In a small kitchen we know how hard it can be to keep things organized and flowing smoothly. It seems like stuff piles up everywhere, from the week’s worth of mail on the counter to your kids’ after-school clutter. Combine this with existing storage and work flow issues and things can get out of hand quickly. Take heart; you don’t have to put up with daily clutter and limited storage space. When planning a redesign, a few simple considerations can help make your kitchen a “clutter-free” zone and feel larger than it actually is.
Layout Options
The first thing to do when redesigning a small kitchen is to choose a layout that fits your space requirements and needs. Here are some options to consider:
L-Shaped Kitchen – This is the most popular design, appropriate for any size kitchen. The L-shaped kitchen is made up of two walls (or legs) and gives you the possibility of having a center island depending on your available space. In general, this design will have 2 or 3 appliances on one wall with the refrigerator typically at one end, the range or cooktop at the other end with the sink located in the middle. This shape of kitchen generally provides good traffic flow.
In April, Merillat debuted an amazing 100,000 new items in its Classic® product line, the biggest expansion ever for this cabinetry collection. This launch brings some exciting new styles, colors, storage solutions and organizational accessories for you to choose from.
To see firsthand some of these new options, watch our New Products Video.
New Finishes
Our new creamy white Chiffon finish is available on our maple cabinetry. You can add depth to Chiffon’s warm look with our new glazes. The Desert glaze adds a brown undertone, while Tuscan contributes a hint of light gray.
The new Amaretto finish brings a warm, natural brownish glow to the naturally refined grain of our cherry cabinetry. Adding the new Java glaze to the Amaretto finish creates a deep, dark brown.
Merillat's patented cabinet door hinge introduced in 1962
Today’s kitchens look more like pieces of art than food preparation spaces. It’s amazing how much things have changed over the past 100 years.
Once upon a time, before the age of electricity, running water and modern appliances, the kitchen as we know it didn’t exist. For the average family, there might have been a table or cutting board for preparation, hearth and fireplace for cooking, and sometimes a dining area, but that was about it.
Around the beginning of the 20th century, the kitchen evolved into a separate room for food preparation. These kitchens were inefficient and poorly laid out compared to modern-day spaces. A typical pre-WWII kitchen had all freestanding elements: a stove or oven of some type, a sink (usually on porcelain legs), an icebox, a table that doubled as a work surface, and a freestanding cupboard to store dishes in. Built-in kitchen cabinets were not a common feature.
Cabinetry The evolution of cabinetry is interesting. From free-standing “Hoosier” style cabinets, to metal cabinetry so popular post WWII, to the modern conveniences in our kitchens today, our ever-changing needs have necessitated certain advancements.
Curtis Stone cooking demo at Merillat's 2010 KBIS booth
For the first time ever, Merillat invited a celebrity chef to KBIS! On Friday, April 16, renowned chef Curtis Stone put the on-site Merillat kitchen to work with some cooking demonstrations and autograph sessions. This lively event put the “fun” in function by demonstrating a number of organizational features of Merillat cabinetry, not to mention three of Curtis’ mouth watering recipes.
For those who are unfamiliar, Curtis is a wildly popular Australian chef who has become a bit of a phenomenon here in the U.S. with his reality cooking show, Take Home Chef, and appearances on shows like NBC’s Today Show, The Biggest Loser, The Oprah Winfrey Show and The Celebrity Apprentice. You can learn more about Curtis at CurtisStone.com.
Merillat Classic Tolani CornerStore Cabinet in Maple Kona
If you’re at the K∙BIS Kitchen & Bath Industry Show in Chicago this weekend (April 16-18), be sure to visit booth #S1217 and check out our new CornerStore™ prototype corner access cabinet. Slated for release in December 2010, this product is a smart solution that will bring more storage and easy accessibility to the notoriously challenging corner cabinet area of your kitchen.
“Inside corners in kitchens have typically been defined by compromise, that’s why we’re excited to offer homeowners a familiar type of storage not typically found in corner cabinets,” said Paul Radoy, Manager of Design Services for Masco Builder Cabinet Group. “CornerStore’s intuitive operation allows the homeowner to store more items, easily see what’s stored and the ability to access those items quickly. It’s a strong alternative to the traditional Lazy Susan.”
Attendees of the K∙BIS Kitchen & Bath Industry Show in Chicago April 16-18 aren’t going to want to miss the new innovations, functionality and exciting new looks we have on display. Here are just some of the Merillat product introductions and events taking place at K∙BIS:
Cooking Demonstration with Celebrity Chef Curtis Stone
Celebrity Chef Curtis Stone is cooking LIVE today, April 16, from 12:00 noon to 4:00 p.m. in Merillat’s booth #S1217. Curtis will put our kitchen to the test, demonstrating how important a well-designed, functional space really is. In between demos, he’ll be signing autographs and taking photos, so be sure to stop by if you’re at the show!
Over 100,000 New Merillat Classic® SKUs
Get a sneak peek of some of the great new products and product enhancements that will be available on April 27, including our new Chiffon and Amaretto finishes, new Desert, Tuscan and Java glazes, the new Merillat Classic® Tolani door style, decorative accents and lots of storage solutions.
In today’s constantly changing, 24/7 world, you can read a new blog, pick up a new magazine or book to find new inspirational photos or to learn about new technology in products designed specifically for the kitchen and bath. How can you choose what is right for you? Here are a few suggestions from Sphere Trending, a trend spotting and design forecasting firm located in Waterford, Michigan.
If it’s individuality and style that you’re craving, a custom backsplash may be just the thing you’re looking for. Individually designed and created by Jo Omar for your kitchen or bathroom each “Funky Splashback” is hand painted and sized to each specific project. An alternative to ordinary tile, these unique designs are an innovative, one-of-a-kind alternative for your kitchen or bathroom.
The kitchen is, by far, the most important room in your house. It is the “hub” of most family interaction and entertainment and the design of your kitchen should reflect your unique lifestyle. Whether you are planning for your new kitchen, or redesigning/remodeling an old one, the style is important not only to the immediate user (you) but also to possible future users, such as growing children, aging parents or the next homeowner. There are so many ways to approach the design for any of these purposes, but first and foremost you should take the time to learn and appreciate your own design desires and preferences. Merillat’s Your Design Style guide will help you decide what design style best defines your preferences.
Let’s face it; the majority of homeowners spend more time in the kitchen than any other room in the house! We cook, eat, work and play in the kitchen every day. When planning a new kitchen design, it’s important to remember it weathers its fair share of damages with its endless supply of spills, bumps, drips, greasy fingerprints, dirty dishes, and foot traffic. Kitchen cabinets, counter tops, appliances and floors are all prone to a lot of this wear.
To conclude our flooring guide, below are additional types of flooring with both advantages and disadvantages. Our first post included information on wood, tile, vinyl and stone flooring. Now we look at laminate, linoleum and cork.
These are just some of the most common kitchen flooring options and each has its own distinctive features and qualities, as well as downsides. Use this as a guide in choosing the right flooring material for your kitchen…we think there’s a flooring option to fit every unique need!
