1. I can add that easily later, no problem.

Sure, but only if you leave space for that microwave, built-in coffee machine or whatever. Now there’s an issue: there will be a gaping void in your kitchen until you add the new piece of equipment. Sure, you can buy an extra cabinet door to cover it… But don’t forget, temporary solutions tend to become final ones - and as long as temporary things go, they are not the best. So look out.

Designers say it’s best to add features to your new kitchen during, not after, renovation (or building). Even if you’re not sure whether you’ll use a something, prepare for its future installation by running cable and electrical lines. For example, one day, you, your growing kids, or a future homeowner may want a flat-screen television or a home-monitoring screen in the kitchen. Or, you may someday need more outlets on your counters and island. Be sure to have the right cables for electricity - that new washing machine or electric oven needs beefier cables than a hand-mixer..

2. I won’t have any clutter in my new kitchen.

Yes, sure, you don’t need that extra storage, do you? I bet you do! I’m always short of storage and I bet you’re the same, except for that guy living in a warehouse. Sure, it’s not always good to have lots of stuff in a crowded pantry (and the things on the bottom of the heap won’t be used up ever) but always plan for more storage than you think you’ll need. You’ll be thankful to yourself at the end.

Sure, storage units are not the best-looking of the kitchen-furniture herd, but you need a balance between function and style. (or that warehouse…)

3. Bigger is always better.

So the bigger the better, you think. If you just got that greeeeeat big kitchen, prepare for one thing: first you’ll be tired, next you’ll be fit. Because of all that walking, that is.

My designer friend says this is a typical mistake and homeowners have to live with for a long time, since kitchen renovations are done only once every 10 years or so. The solution, some say, is to install two sets of kitchen appliances, essentially having two work triangles into the kitchen area. But you still have to walk…

4. Yes, it will fit. I need it, you know.

New flat, new kitchen. Finally, you can put all your dreams into it. All the things you’ve seen in magazines, that gorgeous island, that fine range and all bells and whistles.

Don’t try to do what’s popular without any thought to whether it would work or not in the space… As opposed to the issues of a great spaces, there are issues with smaller ones as well - you need good organisation and keep an eye on not overstuffing it.

Sorry, you cannot always have an island or that great L-shaped worktop. In smaller spaces it’s better to put in quality - in cabinets, appliances, design - you’ll especially appreciate a good designer helping you think through all aspects on how you best utilise the space you got.

5. I want that kitchen from the magazine

It’s tempting to follow the latest trends, but it’s better to be practical. Do you need that hi-gloss finish with your small kids? (how will it look like in a month’s time?) Will you still love antique cabinets in 10 years? Will that funny red-yellow kitchen featured in the magazine really work in your house?

Always try to keep things - colors, materials, moods - in sync throughout your home - it feels so much better when you arrive. Don’t get carried away and plan before you do anything - remember, changing anything later will definitely cost more.

(You only realise how much time you spent in stores, with contractors et al looking back after you’ve completed the project. Ah, bollocks, it’s never completed

Today’s theme is colors again. Interior designers, painters, etc and probably you all use color swatches (those little stacks of colored papers) when trying to find “your real colours”. Colors here are usually presented linearly, one after another, in the order they are on a color wheel.

The color wheel can be a very useful tool for you: it not just shows the colors, but also help you find contrasting or complementary colors if you know how to use it.

But what do you do if you don’t have the time, or decide that the color wheel is simply not for you? If you use the net (ehh… reading this, I presume you do you can find inspiration in every corner.

Today I’d like to show you three sites full of color and inspiration.

Flickr

OK, you already know this I’m almost sure. But just look at this, and see what it can do for you:

What about a nice fruit bowl?

Adobe Kuler

Kuler offers everything a color wheel does and more. Choose a main color and find complementary colors, contrasting colors, different shades of colors. However, I think the main attraction is not this: Kuler lets you - and thousands of other users - store and name the colors you choose. And the best: you can see them all. Looking for a “calm sea” color scheme? Presto, here you go:

Looking for what’s hot? Look at the most popular colors, or the highest rated ones on the left-hand menu.

Kuler is used by a lots of different people: you can get color inspiration not just from interior designers, but from webdesigners, photographers and print-magazine creative editors as well!

Colorlovers.com

The site says it best: “COLOURlovers™ is a resource that monitors and influences color trends. COLOURlovers gives the people who use color - whether for ad campaigns, product design, or in architectural specification - a place to check out a world of color, compare color palettes, submit news and comments, and read color related articles and interviews.”

So, for anything color, just look there.

Name that color!

And for a bonus: if you always looked for a color and couldn’t really explain that greyish-greenish-blue with a little more blue and a little more green, here’s the resource for you:

http://chir.ag/phernalia/name-that-color/

Now, what about a nice Violent Violet?

You know, it should be big enough, with an island or two, all the cupboards you need, task- accent- and food-tracing lighting, all that glitz and useful mechanics… You think great stone or walnut floor, big-big windows and ample workspace. Space to entertain, to cook, to store, whatnot.

But what happens when you have constrains? I mean real ones, not when you cannot fit in two islands, only one. Like in a ship? (no, not the QE2, you won’t be cooking there unless you’re their chef.) Let’s see:

Longboat in the UK

What do you expect from a longboat like this? Not too much, right? Then look at the gorgeous, albeit small kitchen of this boat - which is treading the waters in the United Kingdom. The red cabinets are standard-issue Ikea ones, all other parts of the longboat however seems to be hand-made to fit into the unusual space.

The Amsterdam houseboats

The next ones are houseboats in Amsterdam, The Netherlands. I’ve been there, countless small canals criscross the city and there are lots of boats like this. In a country that had claimed so much land from the sea, what else can you expect?

However these boats are more house-like on the inside: as former cargo boats, they are quite spacious on the inside. What’s more, they practically cost about as much as a regular flat in Amsterdam - from about 250 - 300.000 USD. (don’t try buying a similar vessel in France, however.. they cost more than a million dollars and up..)

118 Wallypower

And last but not least, my current favorite: what do you expect from a company called Wally? Small boats, maybe for kids? Couldn’t be more wrong: they make what are probably the world’s best sailboats, sailing yachts and motorboats. (also have plans for megayachts, about a size of an apartment complex…)

The 118 Wallypower, however is 118 feet long and is comfortable for a total of 12 people. It might look like a stealt fighter plane that missed the runway, but on the inside, it has the feel of a NY City loft: light, airy and very-very comfortable.

The galley (aka. kitchen - probably this is where “galley kitchen” comes from) is equipped with a professional oven and stove, as well as plenty of fridges. It’s made enitrely of stainless steel, including the ceiling. (I know some people are now a bit out of love from steel, but it’s quite practical at the sea..) Most likely the prod owner won’t spend too much time in here, however.

One more thing: you can drive this beast as fast as 70mph on the seas - not your average cargo vessel. (don’t ask MPG, as it’s gallon per mile..) The price? There is only one - probably not for sale yet - that did cost USD 24 million to the lucky owner…

Measure twice, cut once

Once my engineering teacher and numerous craftsmen told me this and its oh-so-true. Not just measure what you need, also what you already have.

Here’s my story: my open kitchen - living room had some stone-tile flooring and radiant heating below it. So far so good. Turned out, the stone needed breaking up as it was installed very-very badly - about seven years ago. I had a choice: either I break it up or it will come up all by itself soon. Not liking surprise-self-destructing floors, I’ve chosen the chisel. Worked like a charm.After the initial success, I’ve decided to install wooden flooring - it’s so much warmer, and so on. Checked out several companies, visited showrooms, chosen a beautiful floor. Got the wood, the contractor, everything went fine. “We need to level the floor, there’s some left of the former tiles’ cement. “Go on, find out what’s best, I’m not an expert in this” I told. Big mistake.

Floor leveled off, floor being installed. All fine up until the first door: it won’t open. Turned out, the tiles were about 5mm (0.2 in) thick while the wood was about 15mm (0.6 in). The material they’ve used for leveling the floor took up 0.1 additional inches. “Ok, so chop off half an inch from your doors” the contractor goes. (and raise the sill, move the hinges, whatever.)

Who-is-who in floor-land

• Before I go further, let’s see what I’ve learnt a hardwood floor is made of:
• Planks: yep, everyone recognises this: the actual floor. Can be solid wood, engineered wood, laminate, whatver.
• Subfloor: the material the installer puts below the planks. Can be building paper, another layer of wood - usually plywood - the glue that keeps wood there or just concrete.
• Base Molding: from 3/8″ to 5/8″thick, from 1 1/2″ to 4″+ high; protects the wall and frames the wood floor.
• Shoe Molding: from 1/2″ to 1″ high. Used as “shoe” in some areas to cover the expansion space of the floor. It needs to be flexible enough to conform to irregular surfaces as well.

(I know it’s very basic, you can find everything you need to be up-to-date on wood flooring on the website of NOFMA - The Wood Flooring Manufacturers Association.

Know your base molding from the shoe molding

Or rather not, if you don’t really want to be involved. After the floor’s been laid, the finishing part - I thought - was the molding. I’ve chosen a molding about 4,5 inches high. “Oh, that’s a carpenter’s work, we do only shoe moldings” - says the contractor. They do only shoe molding, as they don’t have the machinery to cut higher molds. And on it goes.

Lesson learnt: it’s best to agree on (and write it down!) everything throughout before anyone lays a plank.

Maintenance matters

My floor is glued to the base cement - so it won’t creak, ever. Now that sounds good, doesn’t it? Sure it does, until one of the planks need to be changed - because of damage, warpage, a new wall or something else.

Also, the supplier gives warranty for properly laid floors - mine is, but if the guys who did it tell me they cannot change a plank, how does it exactly work? So please - please, look into these tiny details - an extra hour or two can save you days if not weeks later.

Soo, what do you do when you don’t have the space - or don’t even need a large kitchen? Yes, there are those so-called “compact kitchens” - small, rather ugly white boxes with a cooktop, sink and fridge. But you don’t want one of those, do you?

So what can you do? Or rather, buy?

Make it Clever

New Zealand-based CC Concepts sends the Clever Kitchen to the rescue. The kitchen itself is a column-shaped unit and contains as much equipment and storage space as a regular kitchen (OK, almost), but takes up just 19 square feet. As it can rotate 180 degrees, you can place it almost anywhere. It also features a built-in screen, which can cover the whole unit.

As I saw on their website, the kitchen comes in a variety of configurations - so you can have one kind in your home, another in your office.

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Dadaism is back

Less is more, often said but even more true. The Tivali kitchen from Dada is a fully featured but self-contained kitchen which can disappear instantly thanks to its disappearing doors. Even better, you can place it just as you would do with your kitchen, but you can also use it as a room divider.

Of course, it’s available in different configurations, with different appliances and finishes to match your needs and your room.

The Tivali unit usually features a stainless steel workbench (I likey!) with build-in sink and hob, drawers, heat-sensing spot-lights and built-in appliances. If you add the optional fridge column the Tivali incorporates every cooking need from start to finish.

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Not your grandma’s kitchen

It may sound as the title of the latest video-game, Grandma’s Revenge is a concept kitchen from Prof.Klaus Michel at the department of interior design at the University of Art and Design Halle, Germany.

As the designer says: “Grandma’s revenge is a new interpretation of a good old kitchen dresser. And so it’s like the grandma herself: a real multifunctional talent.”

Grandma’s revenge is both a kitchen and a dining room, all in only 4 square meters. When closed, it portrays two dimensional view in a dining room scene. The outlines show a table, two chairs and a lamp in a minimalistic way.

Grandma’s revenge contains various mechanisms to change its appearance: a horizontal folding door opens up to the whole kitchen - which consists of a cooking area on the right, a combined dishwashing facility and a chopping board are on the left and the desk in the middle. All of the appliances like the oven, dishwasher, refrigerator and the storage boards are set in drawers below the working area. The desk, chairs, and lamp can be pulled out up to a width of 1.1 meters.

The folding door can be closed to hide the cooking area to create a dining room. You don’t even need to clean the table right after dinner: just push the table, close the door and tidy up next morning.

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If you had a small apartment or house, would you choose any of these?

OM

My current favorite is the OM from Italian company Elica. (they are sold in the US through Zephyr as far as I know) It easily might be the most fancy hood ever made with its striking glass surface and touch-controls. It’s available in red, black and white and apparently has two types of remote controls.

The best part besides the looks is the remote control which does not have a button at all. just place the control on a flat surface - rotate clockwise to increase fan speed, counterclockwise to decrease. To control the lighting of the vent-hood, simply tap the remote control.

As for the parameters, it’s 80 cm or 31.5″ wide and tall. However quite large (for my kitchen, anyway) it atcually saves space thanks to its almost vertical placement. Airflow is 450 cubic meters per hour.

The only drawback is that it’s pretty expensive: expect to pay about $3990 in the US (about 800 pounds in the UK)

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Pure glamor

If you want a glamorous kitchen, look at Elica’s other hood: the Star. Looks like a disco-ball from the eighties, it’s actually decorated with hundreds of tiny glass prisms. Suspended from the ceiling by a few thin cables, it seems to float in mid-air.

As every other high-end Elica hoods, it’s remotely controlled as well, besides the manufacturer’s original touch-control (that shiny stick pointing down from the cube).

The sphere is 51 cm (20 inches) in diameter and maximal airflow it 500 cubic meters per hour.

It surely fills even the most minimal kitchen full of glamour, but I’m not sure how I could keep it in the original pristine condition, however.

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Arc from Zephyr

The Arc series from Zephyr is actually so new I could only find a few photos of it. It certainly has the looks and will be available in different colors with different patterns to fit your kitchen’s color scheme.

No technical details still, but they will cost $2000 and up when available next year.

(photos from Modern Girls Kitchen)

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Grace’s in the air

Is it a lamp? A modern chandelier? No, another hood, again, from Elica still (they are becoming my favorite, their hoods look SO different than anything else). You can either mount this elegantly simple hood on a wall or you can hang it from the ceiling, just as the Star.

Made of stainless steel and tempered glass, the technical parameters are identical to the Elica Star. It’s remotely controlled as well, and has all the goodies of other Elica hoods.

Which one would you choose? (I actually went for a more conventional - and affordable - , stainless steel one from Siemens)

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Today I’ve collected five kitchens - you can buy all of them today - in which you may feel being in the future.

Sheer Bubble

The first kitchen comes from the Italian company Sheer. This small - only 148 cm in diameter - unit fits easily into any apartment, however I would be very cautious to put it into a small one. Being entirely hand- and custom-made, probably you could buy a larger apartment for a price of it anyway.

The bottom half contains a double sink, the cooking area with four infared burners, - one of which you can cook on a hot stone with — three bottle coolers, and a pull-out table made from aluminum and steel. There is also a germicidal waste trolley for you clean freaks.

The top is only a translucent cover, which “glows sensuously” when closed.

As there is no magical space-distorter thingie included, a lot of stuff didn’t make it to the bubble. So Sheer cheats a little by adding in a giant steel bookcase-type wall unit to hold everything else, like four aluminum chairs, an oven and refrigerator. I’ve dug over and over, but couldn’t find a price for it, but I’m sure it’s much.

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Z.Island from Zaha Hadid

Featured in the Guggenheim Museum in New York, the Iraqi-born architect created this prototype for DuPont, appliance manufacturer Scholtes and furniture-maker Ernestomeda in 2006.

The Z. Island is equipped with futuristic features like embedded heating membranes, touch control panels, sound activators and scent dispensers, LED lighting and a multimedia entertainment system with a flat screen and an Apple Mac Mini, so you can serve music besides the main dish from the same kitchen.

Made entirely from Corian, the Z. Island includes two separate island units: “Fire” (the cooking area) and “Water” (the washing area). In addition, a modular cabinet-wall system (the storage unit) complements the two islands.

On the main island’s top surface - besides the usual cooking functions - there are 2000 LEDs which can show any information you need, from the cooking timer to the seating order. Three aromatic scent dispensers are also built into the kitchen and they can be programmed to dispense different scents at different times, to create “the ambiences as required”.

First both companies thought it will be a good showcase for the 2006 Milan furniture fair, but such has been the interest that Ernestomeda is now offering the kitchen as a special, on- request production.

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The Ora-Ïto kitchen

Another kitchen that started as a concept - this time for Slovenian manufacturer Gorenje - but was so successful, the designer now accepts orders for it. The design concept was created for Gorenje’s new line of appliances designed by Ito Morabito that includes refrigerators, ovens, ceramic hobs, extractor hoods, and decor panels for microwaves and dishwashers made in black glass, with either black or silver finishes and handles.

The futuristic kitchen has the shape of a rounded cube and it is manufactured as a monolith that can be lifted and transported to the desired location. It is made of an advanced composite materials, resistant to all weather conditions, so you could even have it outdoors.

To date, only a prototype of this futuristic kitchen has been manufactured; Gorenje is also planning to offer it as a unique niche product, manufactured according to the requirements and desires of each individual customer.

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Acropolis from Snaidero

Did you ever wish everything revolved around you and just you? Now you can have it, at least in your kitchen. As the manufacturer says: “Acropolis is the concentric kitchen, designed to be in the center of the room, to meet the needs of the man who wants to have everything around him, who feels the need for a really modern approach. Ergonomics, dilated forms, a new way of thinking of socializing, living life full circle.”
Acropolis is designed by Italian designer Paolo Pininfarina for Snaidero. This very contemporary kitchen is cool as its concept - “… a chef in a kitchen is like a drummer in a drum set where everything is within arm’s reach.”

The kitchen is made of recycled aluminum and comes with an array of goodies built-in: a computer monitor, cooktop, sink and utensil racks, for a whopping $185,000.

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The next step - L’evoluzione from Effeti

In case you’re not quite ready to the space-age in terms of your kitchen, I have another one for you. The L’evoluzione has a futuristic style with its gleaming white cabinets and sleek island unit, but it still resembles - at least a bit - kitchen furniture as we know it.

In all its furniture, Effeti praises ergonomic designs, fine materials and craftsmanship. All of their kitchens centre around two specific concepts; a modern work station area within the kitchen and an attractive and functional storage unit.

In L’evoluzione, the island incorporates all the usual kitchen functions, keeping the hob and sink in the central area. It also comes with a large free-standing steel extractor designed exclusively for this unit. The storage unit can house the oven, the refrigerator and even a coffee machine.

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As you spend most of your time in the kitchen standing, it’s very important to choose something your legs do like. When you test different floors, here’s a tip: don’t just try it with your shoes on, but in stockings as well. If it’s comfortable, that’s a good first step. Be sure you cannnot hear too much when you walk in your shoes: there’s nothing more terrible than a noisy kitchen…

As your kitchen is usually the busiest spot in the house, you will want a floor that wears well. Kids, pets, heavy foot traffic and spills can all take a toll, so think about a floor’s durability and ease of maintenance.

Here are the most common options you can choose:

WOOD

Wood - besides stone - is the most traditional flooring material. It fits a lot of decor styles, is warm underfoot and easy on your legs.It’s usually quiet, but if it isn’t deployed properly, it can creak. The maintenance and durability of a wood floor depends greatly on what kind of wood you use and on finish. One of the usual worries with wood is that it may scratch, but wood floors can always be sanded and refinished. For the kitchen, hardwood is the best choice but it can be quite expensive

LAMINATE

If you like the look of wood, but want a floor that is extremely durable and requires very little maintenance, laminate is an option. Laminate is basically some base material - usually paper - pressed together in heat and pressure, then covered with a decorative paper layer - like a photo of wood - and some finish. Laminate is factory-finished, and it can be put in over an existing floor, making installation very easy. While laminate has its advantages, it’s not as warm as natural wood and some people may find it noisy.

CERAMIC TILE

With ceramic tile you have a whole lot of options in terms of colors and patterns. The tile is easy to clean with a damp mop, the surrounding grout can be difficult to maintain. (it might be wise to use larger tiles possible to minimize grout lines, if you like that look). Ceramic tile is harder on the legs and even harder on dropped dishes. It’s also quite noisy and rather cold.

VINYL

For the budget-minded remodel, vinyl sheeting is a good bet. Vinyl is easy to install and is available in an endless array of colors and patterns. One of the drawbacks to vinyl floors is that the edges can curl. Quite easy on the legs, easy to clean but it’s not really hard-wearing.

STONE

Another option that’s quite popular is stone. It can be granite, marble, slate, and soapstone. Stone is tough and durable, but it’s something you already know. You can also use it over a radiant heating system, so it may even be warm. Not really easy on your feet (and dishes..) Although you think nothing can destroy it (which is pretty close) stains might remain there forever is you don’t use sealants periodically. Marble is maybe the most sensitive, and it can be pretty slippery too.

CONCRETE

Recently popular, concrete might be ideal for an ultra-modern kitchen. It’s hardwearing (howerver without sealing it becomes porous and keep stains forever) but cold - but the looks are excellent, if you like the style. A great advantage is that you can seamlessly fit it anywhere, even if you have a round kitchen layout. (you can combine it with a concrete countertop as well)

GREEN OPTIONS

If you wish to go for green with flooring, here’s a few options:

Believe it or not, linoleum, the same stuff you last saw in the 1950s, is making a comeback due to its green appeal. Made from linseed oil, cork dust, wood flour, tree resins, ground limestone and pigments, it is environmentally friendly if not really beautiful. (well, I think, that is)

Bamboo is another green option. It has the look of wood, but is made from bamboo grass, a rapid-renewable resource. If you choose bamboo because it’s eco-friendly, make sure the factory finish is formaldehyde-free.

Cork flooring, which is made from the bark of cork oak trees, is a harvested resource so it’s also eco-friendly. Cork is available in sheets and tiles. Cork is soft and warm underfoot and is extremely quiet. If sealed properly, cork can withstand moisture and can be vacuumed and damp mopped. Minor dents will be noticeable and deep scratches will permanently damage the floor.

You can choose whichever you like the most, but don’t forget, it needs to be practical as well. (I’d probably go for hardwood or concrete…)

A GLARING KITCHEN IS NOT A GOOD KITCHEN

When it comes to kitchen lighting, the most common mistake people do is solving it with one ceiling-mounted fixture. The result usually is a badly lit kitchen with dark corners here and there - and a white glare in the middle. As a side-note, recessed lighting, if installed in a generic grid, isn’t much better.

A lot of people do it incorrectly, and they’ll end up with too much light in some areas and shadows everywhere else,

says Max Isley, a certified kitchen designer and board member of the National Kitchen and Bath Association.

WHAT ABOUT LAYERS?

No single light source can provide all the light you need for a kitchen. A well-lit kitchen blends four different types of light. Every kitchen remodel should include the following:

Task Lighting. You better see what you’re doing. Task lighting provides adequate light for tasks like chopping vegetables and reading recipes. The best placement of task lighting comes between a your head and the work surface, this is why lighting below the upper cabinets is so effective. If your kitchen includes a pantry, make sure to put task lighting there as well.

Ambient lighting. It creates the warm glow filling a room, softening the shadows and helping to make people feel instantly welcome in a kitchen. If cabinets do not reach all the way to the ceiling, that’s a great spot for ambient light. Of the four types of lighting, ambient is most often overlooked.

Accent lighting. It gives depth and dimension to a kitchen. Think about the fixtures inside glass-front cabinets to illuminate china, glassware, and other collections as well as low-voltage fixtures used to spotlight art.

Decorative lighting. This is architectural jewelry. It’s the sparkles, the LEDs below the lower cabinets, things like that.

DIM THE LIGHTS

As in any room in the house, the ability to adjust light levels in the kitchen is good to have. When cooking or cleaning up, bright illumination makes it easier. For lingering over a meal and conversing, dimmed lights create great ambience. One dimmer in the kitchen won’t do the trick, however. Make sure the design calls for separate dimmers for each type of lighting.

ASK A LIGHTING DESIGNER

Consider adding a lighting designer to your remodeling team - if you have one. (Visit the International Association of Lighting Designers website at www.iald.org to find a professional.) A lighting designer will study the kitchen’s layout, as well as other elements of the design, such as ceiling height, natural light and surface finishes, to determine the amount and placement of light you need.

If your budget doesn’t allow for a lighting designer, buy a book, like Residential Lighting: A Practical Guide, which includes an extensive section on kitchens.

PLAN AHEAD

One last kitchen lighting tip from the book:

Even if you don’t have the budget for a series of pendants over the center island, at least install the three junction boxes during the remodel

You can then buy the fixtures later.