kitchen ideas
Gross painted the exterior of the stainless steel vent hood gold to complement brass finishes elsewhere in the kitchen. Adhering to stainless steel appliances can be trying, she says, because they don’t carry over to some of the larger elements in the room. “Rust-Oleum gold is my happy place,” she says.
Designated microwave spot. Finding a place for your microwave should be a priority when designing your new kitchen with a builder, or when renovating, for that matter. After all, you don’t want to use precious countertop real estate. A common space-saving location for it is over the range, using a unit with a built-in fan. But you might instead consider moving it beside the stove area, as in this photo. That way you have the ability to use whatever range fan you’d like, since statement range fans are a stylish focal point in a kitchen. Another useful spot is built into a base cabinet, with a pots and pans drawer beneath.
There really seems to be no end to the kitchen upgrades available, but extra cabinetry is always high on the wish list. If seamless, matching cabinets is the look you are after, then adding high cabinetry — which is great for storing pantry items — through your builder will ensure matching finish and quality. This photo shows a whole wall of them, but one or two should do the trick.
Standard upper cabinets are 12 inches deep, and your builder’s standard cabinet for over the fridge may also be that depth. If you are able to upgrade to a deeper, 24-inch cabinet, it’s absolutely worth it. A deeper cabinet makes the fridge look more built-in, particularly if the fridge is counter-depth. It also gives you a deeper space for storage, avoiding the exposed, good-for-nothing area on the top of the fridge.
Ample clearance. Look for a home with plenty of clearance in halls and passages if you want to be able to accommodate a wheelchair or walker. In the kitchen, the Americans With Disabilities Act guidelines require at least 60 inches of clearance between opposing cabinets, walls or appliances for U-shaped kitchens; galley or “pass through” kitchens require at least 40 inches of clearance between opposing surfaces.
In the past, lighting the interior of a wall cabinet meant that each shelf had to be glass. The light source came from the top of the cabinet and needed to penetrate the shelves to illuminate those below. But these days, I prefer to install an LED lighting strip on both sides of the cabinet. That way, each shelf can glow, as shown in this photo. Hide the LED strip behind the cabinet’s face frame. If it’s a frameless cabinet, embed the strip in a prepared groove in the cabinet’s side wall
A hidden place for charging. Speaking of counter clutter, personal devices are the worst. And they’re full of germs — not a good mix with surfaces where you prepare food. Charging drawers keep them tucked away, safe from spills and ready for playing podcasts and looking up recipes while you’re working in the kitchen.
under the oven drawer
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