Everything and the Kitchen Sink
Does the food in your kitchen reflect a gray, fluorescent color? Do you need in-line skates to get from the refrigerator to the range? Do you feel like a Siberian exile because the kitchen is isolated from the rest of the house?
If so, you’re a candidate for a dream kitchen, and this is a good year to get one. According to U.S. News and World Report, one-third of all U.S. homeowners--more than 25 million households--are expected to spend $175 billion on home renovations this year, an all-time high. A great percentage of those renovations will be in the kitchen.
And manufacturers know this.
Thermador has a showroom in Huntington Beach to highlight its products, including a JetDirect Convection oven that channels air directly into the food, rather than into the oven cavity. Cooking time is reduced up to one-fourth. The price tag? $5,200 to $5,800.
What else is happening in kitchens?
“The ‘great room’ continues to be the biggest trend in kitchen design,” says Donna Downey, owner of Concepts II Ltd. in Costa Mesa. “People are going for open space with the living room and the family room the same, and the kitchen visible from all sides.”
Prices for these kitchens are not low. A standard kitchen runs from $20,000 to $40,000. If special appliances, granite counter tops and other custom features are added, the bill can jump to $60,000 or more.
“People are doing kitchens for themselves, not putting them in just for resale value as they once did,” says Downey.
Today’s kitchens function much differently from those of only a few decades ago. They still provide storage, food preparation and cleanup, but with a twist.
The National Kitchen and Bath Assn. found that efficient kitchens have storage space for 800 items, up from 400 in the 1950s.
Storage can mean walk-in pantries and butlers’ pantries, which may be a decorative spot with a hutch for crystal and silver.
Other storage space-savers include rollout shelves, Lazy Susans to maximize corner space, built-in trash compartments, appliance garages and a spot for a TV.
Kar and Drew Hofmann of Mission Viejo hired Concepts II Ltd. to design a 500-square-foot great room in their 30-year-old house. The enlarged kitchen comes in handy.
“We love to cook, but there wasn’t room for us to be in the kitchen at the same time--not with sharp knives in our hands,” says Kar. “There was counter space, but it wasn’t very usable, and the cooktop was up against the wall. Now we each have areas complete with separate cutting boards.”
The ceiling was raised, a skylight installed and an interior wall, closet and seldom-used wet bar eliminated. “We had to add structural trusses to create the room they wanted,” says Rob Doezie, owner of Coastal Craft Construction, the general contractor who completed the project in four months. “We were then able to put in recessed lights and vented the cooktop underground so no hood is needed.”
The layout is the classic work triangle: the refrigerator, stove and sink next to each other. But there are modifications.
“When there is a kitchen for two cooks, we have to consider how the flow is going. Sometimes there are two triangles and they even cross. For example, one section of the kitchen might be a step-saver section: sink to cooktop to refrigerator. But there could also be a second sink on the other side of the room, or the ovens could be placed away from the step-saver area near a pantry.”
In the Hofmanns’ kitchen, the refrigerator and ovens are near the walk-in pantry and the cooktop is across from the sink. Because there is a granite counter top between the cooktop and oven, there is plenty of space for putting food and preparing meals.
The biggest help in varying work centers is through the addition of an island. Even a small chopping block island can make a difference.
The granite-topped island in the Hofmanns’ kitchen serves as a work and storage area and has room for four people to sit, eat and chat.
“We wanted to eat in the kitchen,” says Kar Hofmann. “Plus, we like having friends around the counter while we’re cooking. Before, I cooked facing a wall.”
The cabinetry is dark wood to give the Hofmanns the Old World feeling they desired. “We wanted a kitchen that looked older and comfortable but was totally up-to-date,” she says.
A stained-glass door and panels that were originally in the Hofmanns’ Chicago house were incorporated into the room. They also had a mural painted on the tiles featuring a single rose that is significant for them because they were married on Valentine’s Day.
The flooring is Italian tile, and the walls are painted a soft, limestone-like color.
They research appliances on the Internet and knew what they wanted, such as a convection oven and wine refrigerator.
One of the most important features of the new space is the lighting. “I found the pendant lights myself,” says Kar Hofmann. “I wanted something special that didn’t make too huge a statement. We have recessed lighting, task lighting and lighting around the skylight. I have most of the lights on dimmers too. At night the room is beautiful with the skylight lights on and candles glowing. It’s really special. It’s wonderful the way the room brings everyone together.”
(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)
Where to Go for Ideas
Because a new kitchen is an expensive proposition, it’s important to research first. Here are some sources:
* A Dream Kitchen seminar, featuring GE Monogram appliances and Wood-Mode cabinetry, will be at 10 a.m. April 10 at Home Chef in Fashion Island Newport Beach. $15 includes a light lunch. (949) 718-0114.
* “Residential Remodeling and Universal Design: Making Homes More Comfortable and Accessible” is a booklet offered by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The National Assn. of Home Builders Research Center, HUD USER, Box 6091, Department TH697, Rockville, MD 20850. (800) 245-2691. $10.
* The National Kitchen and Bath Assn. has a free Dream Kitchen and Bath Kit. (800) 401-NKBA or https://www.nkba .org
* GE Appliances offers a free, 32-page publication. (800) 443-9082 or https://www.ge.com
* Jenn-Air can be reached at (800) 688-1100 or https://www .jennair.com
* Maytag Co. has a free, 28-page brochure, “The Accommodating Kitchen.” (800) 688-9900 or https://www.maytag.com
* Thermador’s Huntington Beach kitchen/showroom is open to the public from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays by appointment only. Call (714) 899-3548 or https://www.thermador.com
