garage remodeling

One of the main complaints of today’s homeowners is that there is never enough storage space in the kitchen. If you are thinking about remodeling your kitchen, now is the time to add that all needed extra storage. There are so many beautiful and creative storage solutions incorporated into today’s cabinets, that just about any need can be met.

And that’s where you start: determine what bothers you the most about your storage lacks in you present kitchen. Think about how your family uses the kitchen. Do you cook a lot, or just heat up? Do you have friends over frequently?

Next step, go to as many home centers and kitchen showrooms as you can to get ideas. Browse magazines and on the net to find out what the latest and greatest storage ideas as being installed in modern kitchens. Start a file with pictures, ideas, layouts.

If you are designing a custom kitchen, you will have a designer who can assist you in the types of storage that you may need and that are available.

Here are just a few of the wonderful space saving, convenient and efficient storage solutions that you will learn about and be able to choose from:

-An appliance garage to keep your small appliances handy but out of sight (and clean)

-A lazy Susan for spices, condiments and other items you may want handy as you cook. It makes use of a corner of the counter top that is otherwise wasted.

-Glass cabinets that show off the contents if you have lovely dishes or glasses. This should be limited to one or two, since you do want to be able to hide a lot of items as well.

-A wine rack that is built into one of the cabinets. You can display your vintage wines, and you can have a wine rack with a door that will keep the bottles safe.

-A bookcase for cook books. This can be installed into an upper cabinet, or into the walls of a kitchen island.

-Specialized spice drawers, especially good for gourmet cooks. They can be installed under the cabinets, or in a special narrow pull out cabinet.

-Pull out garbage cans under a counter. Some people like to have two: one for garbage and one for recyclables.

-Carry cases that can hold all you cleaning supplies together and can be pulled out and carried around when needed.

-Drawers and cabinets with custom designed dividers for the kind of items you have in the kitchen. For instance, you can have tall sections to place pizza pans, cookie trays, serving platters.

-Special racks to keep all your storage needs in such as foil, plastic wrap, sandwich bags and garbage bags

-A knife storage rack that pulls down from under a cabinet. This has two important benefits. You don’t have to reach into a drawer to get a sharp knife and risk injury, and children cannot reach the knives.

-Drawers with partition separators to organize all of your utensils, kitchen gadgets and general “junk”. It keeps everything neat and accessible instead of piled on top of each other.

-A pull down cookbook rack. This attaches under a cabinet and is out of site when it is not used, but keeps the cookbook handy at eye level and away from cooking splatters when you are using it.

As you can see, there are so many storage ideas to choose from, that you just have to determine what is most important to you and your family, and you can make your kitchen a dream place to be because of its organization and efficiency.

Accessorising Your Kitchen And Bathroom

Kitchen and bath accessories are the key to not only making these areas comfortable but also for them to look good. The right accessories and furniture can entirely transform your kitchen into the most pleasurable area of your home. The quantity, size and theme of the kitchen accessories must match with your overall decor theme and space available. Here are some tips for you:

1) Once you have decided on the colour of your walls, placing of your refrigerator, counters and cabinets, categorise all your accessories by colour, size or style and then choose them according to the scale and visual balance.

2) Install the largest accessories first, keeping the aesthetic balance, right eye level and distance to the cooking area, then move on to the smaller ones.

3) A wall clock is must in the kitchen, whether you are a student, working person or a housewife, so that you can get done with cooking on time. It also helps you to monitor your cooking better.

4) Designer range hoods do not only look trendy but are also quite functional when it comes to getting rid of smoke and vapours.

5) Kitchen carts and worktables come in quite handy for a variety of reasons and can be moved or folded and slipped under the counter after use.

6) Pot racks and baker’s racks are for those with advanced culinary skills.

7) Covered trashcans are a must in the kitchen to discard all those soda bottles and boxes.

Cabinet accessories, designer sinks, faucets, knobs and pulls lend a sophisticated look to the kitchen.

9) Stools and chairs that can be stacked one on top of the other can be used and then stacked in the corner in a small kitchen.

10) Chopping blocks and countertops are a must but you may also opt for wine racks.

11) Decorate your appliances too with beautiful decorative panels.

12) Stainless steel wall shelves and backsplash accessories are the latest trend in kitchen decor.

Whether it’s shelving accessories, lighting systems, the addition of split rope topper mouldings, lattice, panels, brass grills or glass etchnigs, you can make your kitchen a place of distinction and efficiency with simple and ease to install extras. You’ll be amazed at what you can accomplish with just a few feet of wineglass moulding, fluted rosettes, or bun feet added to your favourite fixtures. Low-voltage lighting, pantry organisers, sink front tray sets, pullout trash bins, appliance garages, and shelf lift mechanisms add convenience and organisation to please even the most discriminating kitchen boss.

Most accessory stores have a full line of innovative systems that can turn your kitchen into a showcase. Best of all, most are affordable, practical solutions that are quick and easy to install.

HAVE YOUR OWN PROJECTS

Complete your own custom kitchen accessory projects. Built-in wine racks above refrigerators, mouldings to disguise soffets, and matching appliance, garages are popular kitchen accessories that add quick-access storage, or, a cabinetry display, plate rack, or bookshelf. These projects are not beyond the reach of the average woodworker or handyman or woman and can be accomplished with basic skills and tools. The possibilities are endless with today’s line of hardware, woodworking and project supplies.

Bathroom accessories are similarly worked out for pleasure and beauty.

It’s not polite to steal things from a luxury hotel’s bathroom, but now people aren’t snatching embroidered towels or miniature shampoo bottles.

Instead, consumers are taking the coordinated style associated with upscale hotels into their homes, which is one of the factors spurring the evolution of matching accessories in residential bathrooms.

Many plumbing fitting manufactures offer bathroom suites, so people can head to one company for faucets and accessories, grabbing hold of a complete, cohesive look. Matching products offer the one-stop shopping, contractors and their clients crave. “It provides convenience for the builder and consumer,” say many designers.

As the role of accessories in the bath increases, so does the range of products. Builders and remodellers now can find so much more than just the basic towel bar, including glass shelves, hotel racks, light fixtures, tumblers, soap dishes, toilet paper holders, and even wall-mounted toilet bowl brushes made to match faucets.

“Every little place now that we can think to decorate, we definitely take advantage of,” say many householders.

THE WIDER SELECTION

The wider selection of accessories gives customers a chance to personalise their baths. For example, using an oil-rubbed-bronze robe hook or a chrome wall-mounted toilet brush, homeowners can add individual flair without compromising the consistency of a look.

“You do not have to buy it exactly as you see it in a catalogue or showroom,” say homeowners. “The days of everyone on the block having the exact same look are over.” But a lot depends on the finishes available, and chrome and brushed nickel in accessories remain the most popular.

“I think that is mostly because when a homeowner goes and picks out, he goes for shine and effect.” So, revamp that kitchen and bathroom and decide to make cooking and bathing a pleasure.

Small Kitchen Remodeling Ideas

Any remodeling idea for a small kitchen must address the following issues: counter space, storage, built-ins, and pantry.

In order to make better use of your kitchen floor space, you need to put up the maximum amount of counters. Plan your design with deeper counters to cover as much of the area not occupied with appliances with counter space if the difference in floor space is a matter of a few square feet.

Squeeze as many cabinets into your design as possible. Deep cabinets that can hold plates should be located near the dishwasher, and large cabinets with slide-out drawers should be placed near the oven.

Another space-saving device is to include built-in facilities. You can have built-in ovens, microwaves and storage for small appliances. This will make your kitchen appear less cluttered. Built-in storage for foods like potatoes and onions and bread storage cabinets will also give the kitchen a cleaner look. You can also opt for waist-high, sliding shelves that hold mixers and toasters. Your small appliances can remain hidden in these shelves and still be easily accessible.

If there is no room for a pantry in your kitchen, consider converting a closet outside the kitchen area to store your cutlery, pots and infrequently used items. You can also include rollout pantries that can be pulled out to view the items you have, but rolled back into a space.

Choose a large sink. It will be easier for you to clean bigger pots and pans. Moreover, a large sink is a great place to stash your dirty pots. A large sink can also serve as a utility sink, too.

You can increase the efficiency of your small kitchen by putting a wire basket on the inside the cabinet or under the sink to hold trash bags and other frequently used items. You can mount an instant hot water heater on the sink to replace the sprayer or soap.

A tile back splash on all the walls above the counters, stove and sink make the kitchen easier to clean.