, I can't afford it, but at least someone seems to be able to afford it, and they let him take pictures afterwards. This guy designs extraordinarily beautiful and thoughtful kitchens:
http://www.johnnygrey.com/index.html
Personally, I do not see color as an enemy to be feared. I think the problem is often when people use too little color, and then they get agitated when they see a bright red object set against a field of white and beige. Mix in a few more colors (remember, most of the time only 40% of your painted wall is even visible - even less in a kitchen) take care with mixing a few textures and you'd be surprised at how "rich" a palette you will tolerate - perchance even enjoy...
Mr Grey's books also address the overlooked problem in preparing workspace heights that accomodate different cooking tasks.
I want my next stove to be white enamel. I worked in commercial kitchens far too long to enjoy the "commercial" stainless look, and our last two black appliances were tough to keep clean (just like a black vehicle).
-t
Thanks for the post - someone new I haven't seen! Love to get a client that would stretch to those concepts!
Interesting designs. I admire the bold use of color, especially. After a few pics, tho, the designs begin to have a "look". I suppose that's why the clients hire him in some cases, but I began to find it pretty predictable after 4 kitchens.
I've been lusting after a Heartland white enamel stove for awhile myself...not that I'll ever have it, but it's nice to dream!
Yeah, I missed out on a 48" white enamel Viking a few months ago that came up on Craigslist - we're in the middle of a remodel, and I don't have any room.We had a 6 burner black Elmira stove with all the chrome trimmings (another killer secondhand deal) at our last place (a 30's Tudor revival). It looked like a black '58 Cadillac parked in the kitchen. Unfortunately, it just didn't work with the mid-70's rambler we're in now. And it was a beast to keep clean - I like my fried chicken!What I like about rich designs like JG's kitchens is that you can easily pick and choose individual elements that you like, without feeling too derivative. I'm actually more drawn to his space utilization than his "decorating." Designing kitchens to meet specific tasks (a chopping area, a mixing area, a cleaning area, etc..) and then modifying individual elements to make those tasks easier (a low counter for bread kneading, a chopping area height based on your elbow elevation, raising the dishwasher up 6" from the floor, a compost insert next to the chopping area with a knife drawer underneath, a clear sightline for someone doing dishes, etc..) doesn't necessarily cost money, it just costs time and thought. His "look" is definitely contagious, however. Since reading his first design book about 15 years ago, I see a lot of "freestanding" kitchen cabinetry, open shelving and multiple counter height arrangements appearing in current kitchens.-t
I love that those kitchens had varying worksurface heights and what looked like oodles of specialized storage. And you're so right that good design needn't cost more. It often costs less, since it doesn't waste money on needless items.
We are so geared to kitchens that are consistent in every element that it's hard for people to understand the unfitted designs. However, that's what kitchens started with - a large hutch or cabinet for storage, a chop block, a table, the standing sink, hooks to hang pots and utensils. My mother-in-law's kitchen was very much like that, and it worked well for her, even if it required a bit more walking than was comfortable. I am seeing kitchens begin to adapt some of that concept, too, even if it means that we have to suffer "unfitted" merely as a design trend and without regard to increased function.
Still, when I finally do my own miserable kitchen over, it will be mostly a traditional plan and arrangement to avoid chopping up what little work surface I actually have. I do intend to keep wall cabinets to a minimum and am planning an interior window to share light from the adjacent laundry room/entry.
And I'll keep dreaming of my Heartland with its sweet little feet...and wish I could find something refurbished like the stoves my grandmothers had in the 50's.
We are in the middle of a kitchen addition. Instead of hiring someone to design the kitchen, we invested in just about every kitchen design picture book there is. Altogether, we may have spent a couple hundred bucks but we have looked at just about every kitchen idea on the planet and our new kitchen is going to be pretty optimal for what we want to do. First check out used book stores. Some of the ideas are a little dated and be careful not to just copy what you see in a book. I have yet to read a book that has pictures of what not to do and some of the ideas and designs that are offered are just terrible. Good luck