Lately, I have been digging into the topic of modern kitchen design and remodeling. Whatever that is. It's a pet project of mine, but I've posted much of it in picture galleries and laundry lists.
Start at the most obvious place: the magazines Dwell and Wallpaper. Both are shelter magazines and offer up only the most stratospheric, rarefied, untouchable modern kitchen designs. You know, appliance brands that seem to come from Mars. Bizarre countertop materials. And so on.
Then, is is possible to work downward from there? In other words, to identify how "rarefied" filters down to...us? Down to approachable, accessible modern kitchen remodels?
Appliances From Mars?
Case in point. Years ago, who ever heard of Fisher Paykel, Viking, or Sub-Zero? Now, if you don't have one of these brands in your own kitchen, your Cousin Matilda does. At the very least, you've heard of them.
Twisting your brain further: the appliance brand from Mars shown above is from good old GE Appliances. This shows how these high-falutin' styles tend to loop back into to the everyday, Costco-buyers' market.
Counters, Islands, Hoods
Concrete countertops, too, were laughed at not very long ago. Now, despite some practical limitations, homeowners who want a modern kitchen are increasingly installing concrete counters because they are infinitely malleable and color-able.
The aforementioned article, Modern Kitchen Design and Remodeling, is a laundry list, a grab-bag of suggestions. Some suggestion are in-your-face-obvious. Kitchen islands? Sure. Or do kitchen islands even qualify as "modern," now that studies show that home buyers are increasingly turning their noses up at kitchens without kitchen islands?
Island-mount range hoods (Compare Prices - Island-Mount Range Hoods) are one dead-simple way to say "modern" without spending a fortune.
Images: Top - Snaidero USA; Middle - GE Appliances; Bottom - Smallbone of Devizes
Comments
Nice post on the choices for modern kitchen design – I think an island is a must.