Kitchens

June 20, 2022

The kitchen is the most technical room in the house. With appliances, plumbing, hardware, and lighting, there are so many things to consider, and making sure that it all works together can be difficult. Don't worry though, you are in the right place to learn everything you need to know to create the most functional and beautiful kitchen for your home.

Permanence

One of the most permanent things in your kitchen is the floor. Once you have chosen and installed your floor, it is quite an undertaking to change. If you do want your floor to be ever changing, rugs will be your best friend. Alice Lane offers all different kinds of runners like the Flat Weave Runner, or the Fife Rug, and so many more.

Next on the list of permanent things would be your cabinets, and one question we hear fairly often is, "What is the trick with wood floors and wood cabinets? Do I go with the same colors of wood, or do I mix it up?" The answer is definitely mix it up and give it variety! You want one to be the hero, and for one to be more quiet. We suggest going with a lighter color on the floor, and going dark with the cabinet wood.

Another permanent thing in a kitchen is the layout. There is a term when designing a kitchen and it is called the "work triangle". The work triangle is the relation and flow between the fridge, range, sink and the proximity from one to the other. It is so important to keep the work triangle in mind especially when you are building or remodeling your kitchen. You want to make the cooking experience as seamless as possible.

Appliances

When you are filling out your kitchen, it is very important to find a brand of appliances you love, and then stick to that brand. That will make your kitchen look very uniform. Another tip for appliances is placing them where it makes the most sense and where is most effective. Microwaves should always be by the fridge because 99% of the things you need to microwave are coming from the fridge. We do not style microwaves at eye level anymore. Dishwashers should go by the sink.

The range is your money shot. If we had unlimited money to spend on the kitchen, the first thing that we would upgrade would be the range and the hood. That is really where your kitchen shines, and should be the focal point to catch everyones eye.

Styling

One of the easiest things to do, if you want to make a change on a budget, is updating the hardware of your cabinets and drawers. Whether they are pulls or knobs, just that small touch can go a long way. Something to consider when shopping for new hardware is the spread of your current pulls. The spread is the measurement between the two holes in your cabinet doors where the pulls screw in. The spread can be changed if you are planning on painting the doors, but if you are just simply changing the hardware, you will need to find pulls with the same spread.

The next step to updating your kitchen without needing to do too much work would be updating the faucet. It takes a little bit a plumbing and getting underneath the sink, but it can really add a new flare to that area of your kitchen. A lot of times, the house will come with a really standard, unappealing faucet, but there are so many options at very reasonable costs to install the really tall, rounded faucets that look like they have existed in another time. It adds some elevations to the kitchen and can connect stylistically to pendants hanging above and produce such a beautiful look.

Next, and maybe one of our favorites, is accessories. We carry so many kitchen accessories that help to fill in the odds and ends, and to style the kitchen to your exact aesthetic. We love our Wooden Serving Platter Set and Hand Carved Makers Spoon Set. In a kitchen full of metal hardware and appliances, little accents of wood help to break that up.