A Galley Kitchen!

A very dear friend recently asked for some help with a design for her new kitchen! So I wanted to post some inspiration photos that I think would help her greatly with the size and shape of her current kitchen. Some of the challenges is that the space is quite small as with most older homes and there is a doorway leading into the dining room and on the same wall a door leading to a storage space and into the basement. The placement of the two doorways limits the use of space on one wall but the opposite wall is a straight run without interruption! She wanted to know……. should she embrace a galley or l-shaped kitchen design. I have given it some thought and think a galley style kitchen would be best for the space. One reason is the l-shape can only go one way and cabinets or appliances on that wall could interfere with passage in and out the basement. Think about carrying laundry or moving larger storage containers and having to maneuver around that.

Notice the suggestions from a kitchen designer.......
Galley kitchens are great since you have everything you need at arm’s length. So if you have a small house this is a nice design to try for your kitchen. Here are tips on how to make your kitchen a galley kitchen.

Like what is mentioned above, a galley kitchen is filled with cabinets on both sides. So, the very first thing you need to do is to install cabinets. It is dependent on the homeowner how many cabinets should be installed. But make sure they are ceiling height cabinets placed over both countertops. Make sure that there is a unity of design in your kitchen so you should use the same material and color for your kitchen.

Next, mount lights under the cabinets of your kitchen to provide a better, dramatic look. This idea will turn your old kitchen into a modern room. Do not only install lights under the ceilings, but also under cabinets especially those are in the countertops.

You can also opt to change the position of your appliances once in awhile. Try to use a smaller sized refrigerator since the kitchen is small. Avoid placing the garbage can to one corner but, instead, use a trash compactor under the counter, garbage bin inside the cabinet of the sink or a garbage disposal in the sink. Since you have two counter tops you can arrange your appliances on top or put them inside cabinets if not in use.

A galley design kitchen is very practical for small spaces. A galley kitchen is always a practical solution for space challenged homes.

With that said, I would say keep the range, sink and dishwasher on the same wall with a window above the sink that the homeowner wanted. Natural light can never be underestimated in a small space and brings charm into the room! On the opposite wall, I would have the refrigerator and a small banquet. I love banquets in kitchens, they provide a great place to eat for two. So that quick breakfast on the run can be had there or it can even be a workspace and serving station when you have company. You can just tuck backless stools right underneath when you don’t need them and you have the extra storage on top! I think they are so versatile. So enough of my babbling on and on, here are some amazing photos that demonstrate my thoughts for her. Enjoy!

Nice straight run design for a smaller kitchen!

If you take this L-shape and make it straight, this is a great layout for the full wall! You would just need change the cook top to a range!

The small nook on the right wall, this is sort of a banquet. The counter top height would match the other part of the kitchen and have room enough for at least two stools. Love it!

Spring Colors for Your Home Series! Coral!

I am starting my first series on my blog! I hope you like the idea as much as I do!

If you are like me, thinking about spring is consuming my thoughts. We had a warm weekend which ended up just being a tease but I just soaked up the sun, went on bike ride and enjoyed just being outdoors after such a long, cold winter! Spring brings these words to mind......Fresh, Breezy, Sunny

One of my design rules of thumb, is accessorize with color because I am such a neutral nut! If you do choose a color to saturate your walls with, you have to love, love, love it!  Otherwise, you will get tired of it in less than a year! I know from experience.  You can always change accent colors if you get tired of them or change them with the season, that is all done very easily.

The first color I want to share with you is CORAL!

It is hot this spring and it has been seen all over the runways for 2011. Whether it is clothing, makeup or home decor, it is a great choice and doesn't it just remind you of the beach! It does that for me! Enjoy some of these beautiful images from Decor Pad and Mary McDonald. If your convinced to use it, let me know by sending me a pic!

Our House Renovation - Kitchen!

Many thanks to all of you for your comments on my latest design of the lake house! I failed to mention that Dana is fabulous photographer and you can view her work at StriplingPhotography.com! Your feedback and compliments of the design are so encouraging and motivating! I have other projects that I am currently working on that will be posted soon!

Onto to other things........

We wanted to share with you the first part of several renovation projects on our 1800 colonial that we love!

The kitchen!

When we orginally moved into the house we did a low budget, slap it in kitchen that included bits and bobs (for all you british friends) from other kitchens. We had cabinets and appliances from two different kitchens that we inherited and we installed them on laminate flooring and painted the cabinets, replaced hardware and wallpapered. After all was said and done, it wasn't that bad. After several years though, the cabinet doors were falling off, storage was an issue and there was damage to the formica countertops. My husband who primarily works on renovating kitchens said "it is time to do ours!" I was excited and nervous at the same time because I knew it was quite an investment of money and whatever we chose was something we would live with for a while. I became overwhelmed with all the choices and options, maybe you have felt that way? So we teamed up with Melissa Seibold of Canterbury Design and she helped us design a functional and beautiful kitchen that we love!

So here are some shots of the construction phase.........

So as you can see we had some issues.....The sub flooring was so uneven and rotting that my husband decided it all had to come up.  That reveals the large tree trunk rafters that acted as structural beams for our house!

The framing around the back door was also rotting so that had to addressed. Don't you love the loose stone foundation wall that we had to build on, the joys of owning a historical older home!

After reinforcing and replacing different structural elements the finish work began............

Drum roll please!

Mouser Cabinetry with a beaded, raised panel inset door was selected. Sand blasted Cambrian Black granite was picked, sand blasting takes away the shiny finish and provides the slightest texture which we loved!

We thought the dark stained interior for the seeded glass cabinets would be interesting visually.

Jenn Air and Bosch appliances are used and my grandmother "noni" sewed these sweet little roman shades for me!

We opted for the larger Shaw farmhouse sink! My husband was skeptical at first but we both love it! We can wash large items like trays with no problem!

Adam made this hood for our range with MDF material, ordered the trim pieces from the cabinet company and had it finished with a local plastering artist. It came out just as we had imagined.

A few added touches for storage is the built in wine rack. Melissa took advantage of every possible inch in our smaller kitchen, for that we are thankful!

These photos were taken a few years ago. Since then we have painted the walls a creamy gray. The bistro sign is gone as are some of the decorative pieces. We have some other changes planned for the future, so stay tuned for an update soon! So, if this was your project what would you have done differently? Please post your comments for me to read! Thanks a million!

Dana & Steve's Lake House, Part 1!

A few weeks ago, I reconnected with a friend I knew years ago! We happened to cross paths and she came across my blog  and has given me the fun opportunity to help with some designs of the their new lake house! So exciting!  Dana and Steve conveyed to me that they wanted the house to have a chic loft feel with a bohemian twist! This was very interesting and so much fun for me to come up with some ideas. As you can see from the picture below, the open staircase with the warm, dark wood trim and posts together with the flooring provide a nice backdrop for the loft feel. Bohemian decor usually has lots of details and uses warmer vibrant colors with beading and shimmer here and there. The living room has a lot of natural light with all the amazing windows with wonderful views but it does limit wall space, so that needed to be taken into consideration. They also have three adorable younger children, so the house needs feel comfortable and welcoming as well. So, as you may have guessed by now, I couldn't come up with just ONE design! I did TWO. There are similarities with both and most of it has to do with the palette of color. One is a warmer neutral and the second is a cooler neutral. Both have added color with accents in the room. I need your opinions readers, so please VOTE in your comments for Option 1 or 2! I'll be waiting to read your comments!!

Warmer Option 1


My inspirational piece in the room was that unique, worn, vintage trunk serving as a coffee table! The dark brown and brass hardware is what helped me tie in all the elements of this design. Great piece! 


First of all, wall color! This warm brownish gray wall color is what I totally recommend. Benjamin Moore Roosevelt Taupe is the name and I saw it on the wall for the first time when a client recently repainted their family room. Use it on the entire wall including the decorative woodworking but leave the trim around the windows white. I love it!

A touch of brass which is totally in right now, is highlighted here in this window hardware....

 Add a few silk drapes in creamy white.....and things are starting to come together!

My favorite piece of the whole design has to be this beaded chandelier! Bohemianish??? Definitely and yet modern and chic at the same time.

Every room needs an area rug and this cream cow hide does the trick for me! Set that trunk at the same angle in the above picture and it would look stunning!

A storage piece which can also serve as a TV stand is also a nice touch. I was so excited when I found the antique piece below because it also has that touch of brass and then add this cute vintage brass lamp.

Now for the accessories!

Throw pillows for the sofa!

Add this amazing IKAT pillow for the added punch of color!

Some beading in the this pillow is fantastic!

Some brass accents like this side table on the left!

A great brass vintage tray to set on the trunk.

Add a rustic lake house touch!

Stacked horizontal books on the chest starting with the amazing Leonardo Da Vinci!

And then punches of mustard yellow in these great accents that you could put anywhere in the room. The warm yellow color will look great against the wall color and brass accents and also bring out the touch if it in the pillow!

All of these choices can give you some ideas as you begin to accessorize. Honestly, the choices are endless!

Cooler Option 2


This is my more traditional set of choices that have such subtle, tranquil and monochromatic look that I love too! My focus piece that brought this design together for me is one of the pillows.

This soft gray color for the wall would be my first choice, it can either be painted above the wood molding on the walls and then onto the ceiling or again the entire wall leaving the trim white. It is also a Benjamin Moore color called Smoke Gray!

Again this same beautiful hardware.....

Holding up this amazing cream belgium linen drapery.

 These vintage glass beaded dome pendants would bring that bit of shine into the space!

 Hanging over this aged muted area rug....

Soft lighting adds romance and interest to any room, so these great lamps would look really good.....

sitting on my favorite piece in this design! This three drawer chest!

 Accessorize with these great finds!

Pillows

Ikat again!

Does this beaded delight seem familiar? I would use it in this design too!

The soft blue color in the pillow above could be highlighted with this interesting stool/side table!

a french vintage wine bottle as a floor vase.....

some Egyptian artwork adds some interest to the walls....

or maybe that rustic feel is more your thing........

and finally some stacked books!

 Well, there it is!

I absolutely loved doing these designs for Dana & Steve!  I wanted to specify that all of the resources for the decor selected can be provided via email. Hopefully, they will also give all of you readers some ideas when you do go shopping for your own home.

If this is your first time visiting Design Savvy of NJ and you enjoyed some of the posts, please please click follow and pass the website on to any others you may know who would enjoy it! This was a blast!