Weston Kitchens

Archive for the ‘Kitchen Trends’ Category

Hello…I am Jim Simko, Founder and Owner of WESTON KITCHENS. I have been a designer, builder and a passionate cook most of my life.

During my more than 30 years in this general field, I have been honored to work for a long list of New England’s top chefs, academics, business leaders, sports legends, architects, and others in all fields who may also be your friends and neighbors.

This is now the VERY BEST time in my long experience to plan and complete home improvement and construction projects.  In late July, 2011 it was announced that the Massachusetts economy grew at a vigorous annualized rate of over 4% for the first quarter. Impressive!! But as far as my fellow designers, trades persons, vendors and suppliers can tell you, whatever activity created that result was not much in evidence in residential construction, residential real estate and residential renovations. The truth is prices have been steady or decreasing for 3 years, margins and costs have been cut to the bone, and people who want to stay in the field are usually willing to go to extremes, if necessary, to help make your project possible. From all reports the trend appears unlikely to change at least until well into 2012.

The good news, for you, gets even better because for the present at least, skilled designers,  crafts persons, and related vendors of all sorts have generally lowered prices and upped their services to try to at least “keep busy” and hold on to their best employees until “better days”.

At Weston Kitchens we have demanded that all our affiliated vendors and associated service providers maintain their strictest cost controls. No one is served if a project is meticulously planned but beyond current skinny budgets and ultimately abandoned.

New trends we have noticed:

There is a decided preference for good quality North American cabinet brands over much more expensive non custom European brands.  There are domestic brands now that have identical style, better quality, are totally custom designed and cost less than half the price of the European brands.

Instead of $8000-$12,000 refrigerator models, we often find customers now opting for the recent category of $3000 French door refrigerators which seem to some to have functional advantages and arguably, better reliability.

We see a tendency for customers more often to buy high end cook tops or range tops but then select mid tier ovens, versus going top dollar across the board.

Renovations to existing kitchens and baths now focus first on trying to make better design and usage with in the existing footprint of a room – or at least with in the existing house.  Smart design and clever new storage options can frequently double or triple the previous usage of an older kitchen within the same space. Avoiding an addition can cut out more than half the cost of an update.

Lead times for contractors to start after bids are accepted can often be 2-4 weeks instead of 6-12 months. Custom cabinets often take 5-6 weeks instead of 4-6 months. Trades people have less work to attend to so your project will often be completed more quickly than it would have been previously.

We are finding customers often purchasing plumbing fixtures, light fixtures, tile and some appliances on line. I have seen savings of upwards to 75%. The downside to this strategy, in some instances, is difficulty getting refunds or service if you find defects or  if you are dissatisfied with the quality of a product. If an installed lighting or plumbing fixture proves defective, the trades person who wasn’t allowed a markup for the product is unlikely to absorb any labor costs for necessary service or replacement.

For every reason we are all hoping the economy rebounds soon and with gusto. Until then if you need or want an improvement in your home you may never find a better time!!!

Color has become a major design tool in the kitchen! No longer is it obligatory to paint walls a neutral color and live with a drab backdrop in the most utilized room in the house. Color is also being incorporated into cabinets, flooring, counter and sink areas, appliances, upholstery, and decorative items. This creates a situation where options to incorporate color abound. However, some color sense must be employed in order to achieve a result that is stunning as opposed to chaotic. Here are a few ideas to discuss with your kitchen designer:

Where do you want to make the most impact? Look at your kitchen and determine the points of interest that exist. Do you have a wonderful alcove for dining? A large wall that is available for a gallery of art or beautiful pots and pans? Are your appliances state-of-the-art? What you are looking for is the aspect of your kitchen that you want to emphasize as a focal point. While you could have more than one focal point in a larger room, generally speaking one will draw the most attention. It is good to identify this area before you begin working with color and specific room features.

Depending on the focal point you and your designer choose, the use of color will then become a personal choice but will also depend on the size of the area you are working with as well as the use of the space. For example, if you choose a dining area color would then be potentially integrated in wall treatment, upholstery, furniture and floor and window treatments. Designers are aware of color integration rules and of course, they are aware of appropriate ways to break these rules! Be sure to obtain samples of all materials to be used in the focal areas and as well, be sure that they coordinate well with other finishes that will be used in the room.

If your focal area will be dramatic in some way, be sure that the rest of the room is more complacent so as to let your focal area essentially take over the impression of the room. Lighting is a wonderful way to assist in this task as dramatic or intense lighting creates a visual “pocket” and draws the eye where more demur or recessed lighting is functional but not overt.

If you are creating a kitchen worthy of a professional chef you may want to let the appliances be the focal point. Color use in this type of approach will be in the actual food preparation area and most likely will consist of cabinetry, counter and wall treatments as well as the appliances themselves.

If your appliances are stainless steel, tile is a good choice for complimenting the clean look of the appliances while offering many color and pattern options. Tile, as well as cabinetry, is available in many styles, from the most modernistic to (literally) antique options. Depending on your design intention selections can be made to add focus and interest to any type of food preparation areas as well as other areas in the room, if so desired.

Do you have a large wall that needs to be blended into the room? To integrate open wall space, consider the use of murals or a gallery wall. Art can be integrated into the kitchen very successfully, especially as many kitchens are increasing in size and functionality. The wall behind your seating or dining area can become the room’s focal point by using exceptional cookware or dishes as a design element or by integrating art works that bring color and context to the area. The wall can be prepared for this type of usage with paint color and application (texture, vivid colors, patterns incorporated into the paint application) or other wall covering options that will support and add a sense of dimension to the wall. Again, lighting is available that will heighten the drama of certain wall elements, if that is your goal.

Believe it or not, your floor can also become the focal point of your room! If you prefer more neutral wall treatment and cabinetry options consider using the floor space as the area where you integrate color. Create a floor mural under your dining table or in an open area as opposed to selecting carpet or more traditional flooring. Tile is an excellent option for this approach as is hardwood (think stripes or squares of color or an asymmetrical pattern) or a “carpet” painted onto the hardwood. Creative approaches draw attention so consider color on every surface of the room – not just the walls.

Every home and every kitchen area has its own potential. These ideas are general in nature and meant to get the creative juices flowing. Work with your designer and your space to create the kitchen of your dreams – and be sure to consider the use of color. Your imagination is the only limiting factor!

Trends come and go but good design is timeless. The kitchen design
trends unfolding for 2012 are basic - yet beautiful interpretations of
timeless design. Let's overview the kitchen design movement to get a
sense of where designers are going with this essential room.

Across the board, kitchen design is focused on efficient space
utilization, ergonomics, functionality and practicality of use.
Kitchens are currently serving more purposes than simply preparing and
consuming food. The use of kitchens for entertainment has long been a
factor, however, kitchens are now becoming the home's multipurpose room
- incorporating features and usage that has been more typically found
in dining rooms and living areas.

At home entertainment and relaxation has moved solidly into the kitchen
through the incorporation of computer areas, TV viewing and gaming, and soft
comfortable seating areas built in for entertainment, conversation and reading. Desk areas
are also more and more common in the design of the kitchen space.
The kitchen has become the central location for family activities and
communication in the home and thus, kitchens are increasing in size to
accommodate this heighened usage.

Due to the large amount of time many families are spending in the kitchen, more attention is being paid to the design
of the room in terms of finishes, lighting and the room's overall
ambiance. Attention to use of color, the integration of shelving
alongside cabinets and high tech appliances are all contributing to the beauty, practicality and
functionality modern kitchens.

Cabinetry is a primary design element in the room. Artful designs as well as modern, clean lines are both popular and effective.
Extending counter area into table height areas (as opposed to bar style
seating) is becoming more popular due to its practicality and the
attractive manner in which the seating areas are combined with the
cabinetry.

Cabinet use is also evolving as built in microwaves, ovens and
trash/recycle areas become more and more popular. Refrigerated drawers for vegetables
and fruits are another space saver and, when located near the sink,
offer increased functionality and efficiency in food preparation.  Built ins offer
convenience of use as well as making a contribution to the overall coherence of the design of the
room by minimizing the visual effects of numerous appliances and the clutter of
trash, recycle or vegetable bins.

Cabinet and shelf finishes are being addressed most often in natural woods or colors such as white, gray, charcoal or
black as well as colorful finishes such as gold, red, blue, purple and
green. Many manufacturers are producing "green" cabinet finishes which are
being selected by more and more designers and their clients.
Stainless steel cabinetry is another new, popular option.

Cabinets and shelving are being accessorized with decorative pot and
pan sets, bowls, vases, etc., all specifically chosen to complement the
built in decor and room finishes. The one rule for accessorizing - less
is more!. No clutter!

Lighting has become another key design element with the integration
of chandeliers over kitchen islands and the use of LED, pendant and
other designer lighting options. Lighting adds color and ambiance all
in one package and is an extremely effective design element. Most successful
kitchen designs are incorporating specialty lighting in numerous forms and in a variety of locations throughout the room -
in cabinet, under or over cabinet, ceiling, wall and even baseboard
lighting are all potential design choices

These trends will be examined individually in future blog postings.
Stay tuned to learn more about state-of-the-art kitchen design and
products.