Kitchen Chic

Starlet John helps you get your kitchen in perfect working condition
When it comes to kitchens bigger doesn’t mean better. “Large spaces tend to feel empty and vacuous” says Washington kitchen designer Jennifer Gilmer and you wear yourself out cooking.” Some people might think their kitchen is too small, she says when in fact it is just badly designed. Small spaces can be reconfigured, made more efficient and even made to look bigger, sometimes with simple tweaks, such as installing cabinets that are less than the standard 24 inches deep.
“Don’t automatically think addition. Think, ‘what can I do with the space that I have?’ You can reorganize your existing space and create a much bigger living area with the kitchen attached.”
While it can be sometimes be complicated and therefore costly, rerouting plumbing or moving a major appliance usually is not that difficult. “It will end up being 1% of the total cost of the whole project,” Gilmer says, “and you’ll end up with a better-functioning and more efficient kitchen.”
People are afraid of dark, but dark tones can feel rich and warm and can be brightened up with tiles, wall color and cheery. Sometimes too much white can be cold.
Don’t be afraid to redefine-and rename your rooms. If you don’t use your dinning room very often, move it to the front of the house and turn that valuable space close to the kitchen into a well used living area.
Here is a list of things that you need to invest in for a good kitchen:

*Top-quality cabinets. Cutting corners here might result in having to replace cabinets sooner rather than later.

*The best appliance you can afford. Quality pays, it doesn’t cost. You don’t want to put in new appliances and then 7 yrs later have them break down.

*A good ventilation system. You don’t want to wake up smelling the dinner you cooked the night before. A hood over the cooking surface is ideal; a cook top with downdraft exhaust also can be effective.

*Smart layout. A proper layout means there will be less back-and-forth, less walking around and you’ll want to cook more often because it’s more pleasurable.

*Plenty of light. You can have the most beautiful kitchen in the world, but if you can’t liven it up with lighting, it loses something. This includes under-counter task lighting and recessed ceiling lights. Gilmer recommends directional recessed lighting, which can be turned to focus on a particular area.