Kelly's Kitchen Sync

Strange kitchen search engine tales

AKA “How did you find my website?”

You know when you need to discover the answer to a burning question, you get dressed, walk 3 miles into town to the library, pull all the relevant books with tiny, boring print, schlep them to the nearest table while the librarian glares at you because you’re too noisy…

Oh, wait. Wrong decade.

Search engines, like Google, are our friends. (And save us from walking uphill, both ways, in the snow!) For the lone writer like me, it’s the best way to discover how readers like you find my website. I don’t care how you find it, just that you do.

Some searches are easy and I’m glad when I have answers for them, such as:

• “What are the latest kitchen trends?” Planning a 2012 version as we speak. In the meantime, check out my category on Home Trends to Watch, if you’d like to check to see if my earlier trend predictions panned out. (Totally innocent segue to let you know what I’m planning; I’m subtle that way.)

But the following searches aren’t really questions at all. They’re half-finished stories that leave me dying to hear the rest, like these gems discovered  last week:

• “Used a grout pen to change the color” – Um…did it work?
• “Bathtub skirt tile mesh” – Please tell me you don’t think it will hang like an actual skirt? You do know the skirt is built first, and then the tile is…darn it. Now I’m diverted by the image of tinkling mosaics swaying gently around the tub…
• “Induction cooktop over dishwasher” – No, uh-uh, no way, no how. Okay, maybe if you lowered a single dishwasher drawer over halfway to the floor. Most induction cook tops have a shield mounted below the unit inside the cabinet. It needs to be installed, no ifs, ands, or buts. That’s why standard dishwasher won’t fit…unless you chop off the top 1/3rd of the dishwasher. (That’s a joke. Don’t do it.) So what’s the half-finished story with that, you ask? It was back-to-back with the next search…
• “Kitchen design problem cook top installation” – What if this is the same person? O.o.
• “Steampunk bath mat” – Er, no. Maybe I need to get my new steampunk accessory line started. Hard to find good design for steampunk baths. 
• “Multimedia bullnose wall plate” – Huh?
• “Zebra looking kitchen hardware” – Okay, fine. *grumbles*  Now I need to know. But please tell me you’re not pairing it with antlers over the cook top or a basket-weave island….(5 minutes later): Ta-dah. Here you go: Laurey’s Safari Line.

 

I know! Not too shabby, right?

 

I mourn that multi-media bullnose wall plate. What purpose could it possibly serve? Did someone not draw out the tile detail and the plate hangs in mid-air? Is it too close to an opening? A door? Did it have to match something else?

We’ll never know.

A California Designer's Wish for 2012

Attractive large-scale LED pendant lighting for kitchen islands

Hey, lighting manufacturers with your 100-watt bulbs for pendants! Are you even aware what that means to a California designer or homeowner who deal with California’s Title 24 Energy Code?  It means we must have matching wattage of fluorescent or LED lighting for the rest of the kitchen which works out to 10 LED can lights at 10-1/2 watts per bulb. Clearly a 3-bulb incandescent chandelier or pendant are utterly and completely out unless we like ceiling acne with 30 can lights in the kitchen!

I don’t want something that is merely functional – I want larger scale design that is both appropriate and beautiful. I want a decorative fixture that isn’t always contemporary or single mini-pendant. I want large bowls, and graceful curves and…and…design!

Help!

Hubbardton Forge, I’m so looking at you. Love your products to the point of rabid spokesperson, but 150 watts per bulb? Ack! 

Spot the errors #6 revealed (and the winner is...!)

 

Cheri!!!

“This layout is terrible. The aisle behind the range top has too much going on, and will be crowded. Anyone using that mile high microwave or the beverage cooler will be "butting" into the cook as he or she moves back and forth between range top, ovens, main refrigerator and the prep sink….”

Congratulations! Please let me know if you’d prefer a Kindle copy or paperback, and where I can send it. My email’s on the right :)

Okay, let’s look at our poor kitchen:

I deliberately chose this kitchen for a couple of reasons – on the surface, it looks like a big, bold, beautiful kitchen. There are many, many homeowners who would be thrilled with this kitchen. But as we dig deeper, we find design that isn’t as good as it could be.

In writing, we writers joke about "the reader's 50% input". No matter what you write, a reader will draw references you may not even have written, entirely based on their own experiences and background. This is why interior design and especially kitchen design is so subjective. After we get past the safety, it becomes all about fine-tuning to your needs and wants.

All of you had excellent points and I agree with almost all of them. Here’s what I see:

Spot as many items as you can that could have been designed better

“There is no focal point. The perimeter cabinets do not provide a comfortable backdrop if the island is the focal point. If the focus is along the perimeter, it is not apparent.” – Fransikaner

Couldn’t have said it better. There’s some glimmerings of what could have been been some striking points, but they got lost in this design….at least for what we look for when designing a multi-cook, multi-functional kitchen. When a kitchen is as large as this one, that’s not good.

“It would be hard to cook Thanksgiving dinner there because the person at the stove, the person at the ovens, and the person at the fridge would all be crammed together, not to mention the person at the prep sink. Personally, I think having the extra counter space next to the stove and across from the ovens would be more useful than having the prep sink right there.” - Gaidig

• And this is our first problem: The appliances crammed into one area  Obviously we can’t see the entire floor plan, but we’ve got a serious overcrowding issue. Usually when I see a kitchen of this size, caterers are usually involved. A caterer would hate this kitchen because there is no landing/counter space available for setting down oversized hot trays of hors d’oeuvres. Okay, there’s one between the tall appliances, which might be taken up as soon as someone uses the refrigerator. The sad part is there is lots of space to the left of the sink that could have been used.

“The island is too big for my taste, not cozy. Anyone who wants to watch/help the cook needs binoculars or awfully long arms.” – Searsgirl2565

“Looks like they scrimpt on money as the island doesn't have any lower storage space.” – Barbara H

• Almost everyone noticed the oversized island (well, how could you not?):  Always nice to have a large island, but here we have a continent…with severe overcrowding along the east coast.  The middle is horrendous to reach and clean (someone basically wasted 8 sq. feet of stone counter that will never be used), and here’s the kicker: there is no storage under the back side of the island. It’s a big…box. Well, okay, it’s meant to be a table-island, with seating on all 3 sides. With all that island, could either the cooktop or the prep sink be relocated…anywhere else?

“Island sink is too close to cooktop…” – Danielle

• Amongst other things, the counter/landing space are in the wrong areas: Again, hard to see what is going on in the rest of the room, but the counter to the left of the dishwasher is serving as a placeholder so we can get enough upper wall cabinets; otherwise, this kitchen would be lacking storage. We might use it for a landing area, but it’s too far away from the rest of the kitchen to work well.

“There are too many stark, harsh lines. The stacked backsplash (slate?) doesn't do any favors, particularly with the light grout, and needs to be smaller scale - mosaic? The cornice over the island was obviously in response to the open space, but could have had a more organic flow (possibly playing off a reworked backsplash and window).” - Fransikaner

• The cornice, island soffit, is overwhelming.  Sure, we understand what they were trying to do, and it could be camera angle, but the end result is bulky, bulky, bulky. They could have taken some detailing from the window treatments on the sink wall or softened the look with an oval soffit.

“The other big thing I noticed was that the microwave is SUPER high while the lower oven is SUPER low.” – Stephanie B.

• Oven-on-the-floor alert! (with bonus skyscraper microwave): Really, no one will win here. Must be a real joy to clean.

• Dark brown cabinets, red trim.  Could have been so striking with matching colors…or a strong complimentary color. Again, sometimes it’s hard to tell what the finishes and materials are in this room. If the sink counter is indeed copper, it might present much better in real life.

“That's an amazing view - why obstruct it with the center divider? with that exterior, should be a "true" picture window.” - OKMrazor

• Not paying attention to the window height and shape – The window is too high for anyone 5’4” or less to see out of, but more importantly, here was a chance for a gorgeous focal point. My  50% input: anyone 5'4" will need to be on tiptoes to keep an eye on the kids outside. Perhaps lowering the window would have interfered with the exterior window alignment, but really, we’re at the sink…why block the center with a divider? Why? So many other good looking windows out there…

 So now we go to the positive portion of the show:

Spot what was done right

“Ok, here's what I think happened to this very promising kitchen. The designer either absconded to Bermuda or met an untimely end while the project was underway, taking the plans with her/him.” – Katkins

Promising is right. It looks good at first glance, and here are some of the items that helped.

• Interesting window/glass detail on sink wall:  I personally think that’s this is most attractive feature of this kitchen. Had other design elements been scaled back or supported this feature (such as the heights of the other wall cabinets could have match or lowered with a soffit or glass), this could have set this kitchen to the next level.

"I disagree with some of the things that the other commenters said. For example, I really like the contrast between the backsplash tile and grout because it provides some pattern and interest" - Gaidig

• Hood fan: Keeping the hood minimized and sleek was a good idea…or elongating the hood to take advantage of the linear placement (although then I might set the cooktop on the other plane so that the hood would run lengthwise with the sink). It would have been messy with a big, blocky hood, that’s for sure.

• Decent lighting: If you could see what I see in homes every day, you wouldn’t be surprised that I don’t mind this lighting. Could it have been prettier, sure, but it does the job it’s supposed to and prevents the dark wood from sucking light out of the kitchen. Thankfully the high ceilings and lighter paint helps. Undercabinet lighting is always a good thing to have…but as a tip, think ahead with how the light spread will look against your tile. You may want to work with the electrician to eliminate some of that shade/spacing between the lighting.

“This looks like a "show" kitchen where take-out or catered packages will be set on the long counter next to the sink, and bowls with finger food and appetizers set on the generous island.” – John

“Would I cook in it? Yes, successfully! Would I live in it? no” – Fransikaner

My thoughts exactly – a good-looking kitchen for serving mostly catered food to other areas of the room, but not so much for multi-cook or family kitchen. Somewhere out there is someone who needs just this, and nothing else.

Thank you all for playing!

Holiday cheer!

Since my last post was filled with joy for the season (excuse me while I remove my tongue from my cheek), I thought I might redeem myself with interesting posts from around the Web today.

1) Today is Baking Day as I'll have no time  next week, so I thought I might revive my stand-by holiday recipe post Jam Thumbprints and Tourtière for you.

 

2) Getting into the spirit - Over at Nest, Tamara is counting down daily design ideas for the holiday season. Countdown #18: cocoa. Check out the rest here. 

 

3) Decorating for Xmas in the Kitchen - My friend and fellow designer, Susan Serra, shows off a holiday kitchen with a distinctly culinary theme. Not sure how I feel about wooden spoons as decoration, but it seems fun, and what the heck - that's the joy of decorating: much easier than wrapping a kitchen for under the tree!

 

4) Coastal Beach Cheer - Ronique over at Stagetecture discusses holiday decorating for those of you who live on the coast and don't have snow. (There's no snow here, but still jealous of how warm this photo looks!)

Good timing -cookies are done. Got a blog?  Drop a link in Mr. Linky and let us know what you're up to for holiday celebrations. Mr. Linky will show your latest post and provide a quick link to it, just for this post. Come and join me!

 

Will ordering delays toss us off schedule in 2012?

I’ve talked about the shipping and stocking delays of a recovering economy in the past (here and here), but this time, I thought I’d report my not-so-very-scientific extrapolations from what I’m seeing and what effect this might have for all of us in the new year.

 

A BRIEF SUMMARY OF RECOVERY AS I SEE IT

If you don't want to check the links above, here's the short version: Recessions mean less employees, less stock and slower delivery times. As an economy gears up, there is a lag between new hires, re-stocking, and manufacturing production increases. While you might be promised your windows (or flooring or plumbing fixtures) in March, so were 40,000 other homeowners because all of a sudden we all decided we couldn’t wait anymore. Since the distributors or retailers couldn’t anticipate the sudden demand, they didn’t order enough stock to cover all of our orders.

So we all wait. It happens every recovery I’ve seen, which means I order products as soon as the contracts are signed rather than in the good old days, when I could order a month prior to construction. As production cranks up, more people are hired, more sales means more money to stock shelves, etc., etc. Except this time, I’m watching to see if this recovery will be be different.

 

HOW THIS RECOVERY IS DIFFERENT FROM THE PAST

A couple of months ago, I ordered cabinet hardware from a very reliable supplier. I was informed of the shipping date, and planned accordingly. Close to the shipping date, came a phone call: delayed for another 3 weeks. Fine. I was all smug with the smugness because I’d ordered 2-1/2 months in advance – we had time.

It turns out we didn’t. After three such delays (yes, 3), we were running out of time and needed an answer. After much prying it turned out that not only weren’t the handles stocked, the manufacturer was still waiting for the ore to start production. 

This is the first time in my career I’ve ever heard this. We cancelled the order and found something else.

The next wrinkle came when we ordered some plumbing fixtures. The stocking warehouse for a large distributor, who stocks almost all of their products, was…out of stock. The same warehouse that supplies almost three-quarters of this manufacturer was completely out. Wait times for faucets suddenly out 2 months or longer. No explanation of delays.

Want to bet they’re waiting for the raw materials too? 

 

LOOKING AT THE LARGER PICTURE

After discussions with very experienced plumbing guru and my very experienced boss, here are my thoughts:

• Unlike the last few recessions, this one was world-wide.
• When demand slowed down, it meant shut-down of factories, manufacturing…and mining.
• As the recession stretched out, no one could anticipate when demand might pick up and thus there was no need to ramp up raw material production.
• Then recovery hits and builds. Suddenly distribution is ramping up...but there isn't any stock. 
• Biggest difference with this recession compared to ones I've seen in the past? Much of the plumbing industry (and cabinet hardware) is now manufactured in China.

Coincidence? While any distributor can build up stock, it takes a lot more time to open the factories, the mines, etc....and even more delay to get the raw materials to the factory in the first place.

Now, like I said, this is completely unscientific -- a tiny extrapolation based on the difference with ordering in this recession and keeping tabs on the supply and demand, (plus hearing industry info through the normal pipelines). At least, the good news is that we are seeing recovery, and these delays will either be a short blip or eventually pass, if you see them at all. 

We’ll see what happens in the new year. Also, wow. Such a cheery person! But look at it this way -- forewarned is forearmed. Order early so you can become pro-active if something slips. (Love, mom.)

***

You have only this weekend to leave a comment here in order to win a copy of Kelly’s Kitchen Sync, my book of insider kitchen design tips. (Even if you're only agreeing with the other readers before you.) A winner will be drawn on Monday, Dec. 19th at noon Pacific time. You can't win if you don't enter! :D Finished. Congrats to the winner, Cheri!

Spot the kitchen errors #6 (and win a copy of my book!)

Since I realize yesterday’s post -- barring the couple of tips -- is of not much interest anyone except me and my clients, it’s time for another round of “Spot the kitchen errors.”

This time around, I present a nicer kitchen with some slightly different rules.

1. Spot as many items as you can that could have been designed better.

2. Spot what was done right.

All answers will be entered in a Santa’s hat on Dec. 19th and one winner will be sent a copy of their choice – paperback or Kindle ebook (or other format if you have the Kindle app.)  Winner must be from Canada or the U.S. – apologies to those abroad. Done! Congrats to the winnner!

Good luck!

Edited to add: Okay, I've supersized the photo since it was a bit small and blurry (wasn't an evil trick to keep my books to myself, honest!) Now when you click on it, be prepared to back up! *grin*

Neat things I'm working on lately...

 …while I’m ignoring you. Sorry about that. At current count, our hardworking and awesome design team is working on:

• 1 master bath, 1 hall bath, and 1 furnace room soon-to-be laundry room
• A whole bunch of bedroom, hall and exterior lighting from the first point
• 1 kitchen and nook, which added reframing the entire ceiling height, add two pocket doors, and a possible wine den
• Half-a-house which includes relocating the kitchen to a nook, living room ceiling treatments, laundry room, windows, flooring, opening up a stair well, etc.
• 1 kitchen addition
• 1 possible half-house addition, kitchen, dining room, etc.

That’s the projects I’m involved with, and not all the projects of our company. It also doesn’t include:

• Existing laundry room, half bath and hall bath which are under construction and Christmas deadline
• Kitchen project which is just finished that I haven’t seen the final yet.
• Second-story master bath which came about because, um, the shower pan had been leaking for years and was thisclose to an elevator ride straight down to the family room below. One new master bath and I-beams and floor joists and new Pella patio door later, it’s in the final stages of finishing. 

Tip for you: take photos of all your assembled finishes, especially if you can’t get the samples right away – very helpful when you’re waiting and/or want to double-check the samples. Note we also chose grout on the spot (upper left hand corner) as it can get missed later on. The black case is my camera case, not currently part of the project.

• Kitchen #2 which is almost free of the punch list and ready for us to crack open the champagne with the clients (No real photos because these are mid-point quick shots with my camera and not the final professional shots.):

 

On my list:

• Need to get professional shots of the above projects.
• Need to get shots from this master bath, powder room, and upstairs bathroom from earlier this year:

 Before you wonder, “Is that glass shelf and a coffee cup in a shower?” (It is.) I will point out to you that a) the glass shelf is nestled between another return wall and impossible to hit and b) it is strategically positioned so that no water gets into the coffee.

• Christmas cards. Hahaha. Not this year. Let’s mentally assume “Happy holidays” for the “card” below (or “Wish fulfillment” – your pick) and that it’s handwritten with a note and mailed to each and every one of you. It’s a lovely idea, isn’t it?

 

 

The glamour! *falls over*

When you’re working on large projects and several at once, there tends to be a lot of meetings with the boss, electrician, tile setters, etc. etc. My hours have been such that I’m left at the end of the day feeling like nothing I could say would be even slightly interesting.

Not that I’m complaining – very happy to have work.

Oh! and my book came out in Kindle format this week.  $ 9.99 from here.  Those of you that have a Kindle, go grab the first chapter for free. There are apps for iPhone, iPad, Android etc., although I have no idea how you can read it on a phone app.—seems too tiny for me!

Kitchen and bath ideas? Tis the season!

As I'm under 4 million  1thousand  far too many deadlines at the moment, I haven't much time for posts this week. In place, I offer you:

1. A clever list of kitchen and bath gifts over at my friend Jamie's Gold Notes -- just in time for the holidays. If you're getting to that stage where you're fresh out of ideas, check it out here. My favorite is the wellness mat, used by many of my serious foodie clients.
2. Show us how you decorate - going on now at Julia's Hooked on Houses.
3. The cool factor of small (no, really) compact kitchens from France - from Arne's useful spaces. Okay, this is the fantasy realm - sleek, mini-kitchens. Love them, want them for every remodel I do. Wouldn't they be great for an interim kitchen or a studio apartment? Still cheaper than a full kitchen...

What's on your list? 

A Reader Asks: So you want to become a designer?

 

Good morning,

I found your blog while searching for how to foster my daughter's interest in designing kitchens. My ten year old loves to go to Ikea and look at the kitchens & appliances, on trips to Home Depot she loves to look at all the cabinets, the wood selections & of course the appliances. I want to help her grow this interest but are not sure how. She loves art and currently has an art station but we are going to remove toys (since outgrown most) from playroom and turn it into an art studio. What would you suggest we do to help her grow this interest?

Thanks, Mandy

Um, I've worked 14-16 hour every day this week. I've dealt with a couple yelling at each other in the showroom, a cabinet order that arrived at the home with incorrect cabinets that involve dropping everything for emergency ordering, plumbing that was supposed to arrive last week, (Kohler, what exactly is going on? Nothing in the warehouse?), and a counter installer waiting on a sink template for a laundry room that MUST be in by Xmas...I'm not sure if I'm the best resource for encouraging your budding designer this week! *laughing*  Yet on top of that, there's incredible satisfaction from dealing with happy clients, and seeing your work come together in a beautiful and functional way. 

Off the top of my head, I'd say for anyone thinking of this business, sometimes starting with the mundane and less glamourous aspects will get you through far more than being able to wear fabulous shoes while sipping tea with your clients. ;)  Here we go:

• Invest in a tape measure: A good designer needs math...lots and lots of math. The sooner she can start learning to add 30-1/4" plus 20-3/8" plus 4-1/2", and learns to not only calculate that off the top of her head so she can show the client the final measurement (55-1/8" and no, I didn't need a calculator). The sooner she learns how to read a tape measure, the better off she'll be. (My dad started teaching me at 8.) The surest way to lose respect in the construction field is to hold out a tape measure and say, "It's 55 and 2 little bits." Since she's 10, there's still a way to make that fun. 
• The internet is your friend: At no other time in history have we had the amount of information available where we didn't have to a) ask someone or b) go to the library. Check out kitchen blogs, bath blogs, manufacturer websites. It wouldn't hurt for her to "play" designer and have fun.
• Art is her friend: Learning the color wheel, and how colors work together, is a solid, solid tool. Get paint samples and ask her what she thinks go together. Buy fabric pieces. Get her to design the bedroom of her dreams. 

I know she's only 10, but sometimes 10 is pretty smart. When she gets into high school, she'll need typing, but I think that's standard these days instead of an option like it was when I was a kid. Also, I can't stress the importance of good spelling. If you're a designer and can't spell, it doesn't send a great message to your clients. 

For you, it might be helpful to look at the college interior design programs. This will give you some insight of what's expected so you can tailor some of the ideas for her. Buying trade magazines might also be a good idea down the road. When she gets older, she might see if some of the local businesses would be interested in answering some of her (and your questions).

Other designers, feel free to chime in!