It’s no secret that kitchens have become the “hotspot” in the home. No longer does a kitchen just include a few cabinets and a couple of boring appliances. From sleek countertops to high tech appliances that offer a multitude of function, kitchens today offer all the convenience we could ever want and a stylish backdrop to make our time spent there even more enjoyable. Personally, I love to cook and bake for my family, so a fully updated and stylish kitchen was at the top of my priorities when we moved into our new spacious ranch style home plan. Before we began to remodel, our one-story home offered an acceptable cooking area, but with the recent changes, I am proud to say our kitchen is beautiful and even more functional!

I did quite a bit of research when we first started redesigning our kitchen because it was a large undertaking and although I had a picture in my mind of how I wanted it to look, I still needed some tips to create my ideal cooking space.

One of the things I focused on was lighting. Before, the light fixtures were quite bare and dim. It’s important to have good lighting when you’re cooking so you can see what you’re doing!  I even recall reaching for what I thought was sugar while baking some cookies. Needless to say, those salty cookies were not a hit with my kids! Lighting can also completely alter the mood and feel of a space. Brighter lights can lend to a cheerful feel and softer lights create a cozy atmosphere. We invested in several types of lighting options for various areas throughout the kitchen. We chose brighter lighting options in preparation areas and for the dining area of the kitchen, we chose lighting that offers more ambience.

Next we considered our cabinets. Cabinets are one of those things in a kitchen that if they are the right style, they will fit seamlessly with the rest of the space, but if the style is off or the color not fitting for the décor, they will instantly become an eyesore. I personally knew this to be the case with my own cabinets. While high quality and beautiful in their own right, the cabinets that came in our house absolutely did not fit with my vision. Cabinets take up a lot of space in the kitchen and are a natural focus point in a kitchen, so we had to be very careful when choosing our new cabinetry. In our case as well, we wanted our kitchen to fit seamlessly with the adjacent hearth room. In addition, our new house also offers a unique see-through fireplace connecting our kitchen and living room. So with these distinctive features, our cabinet choice was crucial in pulling all three spaces, the kitchen, hearth, and living rooms, together.

Another detail we needed to consider was the kitchen floor, which takes that brunt of the hustle and bustle occurring in our home. From common food spills to muddy footprints, it’s no surprise that the flooring in the kitchen has to withstand some harsh realities and wear and tear. Everyone converges in the kitchen and my family members constantly bring their things through the kitchen so we needed to select flooring that would make our lives easier. No longer spending hours each day scrubbing marks off of our light colored laminate, we chose a darker ceramic tile that can hold up to our busy family’s needs.

In our previous home, a beautiful English Cottage style home that we simply outgrew, we had a gorgeous tile backsplash behind our stove that I took for granted before. The new kitchen did not have a backsplash but after a few months’ worth of grease and other cooking wastes ending up on the wall behind the cooktop, I knew we needed to add a functional yet attractive tile backsplash. In this inexpensive project, we chose colored tiles that reflect the décor of the kitchen to add a custom look to our home and accent the other beautiful features of the kitchen.

It’s amazing how color can make a room take on a whole new personality and that’s exactly what happened when we painted our kitchen. Out with the dark, peeling wallpaper and in with a few new coats of a light and airy color. This light paint opens up the room and gives a perception of larger space. In addition, we added some strategically placed mirrors that spice up the décor and expand the space.

Another thing that my family pledged to do with our new functional and stylish kitchen was to eliminate clutter. Keeping the countertops free of excess mail, grocery bags, and the kids’ homework has been tough but it offers more space for creating meals and gathering with family and friends. The lack of clutter creates a relaxed atmosphere so that cooking and mealtime are that much more enjoyable.

Many of these design concepts seem pretty obvious and I knew from the moment we toured the new house, I wanted to redesign the kitchen. However, it took some work to go from the beautiful concept in my mind to the sophisticated and efficient kitchen that I have the pleasure of using every day. Once we did our research and found out exactly what we wanted, we simply went for it and we couldn’t be happier with the finished product!

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Functionality of the three major appliances is a must. The stove, refrigerator and sink need to be arranged so that they don’t hinder the cooking process. To be as useful as possible they need to be within close proximity.

The stove can be a stand-alone with an oven on the bottom and vent or microwave on top or it can be a cook top with a grill or skillet insert with a double oven. The possibilities are endless. You have to decide what will work best in your kitchen floor plan space and how much cooking space you need. Make sure when planning your kitchen you have plenty of counter space by the stove for spoons, spices, etc. A recent addition to many kitchens is a warming drawer. Once the food is prepared simply set it in the drawer until everything is prepared and the family is ready to sit down.

The sink is the item in the kitchen that gets the most use. You don’t want to be standing at it and looking at the wall. Locate it in front of a window or in an island or breakfast bar so the view is pleasing. Also remember to leave room on either side for the dishwasher. For functionality many new kitchens are being outfitted with a second sink. One sink is used for preparing food and the other is used for cleaning up. The same goes for dishwashers. One is used for delicate glasses and plates and the other for pots and pans.

The refrigerator is the largest appliance in the kitchen and is used by many. There are many sizes, types, colors, finishes, door and drawer options and dispenser options. Whatever you choose make sure you leave plenty of space so that the doors and drawers can open all the way. If you place it up against a wall the door needs to open fully so read the manufacturer specifications for the correct clearance needed. Many refrigerators fronts can be customized to match your cabinetry. This really adds to the ultimate kitchen design look and feel.

Some other items to think about when planning your ultimate kitchen are cabinets, countertops, planning centers, pantries, electric outlets, islands and eating space.

For more terrific kitchen ideas or to view ultimate kitchen floor plans, visit www.houseplansandmore.com.

OK – let’s be honest with ourselves. There have been many times in our lives where we have dreamed of having an indoor pool at our home. No matter what the season, just to be able to walk out the door and into a beautiful pool. With all the accessories available, it is possible to design a beautiful pool that is both safe functional.

The first decisions are where to place the pool and what shape you prefer. Many pools are rectangular but the ones that add the most to a home are the styles that wrap-around the home and can be viewed from many rooms. It is important to remember that a pool is an extension of your home. The design needs to complement your interior and also create an outdoor space that is just as inviting as your indoor space. It is important to make it comfortable with plenty of seating, dining area if you prefer, and pleasing aesthetic focal points such as a fireplace or waterfall.

Another option is to add doors, windows, a retractable roof or anything that brings the outdoors in and connects the pool area with the outside. This will also add plenty of natural lighting and when the weather is warm you can open things up and enjoy the sunshine.

Opening things up will also help with air movement. It is also important to take into consideration the amount of moisture that an indoor pool will add to surrounding areas. Your pool professional can assist you with the equipment you will need. Make sure the pool area is humidity controlled to avoid mold and mildew that can damage your home.

Once you have your beautiful pool area designed – safety is a must. You want your family and friends to enjoy their time spent in your pool but you also want them to feel safe as they enter and leave. It is important to choose non-slip flooring for the area surrounding the pool. Many styles and patterns are available that will not only make swimmers feel safe but will keep them safe as well.

Be sure that your pool area, steps, and ladders are properly lit, especially at night. Accidents happen all to quick and it is important to keep safety rings and poles easily accessible.

Since this is a once in a lifetime project, do the research and make the most of it. Adding a beautifully designed pool and surrounding area will not only add to your family’s enjoyment but will also add to the value of your home. It is important to make sure it doesn’t appear as an afterthought. It should appear that your pool was built first and then the home designed around it.

You can find great house plans with indoor pools and outdoor pools and www.houseplansandmore.com.

A room that plays such a vital role in one’s home requires special detail to design, function and layout. When it comes to space planning, it is important to create a work triangle. This will cut down on excess movement by centering your workspace. The triangle is composed of the refrigerator, sink and oven. These appliances support the three major tasks completed in all kitchens:

1.     Food Storage – The major player in food storage is the refrigerator. Pantry, cabinets, and rack systems may also be pertinent depending on the space at hand.

2.     Cleaning/Prep – The kitchen sink and surrounding counter space is crucial for any functional kitchen and should not be overlooked.

3.     Cooking – Ovens and cooktops are the third major component in the work triangle. While other appliances now have a role in many kitchens, the range is still tops.

One exception to the work triangle is the one-wall kitchen. This is when the floor plan of a home has a long wall and all the appliances lay along the wall, thus eliminating the option of a triangle layout. This is definitely not ideal but in some apartments and smaller homes such as cottages and bungalows this is all the space that is available.

One-wall kitchens are definitely considered a space saving design. The work area is compact and all appliances and work areas are easily within reach. They are designed to have one cook in the kitchen. The floor space is long but when numerous people enter traffic jams are likely to occur.

One tradeoff with a one-wall kitchen is reduction in storage space, especially underneath the counters. There are many features that can alleviate some of the frustrations. One is for the upper cabinets go all the way to the ceiling and on the hard to reach shelves use a sturdy stepladder and place items that are rarely used or are seasonal. Pots, pans, and daily used kitchenware can be stored on open shelves for easy access and also used as a decorative display. Other helpful decorating ideas are using lighter colors and natural light to make the room appear larger than it is. The use of color and light combined with open shelves or racks can really open up the look and feel of a one-wall kitchen.

The refrigerator should be placed so that when the door is open it doesn’t impede traffic flow. The door should open away from the sink and stove so when cooking or washing one can quickly grab a drink without having to interrupt the cook’s task.

Sinks are used for both food preparation and clean up and should be arranged at the center of the appliance line. To make the one-wall kitchen as functional as possible, 12 to 24 inches should lie between refrigerator and sink with 24 to 30 inches lying between the sink and the cooktop. Additionally, there should always be at least 12 inches on both sides of the cooktop. Remember that these measurements are minimums- if there is more space available, take advantage and expand your countertops. You can never have too much workspace in a kitchen!

Although one-wall kitchens are not ideal for gourmet chefs or larger families they are incredibly efficient, simple, and inexpensive to design and build.