Good kitchen design is universal: it works for people of all ages and abilities. It can also look great
Last time on The Model Remodel Show we were putting down two types of decking that keep the space below dry. Both products came from Deckorators.
The front porch got a tongue and groove product that goes down like regular flooring. The back deck used a system that integrates gutters into the framing and a flexible flange that connects the boards and directs the water into the gutters.
And that will help keep Professional Remodeler's 2017 Model Remodel on high ground. The front porch also makes it easier to carry the cabinets inside so they can pile 'em in the corner and then screw them to the walls—and to each other.
But rather than follow these ding-dogs around again we're gonna talk to the kitchen and bath designer who worked with Ben on much of the house's interior design.
So when I talked to Ben about the house and the purpose of the house, we talked about designing a space that it was for aging in place.
It's not necessarily what you would call a universal design, but it was designed with elements of storage that allow you to age more gracefully in place, especially in the kitchen.
In terms of designstyle itself, we were looking at a more traditional style of rustic country farmhouse and to me there was almost a funk artish approach to the color pallet. Especially when you get into the master bathroom. There is a wall paper that they were using as an inspiration that's very folk-arty.
And so the overall design scheme of the house is in a more traditional country farm house, lots of color and a little bit of folk art.
The kitchen is quite interesting in that they chose the pimento color for the perimeter which gives you this massive color punch and very much fits in that theme of kind of farmhouse folk art.
—Karen Salyer, KMS Design Studio
Two types of cabinets with two-types of doors
The perimeter cabinets have painted MDF flat panel doors that overlay the face frames.
The MDF doors are really great for painted products because they're not going to expand and contract at the same rate that woods will so it's gonna hold up, it's gonna be very durable, it's also gonna take the paint and give it a really great surface.
And then, for the island we used the Davenport square inset door. And that's a really beautiful door to contrast with the bishop because the bishop's kind like a shaker with a twist, has a little bit of the detail to it, but it's not I too detailed, so it kinda keeps in that simplified farm house theme.
The reason that I picked the Chestnut Bronze is because it reminds me of the antique pine furniture that you see it kinda has that golden amber hue to it, and then you get the dark sap stained streaks running through it. And so that Chestnut Bronze kind of pulled in that same rustic feeling.
Kitchen layout and cabinet storage options
So in terms of the actual layout of the kitchen, you know, some of the elements that we did, we tried to make sure we incorporated—and this was keeping in mind the Aging in Place—was making sure that the base cabinets had interior accessories.
- The corner has a Lazy Susan.
- There are roll-out shelves in the bases.
- One of the other things that we did was we put the microwave oven in the base level. So it's more accessible so that you're not having to reach up. So as you get older, there's this optimal range of where you want to be in terms of storage and that's between your knee between the shoulders that gives you a better storage zone, at as far as keeping it in a range is easily accessible.
- We also have a canister pool which makes it accessible, 'cause it pulls out.
- We also did a utensil pull out, which is really great for people that don't wanna use a drawer. It has the canisters were you put all the utensils, and you can also store whatever other cooking supplies you have.
- The cook-top base actually has drawers in it, and Welborn has some really good custom options where you can reduce the depth of the drawers. So if you have a cooktop that you're putting in the base, and you have mechanicals or electrical, we have that ability to modify that. and then it also gives you draw storage for pots and pans underneath the cook-top.
One of the other details that you pay attention to is the depth—the refrigerator panels are deeper, so they capture the counter-top . Oven cabinets are the same way, it's increased depth and then we have flush-cabinets on both sides.
So just little details like that were put throughout the kitchen to help make it not just a functional kitchen, but also a highly decorative and beautiful space that she'll enjoy working in for years to come.
Master Bathroom: with sit-down vanity
The master bathroom was actually quite fun. They had a wallpaper inspiration that was totally folk art and whimsical and it really kinda made you want to create a space that was a little bit more creative.
So we did a lot of storage in the bathroom, because it is a small home, there's not a ton of closet space.
- We did cabinets with drawers that come down to the counter. And again, part of that is also thinking about Aging in Place accessibility making sure that things are reachable.
- We did some very pretty split decorative legs
- We left open areas for basket so that you get a really nice visual appeal in addition to a lot of great storage.
- We also design a sit-down vanity where she could sit down apply her make-up, do skin care, and have lots of drawer storage, we used the vanity appliance pull-out cabinet which allows for you store hot things like irons, brushes, curlers.
- And we did a lot of decorative details in terms of Step crown molding, flush decorative-based boards, and really tried to make the space something special and unique.
Mission accomplished.
Next time we'll take a closer look at the Universal Design and IAQ fixtures and features of this kitchen and bathroom. We'll also be inside a self-cleaning toilet!
