By Nancy M. Lambert
Your kitchen sink is the glue that holds everything together in your kitchen, but is often overlooked as an integral part of the form and function of the busiest room in your home.
If you’re like many consumers, your kitchen sink may be one of the last things on your kitchen remodeling priority list, but its value should not be underestimated. Here’s a quick primer on the shapes, sizes and materials you can expect to find on the market today.
Shapes and Sizes
Although it’s often assumed that kitchen sinks come in standard shapes and sizes, you’ll likely be surprised by the multitude of options available today. Eight inches is the standard depth, but ten inches may work better for you if you often wash large pots.
Here are the shapes you may come across as you begin your search:
Single, large rectangular basin – the most basic
Double-bowled sink – can have the sinks the same size for hand-washing; or have one side smaller
Three-bowl sinks – two larger bowls with a smaller center bowl that contains the garbage disposal and may be topped with a removable cutting board
Material Matters
No matter how big or small you want your sink to be, you need to consider how the material your sink is made of will impact your work in the kitchen.
Stainless Steel
The perennial favorite is stainless steel. Not only does it add a sleek look to your kitchen, but it also resists stains. Remember, if you want the thickest and most durable type, look at 18-gauge rather than the thinner 20- or 22-gauge steel, which is more prone to scratches, dents and punctures.
Looking to take a step up from stainless steel? Try a solid surface sink, which is a sink fused to the surrounding counter. Depending on the type, this option can be easy to clean and available in an array of color options.
Quartz
If you want to give your kitchen natural appeal, quartz is the perfect solution. The second-most abundant mineral on the planet (second to water), quartz gives you a look similar to granite. Although most consumers haven’t learned about the benefits of quartz yet, it’s actually the most stain- and scratch-resistant option.
Enamel
For something more on the traditional side, enamel-on-cast-iron sinks offer a classic look with unexpected style. You can choose from many colors, but white remains the most popular. The surface is shiny and easy to clean, but be careful of chipping the enamel, which will reveal the black cast-iron. Remember, you’ll need a heavier counter for this material.
Regardless of the color and style you prefer, you can find fantastic options to choose just the right kitchen sinks to complete your design and become the highlight of food preparation in your kitchen.
DirectBuy carries a large selection of brand-name kitchen sinks, cabinets, appliances and counter tops at wholesale prices direct from the manufacturers and their authorized suppliers. A one-stop shop for all your home building, furnishing and remodeling needs, DirectBuy has virtually everything for in and around your home.
Choosing A Kitchen Faucet
By Art Copper
These days, kitchen faucets do not only serve as a basic, functional piece in the kitchen. With all the shapes, sizes, designs, and finishes available in the market, they now become a factor in setting the style of your kitchen.
Whether your kitchen has a classic country design or an ultra modern architecture, there is a faucet available to exactly fit the atmosphere you wish to create.
Here are some considerations that you need to think about when choosing a new kitchen faucet:
- First and foremost, choose a faucet that matches your sink's faucet connection. Then, check how many mounting holes your kitchen sink or your counter top has. Make sure you choose a faucet that will be easy to operate when mounted into the sink. Choose one that is just the right size relative to your sink.
- There are a wide variety of sink faucet materials in the market. Whether it is brass or polished, made of copper, stainless steel, or chrome, the kitchen faucet body must be durable, heavy-weight, maintenance-free, suitable to your kitchen theme, and should not corrode or discolor. Faucets made of brass are very resistant to adverse conditions, while chrome-plated ones are most affordable. It is important that you go for durability - your faucet should last a very long time without dripping. Thus, try to choose one that is of best quality and fits your budget just right.
- The handle and the spout usually determine the style of kitchen faucets. Faucets can have single or two handles. Single handled faucets are quite convenient when it comes to control of water temperature and volume. Double-handled one, on the other hand, allows the precise flow and temperature adjustment as it has separate cold and hot controls. It can also be more stylish than the former. There are also three different spout styles to choose from. There are those that have pull down or pull-out sprays, those that have side sprays and those that don't. Imagine what you usually use kitchen faucets for and choose one based on your needs. There are also wall-mount faucets that require no deck holes, pot filler faucets that can be mounted near the stove, as well as bar or entertainment faucets that can be added to other areas in the kitchen.
- The fourth factor that you should determine is the spout height and reach. Standard arch faucets are usually 3-5 inches high and are best for smaller to average-sized sinks and for everyday use. High arch faucets are usually 6-8 or even 10 inches high for washing pots and oversized kitchen wares. Also, you should make sure that your spout reach is compatible with the sink size and the number of bowls or dishes you anticipate to wash. Whatever the spout reach you choose is, make sure that it directs water directly into the center of the bowl. If your sink is the double-bowl type, choose one that can reach both areas.
- Lastly, find out what other additional accessories you will need in your kitchen such as water filters, hot water dispensers, or soap dispensers. You would need one or more extra holes in your sink for these accessories. With all the types of faucets available, it can get very confusing and overwhelming to choose one that will fit your kitchen. You do not only choose based on aesthetics and budget, but more importantly, on your current and future needs.
Please visit author's websites at Quality Undermount Stainless Steel Kitchen Sinks, Faucets and Home Improvement Articles.
Rules of Kitchen Design (Part 1)
By Gib Dreffel
Kitchens: Everyone has one, but what is done with it and what is expected of it varies madly from one person to the next.
For some, the kitchen is a refuge; a place to claim sanctuary from marauding offspring while sipping champagne and creating culinary delights.
For others it is the modern equivalent to the pre-historic bonfire - a gathering place to eat meat, insult each other, and find out why Beaver is flunking science.
No longer just for cooking, cleaning and the odd late night tipple, the kitchen has mutated into an uber-room, suited for entertaining, dining and plain old living.
If your idea of an impeccable kitchen is the latter, then this first piece of sagely advice applies to you:
Gib's Rule of Kitchen Design #1:
"You don't just cook in it":
No longer just for cooking, cleaning and the odd late night tipple, the kitchen has mutated into an uber-room, suited for entertaining, dining and plain old living.
With this in mind, ask yourself: What will you and your family do in your kitchen?
Will you entertain? If so, some of your uncultured guests will undoubtedly arrive early chomping at the bit for vittles. Enter - the Island! Instead of them drooling as if you yourself were covered in fava beans you can lead them to the cleverly placed island which has a convenient overhang complete with stylish stools and a spread of tasty hors d-oeuvres. This way you can work the range from the safe side of town while they sip their Chianti, chat with you and stay the heck out of the way.
If you live in your kitchen, you can combine it with the dining/living room for that hip urban loft-look that the chic and trendy ones love so much. Add a comfy love seat and TV in one corner so that when your recipe fails miserably you need only relax on the sofa, flip the channel and let the Food Network come to the rescue.
Just be sure to remember that the overall layout should allow traffic to pass through each corridor without the danger of bum-brushing pointy counter corners. If you and your partner can't do a twirl, the aisle is too tight.
Gib's Rule of Kitchen Design #2:
"You can't have enough storage."
Remember the last time you moved? Ok, so maybe it's a fog of pain, cursing, and alcohol, but I'm certain of one thing - you had 150 times more stuff than you thought you had. You may be losing sleep not knowing where to put grandma's preserving kettle only to find out that the fondue set and oyster forks are screaming for shelter.
Varied storage shall be your salvation - drawers of different sizes, hidden pull-outs, cupboards with adjustable shelving, and the list goes on. If you depend on large open spaces to solve all your storage problems remember this: there was a reason the dish ran away with the spoon.
The latest trend is to place your possessions on display, restaurant style, adding to the character of your kitchen. This is great if, like me, you're displaying your priceless collection of Faberge eggs, but less so if half-eaten Doritos and pizza boxes are your idea of "life-style propping". And since life without junk-food is but a paupers play, hidden storage is a must.
This storage doesn't have to be limited to fixed cabinetry - you can benefit greatly from the European trend of free standing cabinets. These cabinets are full-on pieces of furniture - they are sturdy, provide a unique aesthetic effect, and can be moved when small children and pets fall behind. They also give you much more freedom in altering your kitchen at a later date with the added bonus of actually bringing it with you when you move. Oh those Europeans are just so clever.
Gib's Rule of Kitchen Design #3:
"Triangles suck"
The classic design rule for kitchens of yore was the "work triangle" From Henry VIII to Betty Crocker the ideal situation seemed to be the ease of movement from fridge to preparation area to stove. Like most commercial propaganda, this was based on little other then stuffing the pockets of the cabinet makers. This antiquated system has now been cast aside for ideas that better suit our brave new world.
The newest design revolution takes its inspiration from professional kitchens. The area is divided into stations, each based around a specific function. You define each station and its purpose - chopping, cooking, baking, and meat preparation are common candidates. If you have a "cake icing" station you clearly have too much time on your hands.
Multiple sinks, varying countertop materials, appropriate appliance placement (say that five times fast), and task lighting all come together to outline separate areas of the kitchen for certain tasks. And these things, my darlings, we shall cover in the very near future.
Stay tuned for more Gib-gab. The sequel in this series has him enlightening the masses on their choice of appliances, countertops, flooring and lighting.
Gib Dreffel is a guest writer for Greentea Design - an online furniture store specializing in Japanese furniture Their kitchen cabinet collection includes a full range of solid wood free standing furniture.
The Different Types of Kitchen Sinks
By Daniel Roshard
The sink is the most important spot in any kitchen and it also one of the most frequently visited spot in the home. It is considered that at any given day, the morning work starts at a kitchen sink and the night work finishes at the kitchen sink. So, it is absolutely essential for the homeowner to select on the best type of kitchen sinks that will perfectly compliment the look as well as the entire set up of the kitchen area. It is also imperative that the homeowner should select the right sink that will be easy to maintain apart from being highly durable. Nowadays, markets all over the world are flooded with a wide array of shapes, sizes and designs of kitchen sinks that are made from various types of materials. There are so much of models available in the market, that the homeowner will not be finding it difficult to choose the right kitchen sink that suits the need and the décor of his or her kitchen.
The different mounting types are surface mount, wherein the sinks rim is visible on the top of the counter and the under- counter mount, where the sink mounts under the counter and the rim is not visible. The newest and trendy look that the sinks have these days, go well with the latest and contemporary designs of the modern kitchen. The looks of the kitchen sinks range form the normal domestic look to the more commercial or professional look to the contemporary old world styling look. Once the desired look is arrive at, it becomes relatively easy for the homeowner to choose the sinks made of materials like stainless steel, porcelain, marble, granite, copper or brass.
Stainless steel kitchen sinks are the most popular and common type of sinks seen all over the world. They bring out the professional look to the entire kitchen and will be a perfect compliment to any modern designed modular kitchens. The reason for their popularity is that they are highly durable and are very easy to maintain and will last a lifetime if little care is meted out to them. Another kitchen sinks that are slowly gaining popularity all over the world is the granite kitchen sink. They are also the most durable type of sinks whose surfaces are resistant to scratching, chipping and staining apart from being heat resistant. The granite kitchens are slightly on the expensive side, but are highly durable and also resist the rigors of everyday life and needs least attention or care.
If one desires to add a touch of class and antiqueness to the kitchen, then going for the copper or the brass kitchen sinks will be the best option. Copper sinks provide the most contemporary and elegant look not only to the kitchen but also the entire home. They are made from heavy, solid weathered copper or dark brown copper sheets with visible hand hammered prints by artisans on them. The extra thick casting provided on the copper sinks will easily help it last for a lifetime and also help them in absorbing noise. They are highly resistant to stains and discoloration and become more elegant as it ages. Copper kitchen sinks are usually under mounted and are very expensive and fall in the luxury category of kitchen sinks. Kitchen sinks, generally are available as a single or double sink and also come in round, rectangular, square and oval shapes.
Getting the right Kitchen Sink can help turn your kitchen into a more functional, and easier cooking environment. Learn about Sinks at the Awesome Sinks site at http://awesomesinks.com
Two Things To Consider Before Buying Kitchen Appliances
By Herbert Hidalgo
Before shopping for kitchen appliances you should do some research, things like price and reliability are very important, there should be a correlation between this two, (1) who services the item if it malfunctions?, and more importantly, (2) Who is paying for the repair of an item that should not break so soon in the first place?, are questions you should ask yourself before paying a cent., you don’t want to pay a cent after you made the purchase.
Many people will go into the store without even thinking of how reliable an appliance is, and will buy it simple because it is on sale. How many times have you gone into the store and buy an appliance just to find out that the appliance started giving you headaches soon after you bought it.
Price and reliability go hand and hand, you should neither have to pay a million dollars for a reliable kitchen appliance nor get an unreliable kitchen appliance simply because it is not expensive. Buy on the internet it is probably your best bet to get a better price, but don’t forget to check on the reliability of the appliance before you buy it.
Magazines like consumer reports or even www.consumerreports.org, will give information on what your best choices are, if any, so that you can decide what to buy and avoid pulling your hair off after you make the purchase. It is important to know what you want in order to know how much to pay. and it is important to know this two in order to be able to get the right kitchen appliance at the right price.
Conclusion:
When you go shopping for kitchen appliances don’t go after big names or high prices, since it does not mean you are going to get what you want, do some research first.
Kitchen Cabinet Remodeling
By Erica J. Bosworth
A kitchen or bathroom remodelling project can be a very expensive proposition. It will depend on how extensive the remodel is and what materials you use and kind of work you have done. But many people feel it is worth the expense since these two rooms get the most use in the entire house, and frequently show it! A kitchen remodelling will usually involve cabinet replacement, replacing counter tops, changing flooring and updating appliances such as stoves, refrigerators and dishwashers and fixtures such as sinks. If your cabinets are serviceable, or if you don't need more cabinet space, you may not have to replace them but rather have them refaced, and save some money. Or you can strip and re-stain the cabinets; this is a very big project but will save even more money, especially if you do it yourself.
The best way to calculate the cost of remodelling, is to ask a few home remodelling contractors to bid on the job. Make sure you see a portfolio of their work to make sure it is the quality you are looking for. You may also want to ask them to bid on two different options, cabinet replacing vs. refacing, so you have a choice if the cost is too high. If you decide you want to go with replacing, you may have to cut costs on other items such as appliances. If you don't have to worry about the cost, go for the best new cabinets and appliances you can find! Good quality cabinets are a beautiful addition to t home and will increase the value of your home while making it more comfortable for you and your family.
Before you start on a project like this, look at all of the options available to you for the cabinets. If you are working with a professional remodeler, make sure you see samples of his prior work, and make sure he does not have any complaints lodged with your local Better Business Bureau. If there are any complaints listed, find out the status. Many consumers have complaints with a remodeler, but the important thing is that he addresses the complaint to the customer's satisfaction. You should always take these steps when you are contemplating a home remodeling project to protect yourself. There are scams in the home remodelling field, and there are plain outright lousy contractors. Protect yourself from both by getting all of the facts in advance so you won' be throwing your money away.
The essayist Erica Bosworth is especially interested in ideas corresponding to remodeling and home improvement.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)