Tag-Archive for » kitchen design «

08
Jul
Designing Kitchens: The Secret to Success
kmills

Ready to join the thousands of homeowners who’re remodeling their kitchen?!

Italian kitchen design

You’re not alone! As an interior designer I always suggest that you start by looking for inspiration in design magazines to get ideas of what you like and check out the latest tile at the your local store.  Plus, remember before you hire a remodeling company to begin construction, make sure you consult with a professional interior designer first.  Not only can they help you fine tune your cabinet, hardware, lighting, color and tile finishes to make sure they coordinate together, but  they can also help you avoid costly mistakes and enhance your design with a great lighting scheme.

Contemporary kitchen

Futuristic kitchen?

Traditional kitchen

One of the best suggestions I heard from a kitchen designer I interviewed on Living Large was her advice to place a sticky note in your kitchen every time you thought of something you didn’t want like so when you designed a new kitchen it would include the improvements most important to you.

When planning your kitchen think about whether you will be cooking in this kitchen or just using it for entertaining because chefs often use their kitchen much differently and may need additional sinks or work areas instead of additional seating that might be required for a kitchen that entertains.

Contemporary kitchen

For more great information on designing kitchens and what’s hot, don’t miss Living Large this Sunday at 10am CST on News Radio 980 KMBZ (streams live on kmbz.com) in Kansas City as I interview the HGTV.com senior editor Mary Graff along with kitchen designer, author and UCLA instructor Don Silvers among others. 

And this Saturday make sure you tune in at 10:30am CST to Living Large on Classical 1660 KXTR (streams live on kxtr.com) as I talk about the latest window treatments along with window treatment expert Susan Schurz.   

Plus connect with us on our Facebook fan page!

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09
Jun
Kitchen Makeovers
kmills

What do you think of when you hear kitchen makeover?    

Red veneer kitchen - Neff Kitchens

 Aren’t these red veneered doors with clear coat varnish just to die for with the steel inserts?  And the addition of red veneer over the fireplace adds just enough color to the fireplace wall to draw you in. 

Exotic contemporary kitchen -Neff Kitchens

Love the horizontal wood grain of the apple wood on the island, the fabulous stainless steel hood and the trough sink!

Circular contemporary kitchen - Neff Kitchens

How sexy is this kitchen?!  Don’t you just love the holographic finish of the curved cabinets that change colors depending on where you are in the room?  These cabinets even come in different colors so you can coordinate with the rest of your home and the raised glass countertop that just floats above them adds another element of interest to the space without stealing the show.

But if these cabinets aren’t your style or definitely too expensive, you can always opt for a clean white bright conservative kitchen that’s always warm and inviting like the host of  Five Ingredient Fix Claire Robinson.

Claire Robinson's kitchen from Food Network

Even if you’re in an older home with outdated cabinets, you can create this type of look by repainting your kitchen cabinets white and removing a few doors or adding glass fronts.  Another great look with open cabinetry is to repaint the back of the cabinet a different color.  Don’t forget to replace your hardware and light fixtures also and for a more rustic look like this kitchen I would opt for more industrial type lighting or perhaps an old wrought iron chandelier.

For more great ideas for kitchen makeovers and the latest trends, don’t miss Living Large this Sunday at 10am CST on News Radio 980 KMBZ as I talk with Claire Robinson, host of Five Ingredient Fix on the Food Network along with other kitchen experts.

And if you would like to hear the latest on personalizing your home, tune in this Saturday at 10:30am CST on Living Large on Classical 1660 KXTR as I talk with HGTV host Krista Watterworth.

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04
Feb
To The Kitchen and Beyond: Design Trends
kmills

Isn’t it exciting to see the kitchen start to meld into the rest of the living spaces?!  And why not!  The kitchen is the place where everyone ends up, whether its just the family or a bigger gathering.   And with so many high tech appliances being introduced, the kitchen’s now become a new place to show off the latest technology to friends and family making it even more popular.

Kitchen from Better Homes & Gardens website

Kitchen from Better Homes & Gardens website

To make that transformation complete, we just need to make some changes so the functional part of  the kitchen becomes less apparent such as removing upper cabinets or hiding less attractive appliances behind cabinetry or inside separate furniture pieces. 

 

As you’ve probably noticed all white kitchens are appearing everywhere in magazines with a crisp clean new attitude that’s still feels quite welcoming.  White marble countertops are especially popular right now, but can stain and get a worn look that’s not always appealing so weigh in the benefits and downsides of marble before you rush out and have marble installed in your kitchen.

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30
Jul
Kitchens: What’s Next?
kmills

Did you know that next to paint and color, kitchens are the the topic I get asked about most with my design clients?  That’s because homeowners don’t want to spend thousands of dollars redesigning their kitchen just to find out that they simply followed a fad.  And who can blame them?

So what direction are we going with kitchens?   Often the only place we connect as a family is in the kitchen because of our busy schedules,  so its become the heart of the home, seamlessly integrating into rest of our living spaces.   And as the kitchen melds into the rest of the house, the walls have started coming down resulting in less upper cabinets and more hidden appliances. 

And now we  have the ability to entertain our guests with built in coffeemakers and gourmet food courtesy of our new high tech restaurant quality appliances so staying at home just seems to get better and better.

To find out more about the future of kitchens, read the “Home and a Range” article I wrote for Robb Report/Curtco Media that was ultimately published in the Home Entertainment magazine.

Home and a Range article about future of kitchens

Home and a Range article about future of kitchens

And for more information on kitchen design and trends, don’t miss Living Large on News Radio 980 KMBZ this Sunday, August 2nd at 10am Central (streams live on kmbz.com)  as I interview one of my favorite guests, Stephen Drucker,  editor of House Beautiful magazine who shares tips from their kitchen of the year

House Beautiful's Kitchen of the Year courtesy of House Beautiful magazine

House Beautiful's Kitchen of the Year courtesy of House Beautiful magazine

and the Barefoot Contessa (Ina Garten) on how to make your kitchen both functional and beautiful along with HGTV’s Lauren Lake, host of Spice Up My Kitchen and other local experts.

And if you’re thinking about creating an outdoor room, then tune in this Saturday, August 1st, on Living Large at 10:30am Central on Classical 1660 KXTR (streams live on kxtr.com) as I talk to  Better Homes & Gardens gardening editor Eric Liskey along with Karen Duffy from Fine Living Network.

 

 

 

 

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08
Apr
Kitchen Design and Trends
kmills
Coming up this weekend on Living Large, don’t miss the new chef and host of Food Network’s Five Ingredient Fix 
Food Network host of Five Ingredient Fix

Food Network host of Five Ingredient Fix

Claire Robinson who shares tips with me on fabulous recipes and how to layout your kitchen along with a little of her own humor.   And you love what Kitchen Bath Design News editor Janice Costa has to say about kitchen design along with our tile experts from Bedrock International.

Kitchen Bath Design News website

Kitchen Bath Design News website

 Thinking about redoing your own kitchen right now?  Then join the thousands of others who continue to make the kitchen one of the most popular areas to remodel now especially since much of the investment can now be recouped in the sale of your house when you spend wisely.   And why not since kitchens have become the heart of our home where we tend to gather as a family.  That’s part of the reason I talk about kitchens of the future becoming like a personal coffee shop or cafe where we can entertain at home in the article I wrote for The Robb Report magazine (Curtco Media) that was published in Home Entertainment magazine.

November 27, 2008 By Karen M. Mills 

The kitchen becomes Command Central of the Tech Home of the Future

You’ve just been hurled forward in time to a kitchen of the future—what do you see? European engineering, sleek lines, beautiful design? Or perhaps a technological superkitchen with voice controlled appliances that disappear when not in use.

The kitchen of the future has all of the above. Homeowners are embracing the trend of staying home for healthier eating and spending more time with family and friends, but they want their kitchens to have impeccable design and technological advancement.

 Read more: Home Entertainment – http://www.hemagazine.com/authors/Karen%20M.%20Mills#ixzz0C88sfrCl

But if you’re looking beyond the latest trends and are ready to redo your kitchen soon, then check out the column I wrote on kitchens for one of  The Independent magazine’s March 2009 issues.  In this column I talk about where to start with creating your own customized kitchen that fits your personality.

 or check out my website for more great information including pictures.

 

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