Personalize your room – open your mind – your only limitation is your own imagination. Explore the possibilities – Think outside the box!

• · Professional Appliances makes gourmet cooking not only a pleasure but makes it easier with modern features. Whether you choose to have them fully integrated with cabinetry panels or all stainless steel – they are the “trophies” of today’s kitchen.

• · Mixture of materials/textures adds life and interest. Most people are comfortable specifying different colors of granite tops or stained and painted cabinetry – but the trend is moving faster. Interest is created when adding more texture such as wire grill, frosted glass or fabric inserts in the cabinet doors. Opportunities do not end there – copper handles or hood, stucco range hood, iron pot rack, glass backsplash tiles, or a walnut counter top – consider the possibilities to design your kitchen to be a conversation piece!

• · Dual appliances give added convenience. Two dishwashers can ease the stress of unloading when you have dirty dishes to fill. Or a second dishwasher can be placed in a butler’s pantry, near the prep zone or closer to the eating area for fast clean up. Refrigerator drawers are convenient for drinks or snacks for children, or placed near a prep zone filled with vegetables.

• · Why not display that collection of cookbooks on open shelving. Consider the notion that good design does not mean you fill all your walls with solid cabinetry. Open a cabinet above a refrigerator or other hard to reach area – this creates visual interest and lets the design breath.

• · Europeans have been influencing design for decades. With the busy lifestyles of today, people appreciate their tendency of simplistic or minimalistic design. Clients are requesting less ornate details – delivering “less is more” approach. Clean lines and simplistic elements such as flat or recessed panel doors and sleek moldings are easy to clean and maintain.

• · Wood counter tops add warmth. Some people are shy because of maintenance, but the reality is that it is not any more difficult than cleaning any other counter top. The beauty of wood is timeless and is never tiring. Used on islands with furniture elements such as turned legs, heavy baseboard delivers the look and feel of high quality furniture.

• · Furniture details are a perfect way to personalize your design. There is an abundance of offerings in turned legs, feet, corbels and onlays. There are numerous design options to integrate or enhance your design to reflect your personal style.

• · Kitchens are the heart and often the hub of your home. Designing a “command center” behind large pocket doors (or a nearby walk-in pantry) gives an area for a lap top computer for keeping a family calendar or recipes, mail organization and even numerous receptacles for charging phones and iPods for the entire family.

• · Islands continue to grow in popularity. The benefits typically include: greater traffic flow, additional work zones, a prep sink, and furniture elements such as turned legs or feet. They are also growing in size –Be careful – while they can look impressive, often their size restricts traffic flow and can be difficult to reach to clean the center. I recommend keeping islands no wider than 4’ and length no greater than 9’. If your space allows more, consider having 2 islands.

• · Decorative hardware options are unlimited. This offers the perfect opportunity to have fun ..

• · Options for storage accessories have exploded over the last few years. Built-in trash bins, pull out spice racks, independent rotating lazy susans, peg drawer systems for dishes, utensil and cutlery inserts make a kitchen more organized and more importantly more efficient. More deep drawers are specified for easy access for not only pot and pans but for Tupperware, snacks and dishes.