The kitchen is the most visible and well-used space in a house, and establishing the character and identity of any home begins here in its style and design. Superior Cabinets is intimately aware of this fact and constantly initiates innovative ways to present new ideas in kitchen design to its audience. The design expertise of their team ensures harmony throughout the home. From kitchen to great room, bathroom, laundry and home office, proper planning is fundamental to a successful design.

With leading-edge show rooms in Calgary, Edmonton and Saskatoon, participation in home design shows and the use of new media, Superior Cabinets has always been a step ahead in defining the look and functionality of kitchens across Western Canada. Their newly re-launched website (http://www.superiorcabinets.ca) offers the latest in design trends and know-how. One of its most interesting features is a design blog that features some of their top-notch designers discussing the latest kitchen and bathroom fashions to offering tips on cabinetry style.

“The blog is about reaching out and giving our audience ideas on how to design their kitchen to meet their lifestyle, which of course, is what Superior Cabinets is all about,” says Kristin Desilets, one of the design consultants at their Calgary office who came out with the site’s first blog entry.

With the advent of social media outlets on the web, like Facebook and Twitter, Superior Cabinets took the next logical step in connecting with an audience through their blog. “We can all benefit from engaging in social media, we can cast a wider net to our audience,” she says.

Desilets says the blog takes the trade show concept further, and will feature different designers from Superior Cabinets’ offices in Saskatoon, Edmonton and Calgary, and will touch on relevant topics regarding the design of kitchens and bathrooms. The following is Kristin’s debut blog talking about how to match a kitchen’s layout with your lifestyle.

We all know that homes are not cut from the same cloth, and neither are the specific needs and requirements from the people living there. The amount of time we spend in the kitchen, what we prepare, and who is doing the preparing are all considerations when thinking about layout designs.

The Galley or Single-Line Kitchen
It’s smart, it’s simple.  It’s great for single people or couples without children. Clean lines and modern finishes such as lacquer or painted glass cabinet doors fit well with a galley.  Think European, without a lot of upper cabinets.  This layout can create the longest journeys, as the main kitchen zones are typically more spread out.

The L-Shape Kitchen
If you need to have a table in your kitchen, this is a popular and very functional design. It works well for both family homes and singles alike as everything is accessible and easy to navigate even if more than one person is working in the space. Remember to plan for preparation areas to separate the sink, range and fridge.

The U-Shape Kitchen
This kitchen layout can either utilize three full walls, or it can consist of two full walls with a peninsula coming off one wall to open up the space. Locating the sink and dishwasher in the peninsula helps to really spread out the kitchen zones in order to maximize efficiency, which is great news for serious cooks. The U shape does not allow traffic to flow in and out of the actual kitchen space — which may be a good thing if you don’t like to have others streaming in and out when you are cooking.

The Island Kitchen
This would be the most popular kitchen layout we are seeing today. Islands allow for many different functions — homework on the extended eating bar, craft projects, group-cooking preparation and of course entertaining. An island kitchen does require more floor space, usually in an open concept house plan but allows the cook to socialize while preparing meals.  It is important to allow for enough space around the island — anywhere from 40 to 60 inches, depending on space available and number of cooks in your household.

Sometimes we are unable to choose the type of kitchen layout we want and are forced to work within limitations or parameters, such as bearing wall that cannot move or builders who are unable to modify house plans. Just remember that no matter what your layout may need to be, making the space work for your particular needs is both important and achievable.  NL

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For more information email Kristin Desilets .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) or phone: 403.258.7531