K+BB - October 2008 - (Page 70)

Education Size Matters With a little ingenuity, small kitchens can make a big impact It’s no secret that kitchens have become the heart of the home. The challenge in a small kitchen, however, is to design it so that it not only functions efﬁciently but also appears larger than its actual footprint. There are all sorts of tricks to make your client’s culinary close quarters work for them and look stylish at the same time, but the three most important elements that should be addressed are storage, lighting and materials. cabinets to the ceiling tricks the eye by drawing it upward, making the ceiling seem higher and the room appear bigger. If you’re looking to maximize your cabinet space but don’t have the room for full-depth cabinetry units, mount a wall of shallow, mirrored 26-in. x 20-in. medicine cabinets on top of each other and side-by-side to hold glassware and spice jars. You’ll be expanding storage space without consuming any square footage, and the mirrors reﬂect light to visually open up the kitchen. Just make sure that you can properly anchor the units to the wall. If possible, consider installing your countertops higher than the standard height. Visually, it will make your kitchen appear a bit larger and more impressive. In addition, you’ll make life easier on your back and gain a little extra storage room underneath. EXPANDING WITH LIGHT Think in terms of layers of light: task lighting to illuminate the work space and ambient, indirect light to add overall brightness that will also make the space look larger. Don’t rely on just one light source, but rather, illuminate all corners in a small kitchen. If you can’t see the space because it’s dark, it’s as if the square footage isn’t there. Keep ﬁxtures sleek and simple so they don’t make the kitchen feel cluttered or crowded. Track ﬁxtures work well for kitchens because they can be angled to illuminate every nook and cranny and are dimmable. What’s more, they are inexpensive and readily available at most home improvement stores. Also a must, undercabinet lighting adds depth and dimension to a kitchen, as well as practical illumination for countertops and cooking areas. You’ll feel as if you have more workspace, because you can see it better, and the kitchen will seem much warmer and more comfortable. If your cabinets don’t extend all the way up to the ceiling, consider illuminating that upper area to add another subtle layer of light. With a kitchen that’s really small and dark, you may want to knock down the top half of a wall to let in some natural light. Use the lower half to create a bar/counter area with an overhang and some stools underneath. On the kitchen side of the lower wall, install some cabinets or shallow open shelving for added storage. CREATING STORAGE Maximize storage with wall-hung cabinets that extend all the way up to the ceiling. Not only will you add extra storage for less frequently used items, you’ll also make the kitchen seem much larger. Extending the Bright colors and track lighting (top) can enliven a small kitchen, making it appear larger than it actually is. A colorfully tiled backsplash (above) is also a great way to add punch and personality. Continued on page 72 70 + K BB October 2008 / www.kbbonline.com / The Ofﬁcial Sponsor of K/BIS www.kbis.com Jully2004 http://www.kbbonline.com http://www.kbis.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of K+BB - October 2008

K+BB - October 2008
Contents
Online Contents
Online News
Editorial
Feedback
Dates
Digits
Focus
Consumer
Trends
Products
Options
Profile
Design
Paradise Found
Graded on a Curve
Green
Access
Additions
Practice
Education
Editorial Index
Ad Index
Favorites

K+BB - October 2008