Monday, January 18, 2010

Dazzle Your Guests With A Fitted Kitchen

By Amy Stevens

Bustling schedules and hectic routines have indeed made kitchens the heart of many homes. Home owners want a fitted kitchen that has classy appeal, but is also designed with function in mind. In the realty market, it is no small secret that the kitchen of a property can often make or break a sale. Only in the kitchen of a home do home buyers expect to get their piece of cake and eat it, too.

While it is possible to design a functional kitchen using separate pieces, the overall effect is usually quite lacking in comparison to fitted kitchens. Whereas a non-fitted kitchen may be changeable to the whim of each home owner, using separate pieces inherently waste usable space in the name of aesthetics.

Some experts speculate that fitted kitchens began to become a necessity as more and more of the household chores were done by housewives instead of hired-help. Kitchens had to perform multiple duties and be quickly navigated in order for laundry, meal preparation, and child care to be properly balanced. The kitchen was the central location for all other household operations.

Along with organization, the main benefit of a fitted kitchen is usable space. As a result, in order to get the maximum space with proper balance and design, installing a fitted kitchen is usually best left to professionals. However, it is important to fully recognize what you desire from a fitted kitchen before contacting such a professional.

Before contacting a designer to help construct your fitted kitchen, you should first gather your thoughts about what your own mental image entails. Then, decide whether you will be including all new kitchen appliances, or if you are going to design the kitchen to match with the appliances you already have. In addition, as the heart of the home, many home owners are opting to put televisions into their kitchens as well, so that is something else you will want to take into consideration.

The final step is to simply pick your color scheme, and decide what material to use. In regards to the color, while in the end, the fitted kitchen will be a focal point in itself, you want to remember that it is a backdrop that you will be able to accessorize later. Generally, it is advisable to pick a color that neutral or acts as wall base. For instance, use natural wood tones, soft beige or deep burgundy hues, or even simple black or white. Let your appliances add contrast color.

Regardless of your color choice, just be sure to pick a material that will stand the test of time. Wood is ideal for kitchens for multiple reasons. For one thing, it can be sanded and re-stained if your color preference or appliance color changes. Just remember that practicality calls for surfaces types that can be cleaned and re-cleaned.

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