Completely Personal Kitchens

To give our client quantitative data to assist in making her remodel decision, we are examining the gains that can be made in actual and usable storage by changing from the current framed cabinetry (production level) to a frameless design (semi-custom).

At the micro...

In Part One, I said one of the considerations in whether or not to remodel the kitchen below would depend upon whether or not if would be possible to achieve significant increases in storage or “useable” storage. My meaning in the latter case is closer to “User-frien...

Remodeling a kitchen always carries with it a significant emotional component. I deal with this extensively in my book, Completely Personal Kitchens. This series, however, outlines a rational and more quantitative approach to your efforts.

Each part of this series wi...

• Debbie is a current remodel client. In talking about her 23 year-old kitchen, she has spoken fondly of a special place that she has always called “my spot”.

   

• When the kitchen was new and her children were young this was a perfect location for this working...

For many of us, our kitchens are an integral part of a larger living area that we might define as a social gathering area. This is the kind of place that should draw in friends and family with a sense of warmth and comfort. The implication is that kitchen design needs...

These areas have common design challenges:

• Heavy ceiling – with ceiling heights under 10’ a flat ceiling creates a heavy feeling. The larger the floor area the more the impact is felt. Whether we are aware of it consciously, the effect can be oppressive; much as th...

Choosing the right look for walls, cabinetry or floors is a daunting task for most people. The pressure to make the best decision is amplified because of the time and cost involved. And, many selections will be ones that they will have to live with for a long time. W...

My Design Pyramid intentionally borrows from Abraham Maslow, the renowned behavioral psychologist who posited a pyramid of human needs. His hierarchy showed personal fulfillment or self-actualization at the pinnacle, representing an achievement that was only possible w...