"What Were They Thinking Thursday!!?? - Kitchen Cabinet Hardware

Cabinet hardware is like the jewelry you put on your kitchen. It can be really fabulous and add to the overall look and feel or feel truly horrendous. 

This kitchen is in major need of some jewelry!

Cabinet hardware is also one of the easiest things you can do to update your kitchen or just get a fresh new look. 

Who has a kitchen with these 70's pulls? 

Not only is updating your hardware important but also having them in the right location. There is basically three types of hardware.

 knobs

pulls 

 

cup pulls

Each one has it's place on the cabinet and in the kitchen. I personally like it when you mix it up in a kitchen. You don't have to have all knobs or all pulls and should definitely not have all cup pulls. That would just overwhelm a kitchen and the cup pulls really need to stay on the drawers, not the cabinets. 

I love this mix of hardware! They have all three types!

This kitchen is really pretty but I don't like all the tiny knobs. I would've liked to see some pulls and I think the knobs are under-scaled for the space. 

A good mix and good hardware placement.

Love this!!!

Again, all knobs! It doesn't look bad but it just doesn't look it's best. 

This hardware just looks bad. The hanging pulls are overwhelming the kitchen. They are hanging too low on those drawers. I also don't like the painted wood knobs mixed with those pulls. I don't think the two go together. 

Another thing to try to stay away from in the kitchen is themed hardware. These look better in a small bathroom or on a piece of furniture, not over your entire kitchen!  Just a few can make a statement.

Just a bit too much

And finally, where to place the hardware on the cabinet can be tricky. Function is very important. When placing a hardware on a cabinet, the farther away from the hinge the easier it will be to open because it creates more leverage. In other words, don't put a knob or pull in the center of the cabinet door. 

There are always exceptions and this are pull out drawers not cabinets.

Here is an example of good hardware placement. The knobs on the upper cabinets are easy to reach and look good. The drawer pulls are also in a functional spot. However the pulls on the lower drawer really should be mounted on the stile instead of the middle.  This way you don't have to bend down so far.s

These pulls look a little low on this cabinet. If you have a pull on the lower cabinets, you should put it a little higher so it's easier to reach. 

Again, I think these knobs need to move up on the cabinet. Not to mention they are ugly and this kitchen needs to be dressed up with some better looking hardware!

This hardware is way to big for these small drawers!  but what a cool way to use the corner!

Why are those knobs in the center of the cabinet! Hard to reach and not good for opening and closing the cabinet!

Great looking hardware!

A minimalist approach, not every kitchen needs to be dressed up with some jewelry.

Really pretty kitchen and breaking the hardware rules with those pulls on the middle of the upper cabinets. Very cool looking but not as functional as placing in the corner. I love it though!

One of my biggest pet peeves with kitchen cabinets are the corners! I went and looked at house for sale a while back and they had drawers in the lower corner. Well, that is a big no no. You can't open the drawer because the hardware of the perpendicular drawer is sticking out. So these people had just decided to cut that knob off! What were they thinking!!! Or more importantly, what was the builder thinking!!!! Function function function, that is what we get paid for!

Here are some corner cabinet alternatives:

This is a cool idea when done right, but when not it ends up looking like this:

 

 And finally, let's end with just some pretty kitchens with fabulous hardware:

~Jessica

YUM!

I just visited the new Sister 2 Sister drive thru cookie hut and it was AMAZING! For those of you in Tyler, you should go check it out. They are in that little drive thru building in the parking lot next to Cotton Patch where the burrito place used to be. For those of you not in Tyler, you're probably thinking burrito hut?

They only have three kinds, Chocolate Chip, Chocolate Chip with Pecans and Snicker-doodle. I think the Snicker-doodle is my favorite! It's not on the menu but just ask if they have any.

These cookies remind me of JD's Chippery in Dallas. Yes, they are THAT good!

And how great is it that you can just drive thru and get a cookie? The only criticism I have is that the windows of the hut are so dark and there is no lit up "open" sign. I almost didn't stop but then I saw someone moving around inside. Thank goodness, I would've missed out! You definitely can't tell from the street if they are open or not so don't be afraid to drive up even if they look closed.

Beware, these cookies have the power to turn any un-suspecting snacker into a cookie monster!

This discovery is not good for the summer bathing suit season! Have you tried Sister 2 Sister yet?

~Jessica

"What Were They Thinking Thursday!!?? - Kitchen Layouts

One of the most important things when designing a kitchen is the functionality. It doesn't matter how good your kitchen looks, if it doesn't function properly it will always be frustrating. When considering the layout of your kitchen, think about what it would be like to actually be cooking and using the kitchen. I can't tell you how many times I have seen huge kitchens that have all the appliances packed in to one spot.

I am sure you've all heard the term "Cooking Triangle". This term refers to the layout of your appliances, fridge and cooktop and the sink. It is important to have just the right amount of distance between the three for the most efficient cooking kitchen. It is also important not to have too much distance because you don't want to have to carry a pot of water all over the place just to get to the stove top!

When placing your fridge, consider how much it is going to be used. Not only for cooking but also kids and guests getting out snacks and drinks. You should place your fridge on the outskirts of the kitchen with easy access so that people coming into the kitchen and getting into the fridge won't get in the way of those cooking. Because let's face it, no matter how nice the rest of your house is, everyone gathers in the kitchen!

This is an example of the wrong place for the fridge. It is right in the middle of the kitchen and on the back wall! People coming and going to the fridge are going to cause a traffic jam, especially when someone is trying to cook at that cooktop.

Here's another really bad place for that fridge. If anyone is sitting at the bar, you can't get into the fridge. This also makes pulling the barstools in and out difficult. They should've had the bar off the end of the island. 

This is a good example of fridge placement. It is out of the way and people can access easily without interrupting the cooking. 

 Here is another good fridge placement, however, I am concerned about that wall sticking out so far and the fridge being so close to it. I don't think you would be able to open that freezer door very far. 

 Great example of kitchen layout. Everything has it's place and the barstools are out of the way. They also have easy access to the fridge. 

Nice kitchen but that fridge is in the wrong spot. I would've moved it down so it wasn't directly across from the bar. That creates a tight space when someone is opening the fridge. 

Here is a good kitchen floor plan. I am not sure if there is enough space between barstools and fridge though. That could be a tight spot when they are being used. I wish the fridge could move down a few more feet.

Another issue is having enough room to open the oven doors. I personally like a separate oven and cooktop but if you have an all-in-one make sure there is enough room to open the oven door and walk around it comfortably. 

This is a really pretty modern kitchen but it looks really tight between the bar and the oven.

This is a good layout for this tiny kitchen. 

Beautiful kitchen but for some reason I don't like the cooktop being at the end of the bar. That is pass through area so it will get crowded when someone is cooking.

 Same thing with this kitchen. Great layout with the cooktop in the same as previous but there seems to be more room in this kitchen and that is not the main pass through.

Here is a very interesting kitchen. I think it's beautiful but not very functional. It is divided into two spaces! Seems kinda of pain to walk around the corner to put something in the oven.

Here is a great example of a small kitchen layout. The fridge is easily accessible and there is plenty of room to open the oven and still get around it.

 This one seems a little too narrow to have the sink and cooktop directly across from each other. This makes it difficult for someone to be cooking at the same times as someone is rinsing dishes. 

 This kitchen is breathtaking! I love everything about it. The fridge is obviously on the outskirts because it's not even in the shot and the cooktop is not directly across from the sink. LOVE!

Some things to remember:

 Every family is different so think about the way yours is in the kitchen and design accordingly. If you have kids, a bar with some barstools is great because they can eat there and sit while you cook. 

Make sure and put the fridge out of the way so all those teenagers and their friends can grab a soda without getting in the way. Make sure you leave enough counter-space close by the fridge so you can lay things down when you take them out. 

Don't put the dishwasher and oven directly across from one another. You won't able to open both at the same time, you may be thinking that doesn't happen but it does! I can be loading the dishwasher after baking a cake and then the timer goes off and I need to check it. I don't want to have to close up the dishwasher just to peek in the oven and check the cake!

I hope this helps all of you who are considering a remodel or building a new house. The best advice is to really picture yourself cooking and having family in the kitchen and getting some professional help when you need it!

~Jessica