Looking for a kitchen design center in Metrowest Boston
Helene Alfaro
3 years ago
last modified: 3 years ago
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heleneo1974
3 years agoRelated Discussions
Desperate for Kitchen Design Ideas
Comments (22)Hi Belinda, thanks for letting me know about your daylight. That is really interesting - so the pool and garden - and a living and dining area - are to the east and south of the house, due to the orientation of the block no doubt, and the bedrooms are blocking off all the north light! I am guessing this means the house gets a lot of light from these windows in the morning until midday, when the sun swings past the bedrooms/bath/laundry which block afternoon sun unless these doors are open. Further, the kitchen is hemmed in on all 3 sides and really just faces due east - good because this is where the garden and pool are, but with little view to the south dining and living area, which presumably are used as more formal spaces. The good news is I don't think you would get much benefit from relocating the kitchen - I think it is in the best spot, kitchens are much better at being internal 'hubs' and linking to living areas - it is these living areas that we want to connect directly with outside. I do however have something else for you to think about longer term as a masterplan....and I am guessing here because I am not sure of the shape of your garden.....however next time your en-suite is due for a major renovation, you could relocate the main bed, w.i.r and ensuite across to the current south-facing living room and dining (or study). By doing this, you can create a complete open-plan east end to the house, and all living / dining areas would have direct garden and patio access and more importantly much more sunlight. The north-east corner would be part of this open-plan space and would need a new large window on the north wall. You could extend this wall slightly if funds permitted but this wouldn't be essential. There are both smaller and larger masterplan alternatives; for example a smaller option (for the masterplan) not involving any plumbing, is to swap bed 2 and 3 with the south living room/study area (blocking off the hallway area) and open up the north wall of the kitchen to look into this new formal north-facing living room - this could be quite fun and definitely would add more light to the house. However in the meantime good luck with the kitchen renovation, and look for images that show suspended overhead cabinets as a way of dealing with the raking ceiling!...See MoreDesign ideas for a new kitchen needed
Comments (30)Hi Judy, I may be a bit late but the first thing I would ask you is how many people in your family and is storage in general a problem for you. Also do you have a rough budget? Kitchens have come along way, you can redo the kitchen using the existing layout but making it a lot more efficient as well as more visually pleasing. As soon as you start moving walls and plumbing it becomes a lot more costly and involved. Not to mention messy. Would you live in there though that sort of reno. Bare in mind moving the wall will mean new flooring as well. I personally don't a butlers pantry unless they are primarily for the storage of things you don't use often. If it will be your actual pantry then you are making yourself walk a lot further each day to get your pantry items. Thus making meal prep take longer. I think the best place for your everyday pantry is next to the fridge so you can easily pack away after shopping and easily access what you need. If storage is a big issue then yes turn your dining room into a butlers pantry / storage area. It is a great place for a second freezer as well as small appliances and general family storage is set up properly. I don't think most people really need a second sink in the if it is mainly for storage. I would be careful putting in an island as ideally you want 120cm all the way around it for easy flow. Also bare in mind the work triangle, if you want an island they make the bay window a bench seat don't leave the sink there as you will increase the amount of steps you take. If I were you I would download the IKEA kitchen planning software and have a play around. You can input your measurements and put cabinets in and see different layouts and style combinations and it will give you a indication of price. I would put in as many drawers as possible and do all tall cabinets on the wall that currently has the fridge. I would put the fridge, the pantry and a tall a cabinet for your oven and microwave together. The only tricky thing is the angles if you go with standard size cabinets. You may have to have a small voids at your angles. You could probably redo the kitchen using the existing layout with updated more efficient cabinets with stone bench tops and installation for close to $10,000 if you install it yourself then you can save more. I think you need to take a step back think about what you want and what you need. Not just for the kitchen but for your home in general. Once you identify the problems or issues the you can start to fix them. A kitchen or far that matter any space in your home has to be not only beautiful but practical and efficient. At the end of the day it doesn't matter how pretty your kitchen if it is not practical. But a practical kitchen that is not your style can also be a downer, you have to both if you don't want a kitchen that annoys you. It has to be a space you want to be in and work in. Good luck...See MoreKitchen sink placement near a corner as dont want it centred on bench
Comments (8)Sink looks fine, although the kitchen cupboards are a bit old fashioned. Take a look at the Blum website for the more modern alternatives. The Blum bins above actually have lids that slide over the bins when the drawer is closed, so creepy-crawleys are not attracted. Also, attractive gaps in the cupboards add to the design elements....See MoreKitchen design help please
Comments (1)Hi Loraine, Lift up mechanisms can be used on the cabinet widths indicated in your drawings. There are regulations to clerances around gas cooktops (as you know from a previous post) including heights. According to the AS/NZS 5601.1 clearance rate of no less than 600mm for a rangehood taken from the highest part of the highest burner of the gas-cooking appliance (but I recommend 700mm high clearance from the benchtop ergonomically). As for width, personally I would not recommend using a 600mm wide hood over a 750mm cooktop and 900mm is your best option as this provides better catchment area. If you opt for an Undermount, say something like a Falmec, these can provide 1140 cubic mts of extraction an hour compared to older slide-out-hoods that only provide 300 cm/h where this newer type is far more efficient at helping keep your new kitchen clean and fresh. You can easilly achieve this 900mm by taking 50mm off the left and right overheads without disturbing the balance of your design. Hope this is of help. Regards Malcolm...See MoreJoshua Alan Interiors
2 years ago
Patricia Colwell Consulting