Kitchen and Bath Design For Everyday Living

The kitchen and the bathroom are perhaps the two most important rooms in the house which is why kitchen and bath design is so critical to the home. These rooms see a lot of the family members and friends throughout the year. For this reason, these rooms should be the shining gems of your home; functional, yet aesthetically pleasing at the same time.

When designing a kitchen from scratch a great place to start in the cabinet space and possibility of a pantry. Cabinet space is extremely important currently. There have been so many gadgets invented for the kitchen that are truly useful that it's easy for your kitchen to become cluttered with them, especially if left out on the countertop. Yet, with enough cabinet space, they can be put away within a cabinet only to be brought out when necessary. If you have room for a pantry, add it without delay, likewise for a walk-in pantry. The pantry will provide a place for all of your non-perishable food items. In the case of a walk-in pantry, you may also have room for some of those small appliances or gadgets mentioned above. This leaves the rest of your cabinets for dishes, bowls, glasses, cups, serving bowls and anything else.

The selection of woods to choose from for the cabinets themselves can be daunting. Hard woods such as oak, maple, cherry make for cabinets that will resist nicks and scars and will last for many years. In addition to maintaining their functionality, they will maintain their looks as well. An alternative that is more budget friendly would be pine. They still make for pretty cabinets, but the wood is soft which makes them more susceptible to damage.

The countertops would be the next consideration. They can range from Formica to Corian to Quartz. Formica is the most economical, but more susceptible to nicks, scratches, and staining. Corian and Quartz are very popular right now, but do tend to be on the pricey side. The countertops that you will pay a little more for will be the ones that retain their functionality as well as their looks for a long time to come.

A bathroom has similar considerations to a kitchen, but there are some obvious differences. It's not very often anymore that you'll find a closet for towels within the bathroom itself, but this can be the case. Like a kitchen, when designing a bathroom you'll have to take into consideration things like cabinet choice and color, hardware, and countertops. In addition to these things, you'll also need to choose a mirror.

Whether a bathroom is small or large you'll have to consider what type of cabinet to put in it. If you've done your kitchen cabinets in maple, you may want to continue that choice into the bathrooms. If your walls are painted differently than the kitchen, you may need to choose a different color stain for the cabinets. You will want to match the countertops to the colors you've chosen for the bathroom or just keep it neutral. Because of the humidity in a bathroom, Formica will not work in there. The humidity will separate the tops from the particle board underneath. You will need to stick to something like Corian for the bathroom. Finally, a choice of mirror and hardware to compliment the bathroom is necessary. These will pull the room together to bring unity to it.

Bathrooms and kitchens are heavily used rooms in the home. Comfortable atmospheres in each are important. Following the tips above with your kitchen and bath design plans will give you the comfort and longevity you're looking for.

Lee Dobbins writes for Decor8ting.com - Home Decorating Tips where you can get more tips on decorating every room in the house as well as tips for kitchen and bath design.

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