Tuesday, April 12, 2016
Monday, April 11, 2016
Saturday, April 9, 2016
Designing your IKEA kitchen
We are out the other end of our IKEA kitchen design & install and hindsight, as you know, is a wonderful thing. Our family joke is now we are ready to tackle an IKEA kitchen. This is the first of a series of posts around the design and installation of our new kitchen.
Without good design any reno is throwing good money after bad. If you haven't really thought out how you want to work in your kitchen, and how you want it to look overall, no matter how well you install it, you won't be happy.
I hope some of my musings, and what I learned as I worked through the design process, will be helpful to you if you are planning an IKEA kitchen as a renovation project.
Know what's hidden
Know the bones of your kitchen so there'll be no surprises. We wanted 90 inch pantry units and had a bulkhead with pot lights in it. I kept nagging my husband to have a look, and I was so glad because to our surprise we found vent work. Just enough to cause me to move to 80 inch pantries. Not a happy camper letting go of my floor to ceiling pantries, and needing more filler pieces to accommodate what was available in that height pantry.
We were also planning to keep our current footprint and we knew that the flooring did not extend under our cabinets.
That meant we had to get all our cabinet measurements correct and use fillers to make it come out even. If you have an island or peninsula and are keeping your existing flooring, it is even more important to do careful measurement in terms of depth. We found out we could not have a toe kick on the back of the peninsula so the cover panel had to extend to the floor.
Moving appliances meant hiring an electrician, but it was worth it.
Everyone expected me to move my sink under the window, but that would have meant a very squat prep area if the stove moved to where the fridge was. When I stand at my sink now I have a view of two prominent St. John's landmarks - Signal Hill and Cape Spear. Why would I want to exchange that for a view of my neighbour's house? Now I have a huge prep area and I can make all the mess I want when I entertain. Perfect planning!
Several friends brought up the idea of "updating" to an island. I like my kitchen to myself when I cook, even when I entertain. No island for me, and it could have happened in the space without too much effort. Personal choices are important in design. I made an entertaining hang out area by removing the half wall in pic below and opening it up to the family room.
Another big problem for us was a bottleneck area at the end of the peninsula because of a contractor error in the initial construction. The wall by the oven was built 10 inches too long and changing it was complicated and expensive because it contained pipes, heating and air exchanger vent work, plus light switches. When we redesigned we took three inches off the length of the peninsula to open up the walkway. That was possible because we had floor tile left over.
Visit an IKEA store
By chance we ended up grounded for 24 hours in Toronto when returning from a trip. We took advantage of that time ( a year before our reno) to check out everything kitchen related. I took over a 100 pics of things that interested me, and I kept referring to them as I designed. If you can't do that, find someone who has designed and installed an IKEA kitchen and go for a chat. I managed to find two people who were obliging, and it was helpful even after the store visit.
Start a reno board on Pinterest
Look at various IKEA kitchen layouts and cabinet styles online. Think about improving storage options especially if you have a smallish kitchen. Pinterest is a great resource and you can pin everything you see on one board. Consider a secret board so you can make comments and track ideas or a shared secret board if you have a design partner. Check out my Kitchen reno board here and a previous post about Finding your decor style.
Find inspiration pictures
Your kitchen should meet your needs in style and function. Make it yours. Here are two pics that helped me refine the look I wanted. They are not everyone's cup of tea!
After all the cabinets and gray horizontal lines in my old kitchen I wanted something visually quieter this time around.
The two photos above illustrate "the feel" I wanted : uncluttered, quiet, airy, bright, calm and minimal, but with elements of warmth and nature. These are the words I kept in my head throughout the design process. I wrote them down and checked my decisions against them constantly. You will probably have other words entirely, but have descriptive words as benchmarks for decisions.
I really wanted a kitchen that flowed from the rest of our house and reflected our arty, organic and calm decor style.
Stick to your vision
A reno is a headache in many ways, and you will reach a point where you are fed up and want to take the easy way out. Don't. Take a break from it and look at the problem with fresh eyes. Make all decisions based on your initial concepts for the space.
Perhaps it's my age and my visual art training, but I begin everything with paper and pencil. I found the kitchen booklet we picked up at IKEA a great help when doing this because all cabinet sizes were listed and you could plainly see what was inside each one. There is an online version. I didn't spend a lot of time at this stage, just enough to decide on the flow and placement of drawers or doors.
I work with design apps all the time, but I found the IKEA kitchen planner very frustrating. It had lots of little glitches, and if you have an island or peninsula as I did, the cabinets kept wanting to line up by a wall. I was also working on a MAC. In the end I refined the plan enough to send to IKEA and get the order made, but it never looked pretty.
Once you have a preliminary design in mind, consider it the next time you bring home groceries. Is there a place for everything. If you are entertaining, is there a place for all those things you only use every now and then? Prepare an imaginary meal and clean up. Are your movements efficient? Have you solved all the design issues in your previous kitchen?
Explain your design to someone outside your family
Walk through your design with someone outside the family and explain your layout decisions. This really helped me confirm that I wanted things the way I thought. You also have an opportunity to question the IKEA staff when you order your kitchen. They were super helpful when I called.
And yes, you will have more than one design.
I'm happy to answer any questions or hear your comments about your IKEA kitchen design suggestions.
READ MORE
Design is key
I hope some of my musings, and what I learned as I worked through the design process, will be helpful to you if you are planning an IKEA kitchen as a renovation project.
 |
| Get what you want by designing well |
Know what's hidden
Know the bones of your kitchen so there'll be no surprises. We wanted 90 inch pantry units and had a bulkhead with pot lights in it. I kept nagging my husband to have a look, and I was so glad because to our surprise we found vent work. Just enough to cause me to move to 80 inch pantries. Not a happy camper letting go of my floor to ceiling pantries, and needing more filler pieces to accommodate what was available in that height pantry.
We were also planning to keep our current footprint and we knew that the flooring did not extend under our cabinets.
That meant we had to get all our cabinet measurements correct and use fillers to make it come out even. If you have an island or peninsula and are keeping your existing flooring, it is even more important to do careful measurement in terms of depth. We found out we could not have a toe kick on the back of the peninsula so the cover panel had to extend to the floor.
Analyze your current kitchen
Make a list of what works and what annoys you in your current kitchen layout. For everything that annoys you, you should try to come up with a solution if possible. It is easier and more cost effective to keep appliances where they are, but sometimes their placement is part of the inefficiency. Our cooktop and oven were in a major traffic area, and it was downright dangerous when we entertained. You could also see the stove top from the dining room; I am not a tidy cook. We chose to flip the refrigerator to the cooking area, and make that area into a wall of pantries with the refrigerator centred. The perfect solution to storage in a walkway.
 |
| 80s cooking area |
 |
| Standard sizes for pantries |
 |
| Fridge and pantries |
 |
| 80s layout of kitchen across from cooking area |
Moving appliances meant hiring an electrician, but it was worth it.
Everyone expected me to move my sink under the window, but that would have meant a very squat prep area if the stove moved to where the fridge was. When I stand at my sink now I have a view of two prominent St. John's landmarks - Signal Hill and Cape Spear. Why would I want to exchange that for a view of my neighbour's house? Now I have a huge prep area and I can make all the mess I want when I entertain. Perfect planning!
Several friends brought up the idea of "updating" to an island. I like my kitchen to myself when I cook, even when I entertain. No island for me, and it could have happened in the space without too much effort. Personal choices are important in design. I made an entertaining hang out area by removing the half wall in pic below and opening it up to the family room.
Another big problem for us was a bottleneck area at the end of the peninsula because of a contractor error in the initial construction. The wall by the oven was built 10 inches too long and changing it was complicated and expensive because it contained pipes, heating and air exchanger vent work, plus light switches. When we redesigned we took three inches off the length of the peninsula to open up the walkway. That was possible because we had floor tile left over.
Visit an IKEA store
By chance we ended up grounded for 24 hours in Toronto when returning from a trip. We took advantage of that time ( a year before our reno) to check out everything kitchen related. I took over a 100 pics of things that interested me, and I kept referring to them as I designed. If you can't do that, find someone who has designed and installed an IKEA kitchen and go for a chat. I managed to find two people who were obliging, and it was helpful even after the store visit.
Start a reno board on Pinterest
Look at various IKEA kitchen layouts and cabinet styles online. Think about improving storage options especially if you have a smallish kitchen. Pinterest is a great resource and you can pin everything you see on one board. Consider a secret board so you can make comments and track ideas or a shared secret board if you have a design partner. Check out my Kitchen reno board here and a previous post about Finding your decor style.
Find inspiration pictures
Your kitchen should meet your needs in style and function. Make it yours. Here are two pics that helped me refine the look I wanted. They are not everyone's cup of tea!
Create a vision
Many people just go headlong into a reno and don't stop to think about their design aesthetic. What kind of feel do you want in the space? What style of cabinets and layout suits that feel? What is the rest of your home like? Are there interior aspects of the cabinets that will add to how you want to feel in your space?
After all the cabinets and gray horizontal lines in my old kitchen I wanted something visually quieter this time around.
The two photos above illustrate "the feel" I wanted : uncluttered, quiet, airy, bright, calm and minimal, but with elements of warmth and nature. These are the words I kept in my head throughout the design process. I wrote them down and checked my decisions against them constantly. You will probably have other words entirely, but have descriptive words as benchmarks for decisions.
I really wanted a kitchen that flowed from the rest of our house and reflected our arty, organic and calm decor style.
- Uncluttered ...lots of thought to interior storage options and eliminating "stuff" you don't need
- Airy ... an absence of upper cabinets so your eye moved around the space
- Calm and bright... from colour and style choices and layout
- Warm and quiet ... no laminate, granite, or other hard surface counters
- Organic... from natural products like wood, cork, plants etc.
Stick to your vision
Work out a rough sketch on paper
Refine your sketch in the kitchen planner
I work with design apps all the time, but I found the IKEA kitchen planner very frustrating. It had lots of little glitches, and if you have an island or peninsula as I did, the cabinets kept wanting to line up by a wall. I was also working on a MAC. In the end I refined the plan enough to send to IKEA and get the order made, but it never looked pretty.
Imagine working in your new kitchen
Explain your design to someone outside your family
Walk through your design with someone outside the family and explain your layout decisions. This really helped me confirm that I wanted things the way I thought. You also have an opportunity to question the IKEA staff when you order your kitchen. They were super helpful when I called.
Record your questions before IKEA ordering
I had at least ten questions recorded for clarification when I called to place my order. Many of them were of a confirmation type, making sure I had interpreted the cabinets properly and that I could do what I wanted to do.
And yes, you will have more than one design.
I'm happy to answer any questions or hear your comments about your IKEA kitchen design suggestions.
The big reveal is coming up in the next post and yes, it was worth all the thought, frustration and mess....
Wednesday, April 6, 2016
Saturday, April 2, 2016
Saturday, March 26, 2016
Finding your decor style
Have you ever looked for similarities in rooms you are attracted to in magazines or online?
That's one of the best ways to determine what you like for your own decor. If you don't know where to start here are several suggestions to set you on your way to finding your personal decor look.
Initially you may not have the words to describe why you are attracted to a space or why you find it interesting, but you will over time if you do enough looking and comparing.
When you have about 10 or so look at them and decide what you don't want in a space. This is just as important as what you do want.
Here's a room that doesn't particularly ring my chimes because it has too much glitz and materialism. It reminds me of a woman who has on too much makeup and bling, but there are lots of people who love a glam look. I'm not judging, just saying it's not for me.
2. Have a category for rooms that you like aspects of
It might be the furniture or the fabrics or layout. It could be how it is accessorized. It could have one thing you like or a number of things. Identify what you like and don't like.
You can be attracted to a space and not like all the components of it. I appreciate that this space is dramatic and artfully conceived. Dark wall colours are not part of my aesthetic nor is traditional decor, but I find myself drawn to this space. Why?
3. And most importantly find rooms you love
Here are some spaces I love from recent pins on Pinterest.
This room couldn't be more different than the one above! It is a space that I think is timeless even with the bold tile choice.
Here's what I like about it:
Room #3
Such a great space:
I hope these simple suggestions will help you define your decorating style. We are all unique and that's what you should aim for in your home. Go for it!
READ MORE
That's one of the best ways to determine what you like for your own decor. If you don't know where to start here are several suggestions to set you on your way to finding your personal decor look.
Develop a vocabulary for your style
- Start with some rooms you don't like at all.
When you have about 10 or so look at them and decide what you don't want in a space. This is just as important as what you do want.
Here's a room that doesn't particularly ring my chimes because it has too much glitz and materialism. It reminds me of a woman who has on too much makeup and bling, but there are lots of people who love a glam look. I'm not judging, just saying it's not for me.
It might be the furniture or the fabrics or layout. It could be how it is accessorized. It could have one thing you like or a number of things. Identify what you like and don't like.
 |
| Caleb Anderson |
- mix of some traditional and modern (furniture and art)
- accessories in vignette combine colour, texture, form and different styles
- the perfect intersection of chair back with art making the chair an integral part of the vignette
- there is nothing cookie cutter about this space; it's totally individual /unique
- the variety in the vignette arrangement takes my eye back again and again
- it is the opposite of what I like usually (light interiors, clean lines and more minimal look)
Here are some spaces I love from recent pins on Pinterest.
Room #1
This room couldn't be more different than the one above! It is a space that I think is timeless even with the bold tile choice.
Here's what I like about it:
- simple geometric patterning in neutrals
- simple lines in flat panel doors
- mix of open shelves with doors to provide some visual relief
- mix of wood, white and geometric to add interest
- this would be in style for years
Room #2
There are similarities to the kitchen above if you really look. Here's why I find this appealing:
- mix of warm wood and neutrals
- a room has to have at 3-5 different patterns for me to find it interesting
- a touch of the outside is important to me (plants and wood)
- lots of textures
- pared down but inviting because of the rug and the pillows
Room #3
- white, black and wood
- it looks like a well composed abstract painting
- very geometric in layout, especially the vertical window and cube lights
- the mirror connected everything visually
- like how the sink is like a piece of furniture, not hidden
- this is a unique space
Establish a my style and not my style boards on Pinterest
I find it useful to have one board on Pinterest that focuses on my style. I am selective in what I put in there and often go back and delete things until I am left with what I find pleasing. If you don't want to have it open for all to see, set up a secret board and record negatives and positives without insulting anyone!
Find your look/style by doing quizzes online
This is a short quiz and was spot on for my style when I completed it. You have to provide your email address to get your answer.
There's a range here from Houzz to Lonny and Better Homes and Gardens.
I hope these simple suggestions will help you define your decorating style. We are all unique and that's what you should aim for in your home. Go for it!
Wednesday, March 23, 2016
What's hot on my Pinterest?
Analytics are always interesting when you keep a blog and they can provide insight into your readers likes and dislikes. I keep a close eye on my blog analytics and also Pinterest. While I look for patterns of pins on Pinterest there often aren't any, but last month was a little different.
Do these images indicate what is popular on Pinterest or do they reflect what I like personally or both?
Here's a selection of my most liked/repinned pins in order of popularity from last month:
source
source
source
What we can say ...
READ MORE
Do these images indicate what is popular on Pinterest or do they reflect what I like personally or both?
What we can say ...
- clean lines are evident in all designs
- versions of gray are very popular paired with lighter walls
- texture is a dominant feature especially from wood and brick
- lighter woods are used to add texture and warmth
- contrast is an evident characteristic
- nature is present in fruits, plants, woods
That's what Pinterest told me last month. Of course I know what is popular on my feed is influenced by my own aesthetic. If I pinned all glamorous space some of these would be at the top of the list. But that won't be happening any time soon. I am not a glamorous type of gal.
Are you influenced by what you see on Pinterest? Do you what you see changes how you design your home?
Friday, March 18, 2016
Thursday, March 17, 2016
Bring on the green
St. Patrick's Day gets lots of attention where I live because so many of us have Irish roots. While the partying and music happened last weekend, I'm doing my own bit today by recommending green as a colour to consider in decor if you like to bring the outside in. When someone says they hate green, I'm flabbergasted. How can you hate the the most prominent colour in nature?
You can have a little green woven in with any other hues and it always looks good. Think plants. Is there any room a plant doesn't work in? Or you can have a green statement piece or green accessories mixed with another colour. The possibilities are endless when you think about the variety of greens and the proportion of use in a space.
A green statement piece
A green velvet sofa is daring and this one sings because of the white walls and light artwork above it.
This is still a statement in an otherwise white room, just a more subtle one.
Green furniture and accents
I am more drawn to yellow greens like the ones in this space. Love the leafy references in pillows and romans. This much green needs the relief of white walls. I would like to see more of the blue green as a stronger punch of colour.
Just a hint of green in a neutral space
Just the merest hint of accents of green with plants and branches can liven a white space. This little amount of green only works well in very light space.
You can weave a little more green into any neutral space and it can either sit back and quietly warm it or...
say, "Look at me, I'm the life of the room". I'm particularly fond of this colour scheme and the use of texture in the space.
I guess you've figured out from my photo references that I like green with white and gray. It's the fresh punch that intrigues me, and for that you need a quiet background. There are other ways to work with greens using lots of black for instance, but then the room gets too shouty for me. Are you a lover of green?
Wednesday, March 16, 2016
Suddenly
What looked like a dream, a wish in waiting, maybe not to come true for weeks, suddenly it's real: Spring has arrived with all its sweetness, birdsong, the warmth of sunshine, a gentle breeze in the air, longer evenings with just enough chill to crave a fire and all the tiny blossoms, making the season so desirable.
My daffodils look ready to bloom in a fortnight, tiny bluebells cover the still dormant grass, and the squirrels chase each other up and down the trees.
My impatience has given way to a a calmer joy, a mood elevation I can only blame the season for. My heart is filled with optimism and I feel energy rising again.
Today I met my dear friend, Deirdre Verne, a fellow writer and mother, a woman I admire for her accomplishments. My own dwarf against hers I feel. You can find her fabulous books here and everywhere books are sold. We talked shop and how to build a story line, how to come up with credible characters and how to make it all work. It is always incredibly invigorating to exchange ideas and to brainstorm about writing with her. For weeks now I have struggled with a particular issue, something I have carried around for decades and how to deal with this in my writing. It had come to a point where I felt it crippled my abilities to tell the story and she simply said, do not worry so much, just write it all down, there is much time to change it and you can always edit it out. How little does she know how it has freed me. After we parted my head was spinning with ideas. Perhaps it was the sun, sending her rays over my keyboard, perhaps it was my friend's easy attitude to something which had loomed over me for weeks, but since that moment the inner blockage has disappeared and after I came home I sat down to prep-write. I dropped everything and typed away notes and sentences, which I did not want to loose until I would have time to properly write. When the phone rung, I did not expect anything unusual. But it was my teenage son, asking me where I was. I had overlooked the time and had forgotten to pick him up from school.
Thankfully it takes just a few minutes to get him and I was only ten minutes late. I laughed to myself, this had, as far as I can remember, never happened.
Shall I put an automated reminder in your phone, my son asked me slyly, but not unfriendly when he stepped into the car. Please do so I answered smilingly and he did. Now, if I happen to become entrenched in writing, some friendly reminder will pull me out of my reverie and bring me back to reality.
And now, as I write this, I see outside my window the old Magnolia tree with its long pink blossoms, leafless still, but ready to bloom. I am ready too. How I love spring.
Wednesday, March 9, 2016
Adding spice to your decor.
If you've decided your decor is predictable after reading my last post, and you want to spice things up a little this post is for you.
Here goes....
A lively mix of pattern and colours brings energy to neutral spaces. Imagine this room without the colour.
Collections always denote personal interests, and they are markers of time and events in the collector's life, e.g., when was something purchased, where etc. You are really creating a personal timeline and history when you display a collection of objects.
Layering, complementary colours, interesting objects and a bit of whimsey. Perfectly composed and inviting.
Furniture sets were conceived for the person who wants a ready made room without the fuss of looking for separate pieces. With that ease comes predictability. If you are interested in variety and energy in a space, take away one or more of your set pieces and introduce something new. In the room above, only the chairs match, but it all works very well together.
Of course black and white is the ultimate contrast. Add any colour to it and you have instant interest. How do you feel about red and black? Perhaps you would like white, black and yellow better.
If you're choosing a large painting for a space make sure you have some bridging heights like the plant above to connect all the objects in the space. The range of patterns and number of pillows below the artwork also ads visual weight to balance out the large work. Manipulating scale can be a tricky business.
READ MORE
Here goes....
1. Rebel against over-matching accessories
If you choose an accent colour everything does not need to be that colour! Consider breaking up the accessory load with a complementary colour scheme or by choosing several colours side by side on the colour wheel.
A lively mix of pattern and colours brings energy to neutral spaces. Imagine this room without the colour.
And for those who like a more traditional space, here's an adventurous mix of patterns to create a very soft look. Notice how the orange is repeated in the flowers, and the pink in the flowers on table and the books, but the yellow stands alone. That makes it a 3, 2 and 1 colour distribution. Subtle but everything counts for interest and variety. Now I want to repaint the walls soft white.
2. Mix old and new together in one space
Briggs Solomon
3. Display meaningful objects
Collections always denote personal interests, and they are markers of time and events in the collector's life, e.g., when was something purchased, where etc. You are really creating a personal timeline and history when you display a collection of objects.
The trick with displaying collections is to come up with a way to do it that looks artful rather than cluttered.
4. Throw in something unexpected or quirky
I am always attracted to vignettes that tell a story like the one above. Is the leather saddle bag connected to hobbies or is it random? Perhaps it's for bike riding, e.g., a messenger bag. What are the tall wooden pieces? Has the owner seen New York from the air or is it just a visual adventure?
source
Oh, art you have such power to present and question. Putting this large piece on the floor brings it to viewing level, but it also places it where a foot is usually found in a home.
5. Mix styles
Mixing styles isn't for everyone, but it always creates comparisons that are interesting. In this space the hard edged, lucite table is a total contrast to the softness of everything else. It is there without being there visually.
6. Use common objects/materials in new ways
IF you like the idea of a clock table there's every conceivable take on this on Pinterest. Check them out here .
If you have a thing for rulers, that works too.
7. Mix patterns and textures to create visual excitement
8. Break up furniture sets
Furniture sets were conceived for the person who wants a ready made room without the fuss of looking for separate pieces. With that ease comes predictability. If you are interested in variety and energy in a space, take away one or more of your set pieces and introduce something new. In the room above, only the chairs match, but it all works very well together.
9. Go for contrast and drama
10. Play with scale to create a statement
Playing with larger scale pieces works best in more minimal spaces where the size and form of objects are highlighted without the distraction of a lot of objects.
If you're choosing a large painting for a space make sure you have some bridging heights like the plant above to connect all the objects in the space. The range of patterns and number of pillows below the artwork also ads visual weight to balance out the large work. Manipulating scale can be a tricky business.
