Downsize Your Kitchen
Are You Ready to Downsize Your Kitchen
By John Voket
In our last segment I dove into the subject of downsizing kitchens. Whether it's simplifying arrangements of cabinets and appliances as we age in place or a desire for a modern or minimalist cooking zone there is no shortage of good advice on how to get started and get through it.
Mariette Mifflin a housewares and appliances writer at about.com says a large number of baby boomers are eyeing moving to low maintenance apartments or condos while others will plan to retire to their smaller cottages or vacation homes to age in place.
Mifflin says consider the many more compact appliances that offer energy saving options like an economy dry settings on dishwashers 1 and 2 hour auto shut-off on coffee makers and low water features on washers.
According to Mifflin delay start has now become a great energy saving option for those areas that pay for electricity based on when they use it with peak and off-peak rates. You can set a dishwasher with this feature while you're loading it but it will only start later in the evening when energy off-peak rate is lower.
Cambria Bold design and lifestyle editor for The Kitchn (thekitchn.com) says don't be afraid of using darker colors - done right a darker color scheme can actually make a smaller kitchen space appear bigger.
At cultivate.com Susan Serra writes that visual tricks will be actively incorporated to create a more open feeling. For example backsplashes that are more simple in design than ever before such as single sheets of glass (a hot material) engineered stone or other seamless surfaces such as stainless steel.
The reason this works: A seamless backsplash has a huge effect on a kitchen's "visual clutter" is a natural complement to the modern kitchen and a practical solution for small kitchens where appliances are in close proximity to surfaces.
Serra says large interesting nooks and crannies decoratively illuminated in the kitchen can create new focal points as well as adding a spacious look. And she says appliances will largely disappear from view in 2013 allowing even high-end chef's style appliances to be seamlessly incorporated into any kitchen space.
Reprinted with permission from RISMedia. �2013. All rights reserved.
In our last segment I dove into the subject of downsizing kitchens. Whether it's simplifying arrangements of cabinets and appliances as we age in place or a desire for a modern or minimalist cooking zone there is no shortage of good advice on how to get started and get through it.
Mariette Mifflin a housewares and appliances writer at about.com says a large number of baby boomers are eyeing moving to low maintenance apartments or condos while others will plan to retire to their smaller cottages or vacation homes to age in place.
Mifflin says consider the many more compact appliances that offer energy saving options like an economy dry settings on dishwashers 1 and 2 hour auto shut-off on coffee makers and low water features on washers.
According to Mifflin delay start has now become a great energy saving option for those areas that pay for electricity based on when they use it with peak and off-peak rates. You can set a dishwasher with this feature while you're loading it but it will only start later in the evening when energy off-peak rate is lower.
Cambria Bold design and lifestyle editor for The Kitchn (thekitchn.com) says don't be afraid of using darker colors - done right a darker color scheme can actually make a smaller kitchen space appear bigger.
At cultivate.com Susan Serra writes that visual tricks will be actively incorporated to create a more open feeling. For example backsplashes that are more simple in design than ever before such as single sheets of glass (a hot material) engineered stone or other seamless surfaces such as stainless steel.
The reason this works: A seamless backsplash has a huge effect on a kitchen's "visual clutter" is a natural complement to the modern kitchen and a practical solution for small kitchens where appliances are in close proximity to surfaces.
Serra says large interesting nooks and crannies decoratively illuminated in the kitchen can create new focal points as well as adding a spacious look. And she says appliances will largely disappear from view in 2013 allowing even high-end chef's style appliances to be seamlessly incorporated into any kitchen space.
Reprinted with permission from RISMedia. �2013. All rights reserved.
