Cabinets & Design
A Kitchen Connection has been designing and creating rooms of dreams for over 20 years!
This involves the collaboration of style, design, color, decor and cabinetry. With Medallion, KraftMaid, and Mid Continent, the designs are intertwined with cabinetry selections, offering an array of functional and fashionable options that will spark inspiration & satisfy those special needs.
By browsing through our gallery you can see the many beautiful and inspiring photographs of rooms and cabinetry detail. When looking at these previous projects of ours, think about which style and design most appeals to you and let us know of the photos you particularly like so when you meet with us you can show us the different styles you are interested in.
We have also included many things to think about when choosing cabinets, molding, storage, and design management, all listed here: Avoiding Common Problems, Five Basic Layouts, Molding Choices, Storage Considerations, The Work Triangle, Wall Hoods, and Work Centers.
Avoiding Common Problems
Jumping in too soon, then changing your mind.
Thorough planning and attention to detail are essential to a successful outcome. Of course, you can always change your mind midway —
but expect it to possibly affect the timetable and possibly the budget.
Getting caught in a corner.
Avoid wasted corner space by including corner storage solutions such as a lazy susan or a blind base pull-out pantry.
These units are designed to increase usable storage space and make corner cabinets more accessible and functional.
Here today. Hated tomorrow.
While you can update wall coverings, accessories and hardware to reflect the latest trends, you should consider choosing cabinetry,
appliances and countertops that will stand the test of time.
Door-to-door problems.
Think about how each door and drawer of your cabinetry will open. Be sure they will not collide when opened. Also think about how open appliance
doors may get in the way.
Missing a new view.
Instead of assuming your sink has to go by the window, consider placing the sink on a center island or overlooking an adjoining
area to be closer and more connected to family activities.
Staying in the dark ages.
Instead of simply using overhead lighting fixtures, consider additional lighting options such as under-cabinet lighting to illuminate the sink or cooking
area, recessed or track lighting to brighten up dark corners or to spotlight decorative areas or strip lighting above cabinets or in the toe kick area.
The Work Triangle
The Work Triangle is the standard configuration used by industry professionals for designing efficient kitchens. The three points of the triangle are typically represented by the refrigerator, range and sink. Whether you’re planning your own layout or enlisting the help of a professional, use the triangle to check the efficiency of your design.
It’s easy. On a piece of paper, simply draw a rough sketch of your kitchen and include the location of your three main work areas — refrigerator, range and sink. Connect these three locations with lines to form a triangle.
Then estimate the length of each triangle side — in other words, the distance from one work area to the next. The sum of the three sides should be between 12 and 26 feet. If the total is less than 12, the areas are probably too close for comfort. If it’s greater than 26, they’re pretty far apart and you’ll waste time and effort moving between work areas. As you plan your layout, also keep in mind tables, islands and peninsulas that bisect your triangle, as well as how traffic flow moves through your kitchen.
Five Basic Layouts
Single-Wall or Straight Kitchen
The single-wall or straight kitchen has all work centers along one wall, offering the least efficient kitchen plan, especially for active cooks.
However, it’s ideal for smaller homes and apartments.
Corridor or Gallery Kitchen
The corridor or gallery kitchen offers a single cook efficient workspace with closely grouped work centers on parallel walls.
But two cooks may be too many for this kitchen, as the shape allows little extra room to work.
Also, household traffic crossing back and forth my interrupt this work flow.
L-shaped Kitchen
The L-shaped kitchen provides a generous amount of continuous counter space.
With work centers on two adjacent walls, a natural triangle forms and traffic generally bypasses the work area.
It’s the perfect solution for a kitchen that opens to an adjacent room, inviting interaction between cook and guests.
In fact, this design even allows for the inclusion of a dining area.
(The above photo is a perfect example of an L-shaped kitchen. Notice how nicely this layout can accommodate a center island, with plenty of room to get around.)
U-shaped Kitchen
The U-shaped kitchen offers a continuous countertop and ample storage that surround the cook on three sides for maximum efficiency. Traffic flows around the work area rather than through it, making the cooking process even easier.
(Adding an island to an L-shaped kitchen provides the benefits of a U-shaped kitchen. The above photo is a classic example of a U-shaped kitchen.
Cooking is a breeze here, with lots of great counter space, storage space and the all-important work triangle in action.)
G-shaped Kitchen
The G-shaped kitchen is really a modification of the U-shape and offers the same efficiencies. This design adds an extra wall of cabinets and appliances in a peninsula or partial fourth wall. To keep the kitchen from feeling too closed in, this plan works best when one or two of the cabinet sections are open to adjacent spaces.
Storage
Here at A Kitchen Connection, we understand the desire to create a room that is as functional as it is beautiful. We know you want cabinetry that looks great on the outside and works hard on the inside. You want to make your space more accessible, flexible and unique. We can offer both the professional and the homeowner the finest storage solutions available today. We can even handle a garage make-over!
Consult A Kitchen Connection’s kitchen and bath design specialists for all the available designs.
To browse through the leading online collection of “smart storage” products click on the Rev-A-Shelf logo.
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Rev-A-Shelf accessories add gleaming function to lost, neglected areas. And inside cabinets, easy-to-install molded polymer organizers or pull-out wire accessories open up a world of space with maximum flexibility. Your Dream Kitchen is always close at hand with Rev-A-Shelf.
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