kitchen
Maximizing style in a minimalist space. In minimalist homes, especially those with a very limited material palette, the backsplash packs a huge design punch. In Gino and Mali Torriero’s modernist home in Pennsylvania, a unique glass basket-weave tile stuns. Up close you can see the intricate, subtle pattern.
6. Go big with a glass backsplash. The trend for kitchen backslashes is to go taller and wider — as in this space. Glass in particular is great when you’re using a backsplash to create texture, as its smooth, slightly transparent surface complements both industrial and natural materials, infusing the space with feminine lightness.
Here’s an example of a solid titanium mirror finish in gold. Titanium is a great option for homeowners interested in a look similar to copper or brass, but who want to maintain the bright finish. Alloy’s copper and brass finishes will patinate (darken) over time, unless they are sealed with wax.
Walls Take backsplash tile installation one step further with an entire feature wall. The benefit is that it creates a unified surface that’s a dramatic feature void of material changes. This kitchen wall has a solid metal product made by Australian company Alloy. Alloy’s solid tile is punched from a single sheet of the highest-quality metal; it runs $26 to $138 per square foot. Solid products are different than metal-wrapped products in that they cannot be cut onsite by the installer. Alloy founder Jonathon Worner says the company provides a complimentary detailed architectural drawing in AutoCAD using the customer’s dimensions to create factory-made finished edge tiles where needed.
Consider a dishwasher with a utensil drawer. The last thing I want to do when I entertain is to disturb guests with the clatter of hand washing dishes, but I don’t want to wake up to a mess either. Choosing a dishwasher that can comfortably accommodate a heavy load was very important to me. The model I chose has a narrow utensil drawer that slides out above the top rack, freeing space below for unwieldy pots and large stacks of dishes. A year later I can definitely say this was one of the best decisions we made.
3. Pull out your pans. This ingenious pullout eliminates messy stacks of pots.
1. Buy the right vent hood. Vent hoods are rated by the cubic feet per minute (CFM) of air they can suck from a room. While formulas for determining how much power you’ll need vary, you’ll want to start by acquainting yourself with the basics. • There’s no point in buying a hood that’s larger than your range. It won’t really suck more smoke out, and it won’t look right either. • Gas ranges generate more heat than electric ones, and thus require more powerful vent hoods. • Maxxing out the CFMs isn’t always a good thing. For example, a 1,000-CFM vent hood will suck the air from a 10-by-10-by-10 room in about a minute, then will lose suction unless you have an HVAC system or an open window. So have your room dimensions handy to show the vendor when it’s time to buy. Learn more about selecting the right hood fan
This island does double duty with a working kitchen side and a buffet dining side, but it doesn’t stop there: The beautifully detailed end wall hides any mess and creates a lovely focal point.
Knobs and pulls can be a nonissue if you have cabinets that are designed to be opened via grooves on the edge of the door or drawer, or if you have push-activated openers that do not require a pull. It’s useful to decide about this before you order your cabinets, to make certain what you choose will work as expected.
3. Printed glass. The look is created by printing an image directly onto the glass before affixing it to the island. If you’ve been searching for just the right tile or paint color for your island to no avail, this could be the ideal choice for you — the options are limitless.
9. Chalked-up concrete. Take sidewalk chalk to the kitchen with a writable cement backsplash, and have fun creating a rotating display of sketches, doodles and lists. A concrete floor can be treated the same way, depending on the finish used — so you can let the kiddos draw on the floor!
This terrazzo countertop, seen at the Ultimate Kitchen exhibit at the Professional Builder’s Show Village, included something we hadn’t seen before — a slice of a bottle included in the countertop. This is simple enough to do and would be a nice touch for the top of a wet bar or in a tasting room.
17. You don’t have to look hard to see why people like this kitchen photo so much. The large rustic wood-slab countertop dominates the modern space, adding warmth, texture and a wow factor. The wood is either redwood or wild cherry, and was purchased at Arborica in Marshall, California. The cabinets were custom made of MDF and finished with a catalytic conversion varnish.
Overhang into garden
5. Floor­ing Ma­te­rial Warm wood con­trasts nicely with the dark, cool floor­ing of the kitchen and is an in­stant vis­ual cue to a room de­lin­eation. No­tice how the ceil­ing changes in plane at the same line where the floor­ing changes.
Take the floor­ing up and tran­si­tion it into the coun­ter­top for a more di­men­sional feel­ing, as shown in this com­pact kitchen. Get cre­ative with your floor­ing ma­te­rial change to add char­ac­ter and vi­brancy.
Mirrored kick panel gives a floating look
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