Take a Stand

When I go to a client’s home for the first time, I take pictures and careful measurements. I note what is stored where. I’ll ask what kind of cooking goes on there? How many people are eating in the kitchen at one time? What about the daily communications? I often find that 70’s style “Mom’s Desk” off to one side. It typically consists of a lap drawer “knee hole” with a small cabinet above it. I even see the old NuTone communication system above it, where apparently Mom was able to speak to all the family members while she was sitting there planning the weeks’ meals and cutting coupons. The phone is always there too, and often still with a cord holding it there like a captive. It’s clear that no one sits there anymore. The chair is often gone, and sometimes a wireless phone has long ago replaced the old corded one. We all have to have an area for our communications. The calendar, schedules, mail, weekly school packets…it all has to go somewhere, right?

That was then and this is now. Sometimes it takes some convincing, but my job is to point out new ways of doing things, and there is a better system for keeping all the stuff of a desk handy, but doing away with the chair. We call this the “standing desk”. Ever since the cordless phone was invented, the Mom’s desk became mostly obsolete. We now can take the phone (or laptop!) elsewhere to make the call, write the e-mail, or chat on the phone while multi-tasking. Checking e-mails is usually done at the breakfast table or island bar where there is more room. The eliminattion of that ball and chain makes it possible for us to get the whole area working harder. I typically place base cabinetry with upper drawers where the knee hole used to be. The stamps, paper clips, tape, scissors, envelopes, pens and paper tuck away here. All the stuff of a desk, without the knee hole or chair. Perhaps we need a file drawer or two there too. No Problem! The cordless phone can dock when it’s charging, and all the directories, phone books, etc can live in nice normal size wall cabinetry above. I point out that all the chargeable devices (cell phones, I-pods, cameras, GPS devices, etc) can be tucked into a basket on a shelf in there as well, with the outlet conveniently place there by an obliging electrician. We now have a hidden “recharge zone” right where we want it, but it and it’s nest of snaky wires is not on full view any longer.

The Perfect Sink (Part 1)

After multitudes of client meetings here in our showroom, I find homeowners are almost all looking for the best information they can get about all the materials for their new kitchen. Almost everything they are purchasing is expensive, visible, and has to last a long time with daily hard use, often by many family members. No other room in the house will have so many items that are so difficult to change later.

Everything you select is critical to the overall satisfaction with the finished kitchen: Appliances (the power tools), Countertops (the work surface), Floor (daily grind), Cabinetry (beautiful storage furniture), Hardware (function), Good Lighting (absolutely crucial).

The missing link- Plumbing fixtures (water appliances)

I like to think the cabinetry is a priority, and all the other vendors of various materials think the same way about their products. But truthfully, there is nothing else in that finished room that is more important than that sink and faucet. If you did a time/motion study of how you use your kitchen the sink rates close to 70% of your time. Even a bachelor who doesn’t cook will stand there to open take out food, put it on a dish, then rinse the dish and put it in the dishwasher. All sink work.

If you have lots of room and want double bowls, get at least one that has 21” of width inside so you can lay a roasting pan or cookie sheet flat to scrub or soak there. If you have room for only one bin, consider getting the largest single bowl for the space you have available. I had one client take her largest cookie sheet to the plumbing supply showroom to make sure it fit into her new sink. Smart cookie!