How to Create a Great Kitchen for Entertaining
Kitchens often serve as a gathering point at parties. Guests love to congregate in the kitchen, which often feels like a warm and cozy place to eat, drink, and chat. At the same time, however, the kitchen needs to be convenient and functional for those preparing the food. If you have been thinking of remodeling your kitchen, consult an interior designer near Washington, D.C. for help. There are a few elements to bear in mind when designing an ideal kitchen for entertaining. This kitchen remodeling guide can provide some help. Consider Your Specific Needs First of all, take a look at your current kitchen. What kind of parties or dinners would you like to host there? This will impact the kind of kitchen remodeling design you will need. You may wish to host smaller sit-down dinner parties, or larger self-service buffet events. Perhaps you let guests help themselves to food in the kitchen or maybe you prefer to plate the food first and then serve it in another room. You may like to cook on your own, let your guests help with the cooking, or hire a professional catering service. Take your personal needs into consideration when choosing how to adapt your kitchen design. Some Features to Consider There are some specific features which can help make your kitchen a great space for parties. Sleek stainless steel appliances can be both practical and stylish. Refrigerator drawers and wine coolers can help to keep beverages cold until you are ready to serve them. If you wish to prepare hot food in advance, warming drawers will help you keep the food warm. If you expect to do a lot of entertaining, you may wish to purchase a double dishwasher. Consider installing a flat screen TV if you would like to watch sporting events, the Oscars, or movies with friends. Raised countertops and kitchen islands can also be attractive features. They can provide a space around which friends can gather.
Read moreLooking Ahead to This Year’s Kitchen Cabinet Trends
Washington, D.C. is known for its unique and current residential architecture. If you’re planning a kitchen renovation in your Washington, D.C. area home, make sure you’re up-to-date on some of the latest trends and innovations in modern kitchen design. This year, smart and sophisticated cabinet design tops the list of kitchen makeover must-dos. Here’s a look at three new kitchen cabinet features to talk over with your kitchen remodeling service. Functional Design Using space efficiently in your kitchen cabinets has always been important in the remodeling process. But many remodeling experts are going a step beyond being well organized. Today, cabinets are being custom made to suit very specific purposes, which helps your kitchen to be more functional and comfortable. Toe-kick drawers, pull-out shelving, and built-in containers are examples of innovative features that are projected to be popular kitchen remodeling projects. Tech Integration With tablets and computers making their way into the kitchen, your cabinets need to be better prepared to handle the influx of technology. Homeowners are demanding purpose built solutions to using technology in the kitchen without having to invest in things like “smart fridges” and other expensive appliances. Simple features like charging stations, built-in tablet stands, and other updates can dramatically change the way you use your devices in the kitchen. You’ll have to make more room on your iPad for those cooking apps you’ve been waiting to use! Horizontal Kitchen Cabinets You might be wondering whether horizontal cabinets are really a breakthrough. While cabinets are custom made in all kinds of shapes and sizes, the trend for modern kitchen cabinets is overwhelming horizontal. Wider cabinets and drawers make storing items of all sizes easier. They also create a less cluttered feel in the kitchen, which means you’re more likely to whip up something tasty yourself instead of ordering take out again. Horizontal kitchen cabinets also create a cleaner and polished look by minimizing hardware and playing up clean, long lines.
Read moreUnique Ideas for Your Kitchen Remodel
Ready to breathe new life into your home? Kitchen remodeling in Washington, D.C. can help to add beauty, value, and functionality to your dated cooking and food prep spaces. Working with a professional kitchen design and remodeling studio can bring your vision to life on time and on budget! Here are some great kitchen renovation ideas to suit your unique style. Themed Kitchens One way to approach your kitchen remodel is to have a big, unifying idea that integrates all of your upgrades. Are you looking for sleek and shiny? Consider a maritime theme with bright white countertops and steel fixtures and appliances. For something more old-world, an English country theme can help bring some elegant simplicity to your kitchen. To spice things up, a hacienda style kitchen with Talavera tiles and archways may do the trick. Go with what inspires you most from model kitchens, vacation pictures, or fond memories in the kitchen. Color Coordination One important factor to consider with your renovation is to plan colors carefully. In many remodels, the basic rule of thumb is a granite countertop and darker cabinets. But that doesn’t leave much room for exploring interesting colors and patterns, which can really change the mood of your kitchen. A classic all white kitchen with stainless steel appliances and soft gray countertops can be nice and bright. For something more festive, think retro colors and consider incorporating some throw-back inspired appliances. Warm Wood Features Exposed wood is a returning trend in many D.C. area kitchen remodel projects. The great thing about exposed wood features is that they can fit into virtually any theme or style. For a midcentury modern vibe, minimalist wood cabinets with a dark teak oil stain are perfect. If you’re looking for something more rustic, consider adding exposed beams in you ceiling. For something more contemporary and versatile, a butcher block island can be the perfect touch of wood in an otherwise traditional kitchen space.
Read moreSpotlight on Home Additions
If you love your home but are looking for something bigger, moving may not be the best option. A home addition including architecture design planned by a McLean, VA construction and design expert might be exactly what your house needs to give you the space and functionality you need in the neighborhood you love. What Can I Add On? The possibilities for home additions are basically limitless! Home additions are all about getting you the space and functionality you need to feel at home. Common additions include bedrooms, garages, and sunrooms, but many homeowners also choose to expand existing rooms or build outdoor spaces that function as additional rooms. What Are the Benefits? A home addition can provide a number of benefits over moving to a new home. Beyond being able to stay in the home and neighborhood you love, an addition can also add value to your home. In fact, a smart home addition planned and built with a home remodeling service can even pay for itself! Most importantly, a home addition can give you the space you need to live the life you want.
Read moreTips for Modernizing Your Outdated Bathroom
When you’re in need of bathroom ideas for your renovation in Washington, D.C., there are many options to consider. Bathroom remodeling and modernizing can be as simple as new paint, or be more involved with new flooring and cabinets. Here are a few ways you can update your bathroom: Install New Cabinets Faded, dingy, or broken cabinets will be one of the first design elements a guest sees when he or she walks into your bathroom. Every time you open a cabinet, you will be reminded that your bathroom is in desperate need of modernization. Installing new cabinets or cabinet doors can create more room, allow easier access to toiletries, and go a long way toward your bathroom remodeling project. There are a variety of cabinet colors and finishes, so choose cabinets that will match the rest of your bathroom in color and style. Lay New Flooring Many outdated bathroom floors have improperly sealed laminate, wood, or other outdated materials. In addition to possibly damaging the rest of your bathroom, these badly sealed floors can make your bathroom seem dirty and ugly at times. Updating your flooring to porcelain tiles, stone, or even painted and sealed concrete will do wonders. Paint New Colors A good coat of paint can solve almost any outdated room. If you have old wallpaper, then you should update your bathroom walls as soon as possible. Wallpaper is a decorating tool of the past, and it will date your bathroom several decades into the previous century. Consider brightening up your bathroom with a soft blue, tan, or yellow paint. Also, you could incorporate a design or sponge-painting technique to give your walls some character. Update Fixtures If you cringe at the rusty fixtures every time you turn the sink faucet, you should update them. These metal, and sometimes plastic, fixtures on your sink, cabinets, toilet, and shower can degrade over the years. Update them regularly to keep them in working order and to match the rest of your bathroom renovations.
Read moreWhat Kind of Addition Is Right for Your Home?
Your home should be comfortable and convenient to all members of your family, as well as your guests. A home addition may be the perfect idea to complement your house design near McLean, VA. Based on your needs and layout of your house, your contractors can help you decide which addition would be best. Here are the more common rooms you might consider for your home: Office, Den, Bedroom One of the most common home additions is a type of room in the house. This may be a bedroom for a new baby or guests. You might also consider creating more room for a home office if you plan on working from home often. This office could double as a den or library, or you may wish to add on rooms for those needs. If you have large rooms, you may be able to split them into two smaller rooms; or, you could extend into your surrounding property to create a brand new, full-sized room. Sunroom If you enjoy the outdoors, but don’t always like the weather, a sunroom may be the perfect addition to your home. Also called Arizona rooms, Florida rooms, solariums, and many more, sunrooms are created with large, open windows or screened walls. This openness allows you to appreciate your yards or views without the outside weather becoming a nuisance. Sunrooms are the ideal construction idea for anyone looking to get closer to nature. Storage and Garage Through the years, you and your family are likely to accumulate a lot of furniture, clothes, and knickknacks. If you have a small home, but a large property, why not add on a garage or storage-specific room? Garages are great for protecting your car from the outside elements, but they can easily double as an efficient storage space. You could also consider making your garage big enough for the family cars, as well as for storage; or, you may want to make two separate additions.
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