This Just In - Dupont Palate Refresh

As colour trends change, so must the manufacturers of some of the many materials we use in the kitchens we design.  Dupont (the manufacturers of Corian® and  Zodiaq® surfaces) is continually adding and removing colours from their extensive palettes to stay up to date.  In "marketing speak" they call this a "palette refresh". After reading through some of these changes perhaps you'll feel refreshed too!

Colours being removed from will not go away ... they'll just be available as part of the custom colour programme and no part of the regular library.

The following colors are being removed from the Corian® palette offering:
• Tranquil • Bronze Patina • Stone Harbor

If  you're looking for alternatives, consider the following:
Tranquil: Whisper, Tarragon and Green Tea
Bronze Patina: Anthracite, Medea, Earth and Sorrel
Stone Harbor: Gray Fieldstone

The following color is being removed from the Zodiaq® palette offering:
• Marrone Emperador

Consider Marrone Emperador: Saddle Brown and Smokey Topaz as alternatives.

The new colours for 2011 are typically released around KBIS, which is coming up at the end of April.  Stay tuned for some exciting new colours from Corian® and  Zodiaq®.  To see the current line-up of colours, contact one of our design professionals for a showroom appointment.

Design Tips - Have a Seat!

It used to be that arranging for seating in the kitchen simply meant leaving enough room for a small table and some chairs.  But with the increased popularity of the "social" kitchen where the kitchen party truly never ends, we are facing the greater challenge of properly integrating seating into the actual kitchen cabinets.   Whether it's a kitchen nook or a raised bar at a kitchen island, it is important the diners in the kitchen are comfortable where they're sitting, and that the kitchen will continue to function with seated diners in it.

We've already dealt with NKBA Kitchen Design Guideline #8 in a previous post, but the issue is important enough to bare repeating.  At minimum we need to allow 32" between the counter space and any wall or obstruction behind the diner.  This would simply allow the diner to be able to get in and out of the dining area and doesn't account for anyone wanting to get past this diner.  To allow for movement behind the seated diner, 44" is required (the guidelines mention 36" if you want to "edge" past, but who wants to do that?).  In terms of Universal Design standards allow for 60".

So now that we've got room for our diners to get in and out comfortably, what about the space they need while sitting down?  In Guideline #9 we learn that there's different space requirements depending on how high the seating area is.  For a 30" dining surface, we should allow 18" deep knee space.  Increase the height to 36" and we can reduce the space to 15", and for a 42" top the minimum requirement is 12".  If you consider where your knees are in relation to your body at the 3 different heights it makes perfect sense.  This is why many designers like using the raised bar, it means they have more room to work with.

As for width, the Guideline asks for 24" per diner. More is better, but if you're trying to determine how many people can sit at the island 24" will give you a good approximation.  Keep in mind that if you're seating area has a corner in it you cannot allow 2 diners to occupy the same corner.

Gallery - A Whiter Shade of Stunning

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This breathtaking kitchen shows you can create a warm and inviting space using mostly white.  Painted white cabinetry, quartz countertops and bullet marble backsplash tile, set against hardwood flooring provides just the right amount of contrast.  Also note how both the cabinet and countertop materials change from the perimeter cabinetry to the island.

Most of the appliances are fully integrated (hidden behind door panels) which really allows the cabinetry to take centre stage.  Cabinetry running to the ceiling could have been overwhelming, but by splitting the upper doors with a glass panel the visual weight of the cabinetry is lessened, and our eyes are drawn away for the over height ceilings.