In case you missed Designer at Your Fingertips – Part 1, we have asked designer and author, Kelly Morisseau, to share some of her expert information regarding kitchen design. Here are some additional things to think about before beginning your upcoming kitchen remodel:
CV: What are some designs or styles that have stuck around through the years?
KM: None in their entirety…but the basic elements all eventually come back. The white cabinet “trend” has been around since the 1700s. Dark cabinet “trend” was around in the 1970s. The “contemporary” style that you’re seeing everywhere is one I was designing in the early 1980s.
Design or style tends to stick if the period age of the home adds to it — in other words, a Colonial home has elements of design that have been around for a few hundred years…yet there are subdivisions of 1980s tract homes which really have no period styling.
CV: At this time, is there a type of cabinet, countertop, color, floor and appliance that are most commonly desired? If so what are they?
KM: Asking to pinpoint design styles is like asking us to label all the stars! At one time, we could say there was a North American trend – avocado appliances, for example. But it was also back in the time when we didn’t have so many choices for manufacturing. Now, almost anything goes. It depends on where the home is, the regional preferences, and yes, the climate. Dark cabinets are all the rage in sunnier places, but you wouldn’t catch too many people wanting them in areas that are more cloudy than sunny.
CV: Lastly, how can Kelly’s Kitchen Sync benefit consumers?
KM: It’s an insider guide on how to spot and avoid the common mistakes of kitchen design. Kitchen remodeling is expensive, but kitchen design mistakes are even more expensive.
Most books show pretty pictures and discuss design on a fairly generic basis. I wanted to get into the nuts and bolts of all the items that could trip anyone up. I’d planned it for the average homeowner who didn’t have access to a kitchen designer, but surprisingly it’s already found a pretty enthusiastic audience of other designers, contractors, and architects.
There’s over 25 years of my experience (and, yes, some of my own mistakes) in that book. It’s also written with a good dose of humor, which I think we all need when gutting a kitchen, don’t you?
We would have to agree – kitchen buying should be fun. Thank you Kelly for taking the time to answer our kitchen design questions. We look forward to reading Kelly’s Kitchen Sync.
Getting ready to remodel?
Recent Comments