Kitchens used to be where meals were prepared. Today, they are so much more. They are the heart of home, a family gathering place, sometimes a showplace, and always, the most expensive room in the house with all their electricity, plumbing, cabinetry, and appliances.
Form follows function.
The National Kitchen and Bath Association has some thirty guidelines for kitchen design – and we try to follow most if not all of them. They address the kitchen work triangle, countertop areas adjacent to the refrigerator and range, linear footage of cabinets and drawers, aisle spacing, etc. Personally, I like to cook, so I try to lay out kitchens that are easy to work in. Then we design them to give them style.
For fifteen years I owned a custom cabinet shop, and in that time we built exactly two sets of custom kitchen cabinets – styles so unique they literally could not be purchased out of a box. We can still do that if necessary, but to save you money, I really recommend looking at Kraft Maid, Decora, or Thomasville cabinets (ordered through Home Depot). I have installed all three brands, and I could not build them better.
Appliances? I always recommend Abt.
Countertops? I “got a guy” whose work is fabulous and whose prices are more than reasonable.
When you’re ready for “heart” surgery, give me a call or send me a message, and we can work on your new gathering place.