TIPS: How to create a timeless kitchen
A TIMELESS KITCHEN, is a statement that means so many different things, to so many different people. To me it means the last kitchen that I will ever have to put into the home that I live in now. In order to achieve that, the following is very necessary to be realized or to consider.
When a client comes to Northshore Kitchens Plus for their kitchen project, they will be asked many questions before we start suggesting design ideas or recommending products.
I have a Design Questionnaire that I will request the clients to fill out, that gets them thinking about their kitchen project. It helps me to understand what their goals are and how to best achieve them. i.e., how long do you expect to be in this home, how many years? The answer to this question will be very important to me so, “I’m able to be a good coach for them”.
1) Work with a Professional Design Team that listens to your wishes.
You must be able to feel comfortable during the process of making selections for your “DREAM KITCHEN”. The lead designer will try to accommodate your requests and make suggestions that will allow you to achieve your goals or change your direction if you are going down the wrong path.
2) Cabinet construction is probably the most important factor to consider.
After being in the building materials, construction and Kitchen & Bathroom design business for over 35 years, I recommend it to be built the way that I would want it built for myself. My motto is “A Kitchen For Life, For A Customer For Life”. Cabinets that are constructed with 3/4″ plywood boxes, 3/4″ solid maple wood dovetail drawer boxes and lifetime guaranteed soft close drawer guides and soft close door closers will insure long life to your cabinets. Stay away from trendy looks that will label your kitchen to a specific time frame years from now. Choosing colors & details that don’t break the bank but give your kitchen the “WOW FACTOR” and appeal to 90% of people who enter your home, is important for long term consideration, i.e.; future home buyers or sellers. This will insure that your investment pays dividends now with enjoyment and later on with the greatest return on your investment. After all the “Kitchen is the Heart of the home” but “it shouldn’t be the heart ache of the home”.
3) Countertop material selection is extremely important & should fit well with you and your families’ life style.
Use and care maintenance explanation is something that you will want to be aware of as well as the appeal to future home buyers. There are many choices to consider. Granite, Marble, Soapstone, Slate, Concrete, Onyx, Travertine, Linea Couture- Custom Hand made stone creations, Quartz- Engineered stone, Glass, Metal, i.e. Copper, zinc, Stainless Steel, Exotic Wood- i.e., Bamboo, Mahogany, Teak, Laminates- plastic, Sinterlite Clay/Sand, Tile, Green Materials i.e., Recycled Glass, Concrete & Metal, etc. Although, there are all of these choices and more, you’ll need to choose one that will be considered timeless & appeal to your palette as well.
4) Choosing the right appliances that will hold up equally as well as the quality and life expectancy of your kitchen cabinets is also very important.
The number one reason that most homeowners decide to remodel a kitchen is due to failed appliances. Often, custom cabinetry panels are provided for the fronts of refrigerators and dishwashers and when they fail, more often than not the panels that were created to fit them, can’t be used because of changes in dimensions in the new products. Also, wall ovens and cooktops do not have the same dimensions of the older units. I always recommend an investment in the true built- in quality appliances that I know I can remove the old one and will be able to put in another one back in the same opening and be back in business immediately if that situation arises, therefore, eliminating the need to remodel again.
5) I will only specify quality fixtures, i.e. sinks- Stainless Steel with the proper ratios of iron, chromium and nickel that assure me that they will have the greatest corrosion resistance.
Even slight variations in chemical compositions result in wide variation in quality. The gauge of the steel is extremely important. I will only use 18 gauge or heavier 16 Gauge sinks which will be the best possible guard against dings and dents. The same goes for other metals, i.e. Copper. Faucets and water filtration units should be solid brass quality and less likely to corrode with the high hard water content and chlorine used to treat water in water treatment plants.
Northshore Kitchens Plus has earned it’s reputation throughout the Northshore and the United States by providing quality service, installation and products that insure you will have many happy years in your DREAM KITCHEN.
This year, 2012 will mark Northshore Kitchens Plus 30 Years in business and I hope that this information will help you make choices that will serve you well for the rest of your life in your current home.
Ken Dempsey