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      Planning Your New Kitchen

It always happens: despite your best efforts to make your living room seem inviting; your guests migrated into the kitchen at your last get together. You went to check on the hors d'oeuvres in the oven and turned around to find your entire dinner party crowded into your kitchen! Why fight it? Kitchens are no longer dingy little rooms kept behind swinging doors, in fact they usually end up being the hub of activity. The trend in new homes and home renovation is toward larger, more open kitchens that combine form and flare.

If you are in the planning stages of a new home or kitchen renovation, you can take advantage of the latest ideas and products for kitchens. There are great new materials available for countertops, cabinets, and floors. Innovative space-saving shelves and dual-purpose areas can help you make the most of any space. Your options are limited only by your budget and creativity. One important consideration however, as you stretch your creative muscles, is to protect the future resale value of your home. Keep in mind that the choices you make now may not be desirable to new owners. Have you always dreamed of a bright blue kitchen floor or yellow cupboards? Consider compromising by using colourful accent pieces displayed on shelves or a just one wall painted with a vibrant colour instead of the entire room.

A few basic design suggestions can help you avoid costly mistakes. Decorators recommend homeowners use just three or four core colours, such as a neutral base of cream and white with navy accents, throughout the house including the kitchen. Also ensure that the materials you use will wear well. Poor quality countertops, which become scratched and stained, for example, can ruin an otherwise attractive kitchen. Plan down to the half centimetre taking into account space for opening doors and drawers. When planning the placement of shelves, consider your own height as well as average heights in order to keep shelves within easy reach.

If you want to use a computer program to make your own design, there are several available through the Internet. Check out the Better Homes and Gardens ® website at http://www.bhg.com/kpg for a free interactive kitchen design program. Their Kitchen Arranger feature is a fast, easy way to see how different layouts of cabinets, islands, appliances etc., will look in your "virtual kitchen" before you get to the real thing.

Top Design Trends:
Granite or faux stone counter tops are highly durable and very striking. Chances are if you go to open houses at new upper scale condominiums you will see polished stone on kitchen counters. The classic look of stone makes it a good choice to weather the winds of fashion.
Stainless steel countertops are 'de rigeur ' (read that as extra trendy) in today's designs. Its sleek look and durability have made it a favourite among professional chefs for years. It is impermeable to spills, germs and high temperatures although a few words of caution are in order. Nicks and scratches can show easily on stainless steel. This material also requires a firm, solid underlay to prevent denting.
A kitchen and living area which open into each other will add immensely to the sense of space in a home. For this design, nothing should block the standing view between the rooms. A wide counter with seating on the living area side and shelf space underneath facing the cooking area is a great way to separate the rooms, add storage space and still retain the sense of flow between kitchen and living room.
Walk-in butler pantries are a great feature if you have the space. Despite the antiquated name, a butler pantry is a wonderful place to store an extra freezer or the supplies to feed a large family.

What's out:
Harsh lighting is being replaced by lighting similar to living areas with greater light over specific work areas such as the counters and stove. Designers are moving away from panels of florescent lights to recessed lighting and/or highly decorative fixtures.

As couples and families find their time together dwindling in a the wake of long commutes to work, after-school projects and 10-hour days, any time together seems that much more precious. An inviting kitchen with space for everyone to help out (or at least to wander in to nibble on the preparations) can help you get supper on the table while catching up on the events of the day. You might even be able to teach someone else to cook at the same time!

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