Clean and Classic Kitchen

One of my favorite kitchens of 2009!

I love the classic mix of color tones in the clean shaker style cabinetry door. To me, this kitchen just invites you into it's space...begging to be the center of any good party, or family meal.

This kitchen was done in our "Medallion Silverline" in the Maple Lancaster Door by mixing Maple Gingersnap stain with Maple Divinity white painted. Just lovely!

Tall and shallow pantry areas are a true work horse of the kitchen. Who doesn't love storage! It's a great place for extra serving dishes, food goods, etc, the possibilities are endless.

I love the simple single sink with this tremendous depth to it.

Dishwasher drawers are so great for people that want to clean a load without having to wait to completely fill up the entire unit. Each drawer runs independent. Great for empty-nesters, small families, or Moms with endless baby bottles!

Here is another pantry area that is tall and slender but deep for storage.

So in this deep storage application, having full extension pullout drawers makes organization so much simpler.

Detailed photo of the double stacked crown I designed for their kitchen.

Up close of the Maple Gingersnap stain with a beautiful mid tone Granite

Up close photo of the backsplash done in a basketweave pattern. Gorgeous!

I couldn't resist snapping a quick photo of my client's two adorable Beagles. Look at those eyes!

This kitchen was entirely designed in our semi-custom line of "Medallion" using their affordable cabinetry line of Silverline.

Yes, I said, affordable!

Design can and should still look amazing while still keeping it within your budget.

**So, here is the BEFORE:

and ahhhh, the AFTER:

Chocolate finish in Master Bath

This Master Bath was done in our "Quality Cabinets" line-Hancock Maple in the beautiful dark chocolate finish of "Dulce." Being we were short on storage, we opted for vertical storage seen in the tall cabinet to the right of the sink.

Wrapping the toe in base moulding gives the feeling of a more furniture finish

By having the tall cabinet a few inches deeper, it lends for a perfect end for the granite top to die into the side.

Below was the original concept done in CAD 20/20

More of this client's home to come...

Welcome 2010!

HAPPY NEW YEAR AND WELCOME TO 2010!

I thought I would start this year off by featuring photos from HGTV's Dream Home 2010 in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

So inspirational!

Subway tile is so popular and I am a huge fan of having my clients run their tile up, up, up to the ceiling when the design calls for it. The sea glass hued subway shown below, captures your eye in the perfect way.

Shown here is something I aim for in my designs. Keeping cooking appliances like 2nd Oven, Micro and Warming Drawer all together in a tower cabinet. Keeps you organized as a home chef and keeps the stainless steel in fewer locations, keeping your kitchen from looking too commercial and cold.

I want to call your attention to the center appliance; WOLF's Microwave drawer that allows the constant question of 'where to put the microwave." I love it here and it's actually quite larger than you think, and probably double the size of your 'over the range micro hood' which measure at approximately 9" interior height vs this at 14"...I personally can't wait to design with this product.

I am loving calming color tones of teals and turquoise this year..it's my color inspiration for 2010! Not to mention I do love cooking in my Le Creuset...perhaps I need one in Turquoise now shown below?

Beautifully done kitchen in my opinion! I love the mixed tones of the medium cherry wood mixed in with the darker 10' long island. I also think the use of simple, clean lines of the cabinetry will give this kitchen many years of timeless style.

Here is the true heartbeat of all homes...the mudroom/recycle center!

If you are lucky enough to have a spare room near the kitchen, this is what you need to do with it. I LOVE designing the new recycle rooms that offer storage for garbage, recycles (cans, glass, paper, etc) and have storage for the larger pantry items we all have. It keeps the clutter out of your kitchen.

Here is the lovely butler's pantry!

Small but strong with use and storage and function! With a couple of minor changes, this could be someones full kitchen and what a beauty it would be.

The use of Oak applied in a lighter stain and in a horizontal grain application gives it a warm contemporary look.

Shown below is Delta's new faucet, Touch 2 o that turns on by tapping the neck of the faucet. A great idea for those that frequently have messy cook's hands.

Cabinetry, like below, can be designed to look more like furniture. In this case, the decor makes the cabinetry look like a credenza while it still houses two refrigerator drawers and a wine cooler.

Now below is where I personally found the most inspriation! This beautiful home office. Many of us (myself included) work out of a home office. It should be a space that is purely dedicated to work, creativity, organization and appeal! I think this room captured it beautifully and I know, I'll be taking some design ideas and applying it to my own space.

For more beautiful photos and inspirational ideas for your home, visit HGTV's Dream home 2010 here and if you need professional cabinetry design help, please contact me at kristenshellenbarger@gmail.com