One of our favorite picnic scenes ever is from Charles and Ray Eames’ short film, Powers of Ten. It’s set on the Chicago lakeside, where a young man and woman are enjoying a leisurely outdoor afternoon of food, reading, and napping. Some of our favorite details from the picnic:
We’re not talking fully-appointed kitchens at the poolside here. Rather, these kitchens are the main kitchens of home interiors and serve as a connection between the indoors and out through openings, views, materials. It’s easy to imagine the purpose of such a kitchen on a nice spring day like today (not that the poolside version wouldn’t be fun, too!).
We can’t tell you how many times we’ve lingered over lunch in a quaint cafe only to find ourselves wishing for a similar feeling in our kitchen at home. Here are a few cafe-inspired details that can be incorporated into the design of a residential kitchen:
Let’s face it: Our kitchens take a beating. But that doesn’t mean that cleaning them up has to be complicated, expensive, or difficult. Here are five common kitchen materials and simple ways to make them shine again:
Last week, we looked at kitchens with windows facing east for early morning sun. Today, let’s take a look at kitchens that receive high-noon sun via gorgeous skylights. Whether you’re in a top-floor apartment or a stand-alone house, a skylight just might be the answer to a little extra natural lighting in the kitchen. Even if you have some space above your kitchen, a tubular skylight can still direct light down into the space.
We don’t know about you, but at our house mornings are a whirlwind of getting up, getting ready, and getting out the door. Some kitchen organization tips to keep things running smoothly:
Ah!.. Maybe it’s this fresh spring weather, but there’s not much better than the long rays of the new day’s sun stretching out across the kitchen each morning. Let’s check out these lucky-duck kitchens that face east – perfect for greeting the sun over breakfast:
Breakfast bars bridge the gap between large homes and small. They’re used for a quick morning bite in large homes, where they supplement a formal dining room and maybe even another casual kitchen table. Or, they might be the sole place to sit down and eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner in a small home:
Last week, I revisited some of our Kitchen Tours to look at extra counter space added by way of islands, carts, and tables. But, some of you asked, what about adding counter space to super small kitchens without room for the smallest of stands or carts?
If you have the luxury of designing your kitchen from scratch, why not size everything just as you like it? It’s best to start from some standards, then tweak them to suit you. Here are some guidelines to get you started:
One of the most common small kitchen complaints is lack of counter space. One quick, easy, and generally inexpensive option is to add counter space with a free-standing addition. Check out some examples from past kitchen tours:
The edge profile of the countertop is a small detail among many in the kitchen. And that little shape might at first seem a purely aesthetic concern. But it’s not, trust me:
The kitchen work triangle is a design concept that can help create efficient use of kitchen work spaces. The idea is that a line drawn to the refrigerator, sink, and range should create a relatively even-sided triangle within which the major kitchen activities take place.
I have this sauté pan I use all the time in the kitchen. And it undergoes some pretty rough treatment. Everyday cleaning with dish soap gets it clean enough. However, heavy use leaves it blackened and burned over time. Every once in a while, I like to give it a deep clean that leaves this trusty standby looking like new. Here’s how:
