HIGH STYLE KITCHENS
Some of Louisville's hottest kitchens are sporting some very cool looks. Home chefs are braising and sautéing in kitchens that simmer with style and are equipped to rival those of top rated restaurants.
Visit kitchen showrooms, designer show houses, or even the neighbors' houses, and you'll find yourself on a design journey from French Country to Tuscan to Scandinavian. But such global design influences aren't everyone's taste in kitchens. Perhaps you simply want a "traditional" kitchen. If so, you'll quickly learn that "traditional" may be a slightly subjective term and that there are some topsy turvy interpretations of traditional. Or you may find that you want to put your culinary skills to work in a contemporary kitchen of cutting edge design. Whatever your taste, whatever your budget, you'll find that there are a plethora of kitchen possibilities.
"Extreme seems to be the operative word when it comes kitchens. New kitchens are either very contemporary or very traditional. Colors are very light or very dark. The extremes extend to the grain patterns of the wood, either a lot of pattern or no pattern, says Lora Nix, of Southern Kitchens, a Certified Master Kitchen and Bath Designer and a Certified Aging in Place Specialist with Southern Kitchens. She says that when a light color is selected, it usually has a cool undertone. Grayish browns are now preferred over browns with a reddish orange hue, and dark brown is vying for top honors with black.
Trish Russell, owner of Bella Cucina Cabinetry, says that although many new kitchens still reflect an Old World character, contemporary kitchens are beginning to appeal to people who prefer clean, straight lines and not a lot of detail or profiling.
The painting, glazing and use of corbels and decorative moldings that characterize Tuscan inspired kitchens interest many people. But Jeff Hayden, vice president of sales for Chris's Custom Cabinets, says that there's growing interest in the return to the true nature of wood stains such as maple, cherry, and alder, and even the knotty varieties of those woods.
While granite and quartz remain the most popular countertop choices, Nix says she's having more requests for marble. The hesitation over the use of marble, which is softer than granite or quartz, may be overcome with the introduction of Danby marble, which is more durable than Carrera marble. Designers like it because it comes in various shades and in honed or polished finishes.
Glass countertops don't fit into every kitchen design, but they can be a welcome change from the more typical surfaces. Enviroglass custom mixes color and is frequently used because of its matching capability to Benjamin Moore paint chips. Another glass surface is offered by the Louisville-based Vitromax.
What's underfoot is as important to the appearance of a kitchen as are cabinets and appliances. "There's an even divide between kitchens that have hardwood and those that use tile. We just did a cork floor that looks fantastic. New flooring materials are really spicing up kitchens. And heated floors are becoming a much more common addition," says Russell.
"Tile and hardwood will always be in style, but I often encourage clients to consider vinyl. The new vinyls look remarkably like ceramic tile and are available in sizes larger than the standard 12" X 12". They're also not as hard on the back and legs and are very resilient. They can be installed with no grout line or spaced to use grout.
Large kitchens definitely get a lot of media attention, often leading to the belief that a kitchen has to be large and elaborate to function well. Fortunately, a kitchen doesn't have to be huge to look great or function well. In fact, poor design can render a large kitchen much less functional than a small kitchen that was thoughtfully designed.
"I hate to see a small kitchen that could have been designed as a well functioning space, but was designed so that function was secondary. Many small kitchens have incorporated so many bells and whistles of design that they look tacky and overdone. They try to integrate elements such as a carved crown and decorative toe board, a carved or embossed light rail, flutes, patterned glass, an ornate door style, patterned tile and patterned granite. The result is awful design and, in many cases, the kitchens are a nightmare in which to work," says Nix.
Determining what constitutes a well designed kitchen is not as easy as it might seem. Kitchen designers all say the design must reflect how the individual family lives in its kitchen. "There's no universal theory that can be applied to all kitchens, regardless of the talk about the kitchen triangle, which is the placement of the sink, refrigerator and stove in the shape of a triangle. That would make sense if we all lived in the same type of house, cooked the same way, had the same schedules, and wanted the same appliances. But in the real world, a kitchen has to be designed around and for the people who use it," says Hayden.
Nix believes if the kitchen has good function, the triangle is there because it makes common sense. She suggests consulting the National Kitchen and Bath's 31 Kitchen Planning Guidelines (kkba.com), although she says space may preclude abiding by all of them. The Guidelines cover in detail all facets of kitchen design, including placement and sizes of doors, work centers, traffic flow, seating, appliance placement, cabinetry and countertops, storage, electrical and lighting.
Lisa Austin, a designer with The Lee W. Robinson Company, had the advantage of putting her design expertise to work in her own kitchen. "My kitchen has to work on several levels. I cook a lot and enjoy entertaining. But we also have children, so the kitchen has to be practical for a busy family. I grew up in the house and moved back four years ago. I didn't want to change the cabinets that were made 25 years ago because they reflect the Georgian character of the house. At the same time, the kitchen needed to be more functional," she says.
Her solution was to redesign the island, increasing its height and replacing the cabinets with drawers. She also added bracket feet so the island resembles a piece of furniture. The warming drawer in the island, and the compactor, refrigerator and dishwasher have cabinetry panels for an integrated look. What does she like best about her kitchen? "Without a doubt, the warming drawer and double ovens. I use the warming drawer every day and the double ovens are a lifesaver when I entertain," she says. "But I also like the little Xenon under counter lights and my farmhouse sink. I wouldn't want to give up the hot water dispenser for my tea every night. I guess one could safely say my kitchen design is successful because I love it so much." 
Lora Nix is exceedingly practical when discussing kitchen design, paying close attention to the specific needs of the people who will be using the kitchen. For example, she takes into consideration a person's height and any physical limitations. "It's crazy to automatically install 36" cabinets if that is too high or low for you. Or, why have wall cabinets so tall that you can't reach the second shelf? No one wants to drag a ladder all over the kitchens," she says. Even whether someone is left handed or right handed is important because that should determine a variety of factors such as the placement of the dishwasher, trash pull out, and spices and utensils. "And don't ignore what may seem like little things. They'll drive you crazy. Eliminate sharp corners even if there are no small children or the elderly in the house because they tend to be at hip level," she suggests."
When Trish Russell designs a kitchen she focuses on stations and work areas---storage, preparation, clean up and cooking--- and how they function together.
Most everyone complains about not having enough storage. But what kind of storage is most effective? Russell says pots and pans drawers are a must-have, and suggests replacing a 36" cabinet that has a considerable amount of dead space with a three drawer base, providing three times the amount of storage. Pull out trays in base cabinets are far more functional than typical 12" deep shelves. Don't you hate that inconvenient cabinet above the refrigerator or the oven? So does she. As an alternative, she installs wood tray dividers that slide in, offer increased storage and accessibility.
She advises that the prep area have a trash can pull out, knife insert, small vegetable sink, and ideally, a cut out countertop that allows trash to be scooped into a trash receptacle below. The prep area also needs adequate drawer space for mixing bowls and cooking utensils, as well as for supplies such as wax paper and aluminum foil.
Of course the cooking area accommodates the cooktop and ovens, or the range. It should also include an area for pots and pans, and oils and spices. Keep in mind that placing spices too near the heat source will reduce their shelf life.
"People may rush through planning the kitchen or may eliminate certain items to cut costs. The budget is always a consideration, but it's more expensive to make changes after the kitchen is finished than it is to include them in the initial stage of design," says Hayden. He also says that designing without carefully thinking through the process may result in decisions such as the selection of glass doors that look good in a photograph, but may be a headache if what's put behind the glass isn't visually interesting or kept neat. A desk area in the kitchen may seem like a good idea until it becomes the place that collects junk and piles of paper. A shelf for decorative items or cookbook may be an interesting design element, but it takes up valuable space that perhaps should be used for more practical purposes.
Designing a kitchen you'll love doesn't mean you have to have a megabucks budget, but design pros like Nix adamantly advise starting with a good basic design and well constructed cabinets. "Decorative trim can always be added. There are plenty of aftermarket items to tweak cabinets later on," she says.
She offers some hints that will help you design a kitchen that can be deceivingly inexpensive. If under cabinet lighting isn't in your budget, have wiring looped in the wall so the lighting can be pulled through when you're ready to proceed to the next stage. Change the light shields in recessed lighting from white or black to mirrored or chrome. "The black ones look like blemishes all over the ceiling," says Nix. "Don't be upset if you can't afford granite. There are some excellent quality high definition laminates that look terrific," she adds.
If the budget is going to severely limit the design possibilities of a kitchen, Russell says to think about the look of the kitchen as a whole, not on individual pieces. Focus on the color, not the door style, of cabinets. Instead of taking the cabinets all the way to the ceiling, vary the height for more interest. Save money by using granite only on the island and apply laminate on the perimeter, but don't try to match them.
Selecting appliances is a big decision, one that has been made even more challenging by the debut of new products designed to make cooking easier, faster and more fun. "Serious cooks want high performance products and like kitchen amenities such as warming drawers, steamers and deep fryers. Even people who don't spend a lot of time cooking like counter refrigeration such as wine chillers, refrigerated drawers and beverage centers," says Keith Mangold, of Bonnycastle Appliance and TV.
"Steam cooking, very common in Europe, is beginning to catch on in the United States. Cooks love it because it allows them to cook two or three very different kinds of food without transferring any odor or taste from one to another. "Viking has an oven that's very impressive because it can be used strictly for steaming, strictly convection, or both at the same time," says Susie Wethington, of The Trend. That's not the only news in ovens. Multi function ovens not only bake and broil, they also warm, toast and speed cook. Buy one of those and you don't have much excuse to order take-out!
The best kitchens, those that make you want to don an apron and start cooking, are those that are well equipped. You may not want to succumb to the commercials for the set of 52 knives that will cut through steel, but having some good utensils and a few nifty gadgets will help you cook like a chef (or at least make you look like you know what you're doing.)
When Susan Lukjan, owner of Campbell's Gourmet Cottage, isn't helping customers decide what they need in their own kitchens, she's putting the latest, as well as some tried and true, products to use in her home kitchen. So what does she recommend for the well equipped kitchen? At the top of the list are a good stock pot, a stainless steel and a nonstick fry pan, and a Dutch oven. You may not need the televised knife set, but a good cook can't cook without good knives, including a chef's, paring, carving and bread knife. And you'll need a knife sharpener to go with them. "I can't imagine a kitchen without a toaster oven. I use it for everything, even grilling vegetables and making cookies," she says. Her list also includes both hand held and stand mixers, a blender, kitchen shears, a zester/grater, and wood or polypropylene cutting boards (marble and glass cutting boards will ruin your knives!) Don't forget the instant read thermometer and an oven thermometer. If you're like most people, your oven isn't perfectly calibrated.
"The hottest thing we sell is the immersion blender. You can't beat it for soups and sauces." Now you know. Get in the kitchen and start cooking!
