Resources and Articles from Lang’s Kitchen and Bath of Bucks County

In an ongoing effort to help you better understand the intricicies of the Kitchen and Bath industry, as well as what goes into your remodeling and renovation project, we will place articles and links of interest on this page. We encourage you to revisit on a regular basis.

Dysfunctional Kitchens Can Be Made Functional Even In Tight Quarters

Kitchen spaces can sprain a designers brain — smaller kitchens even more so than large spaces - especially when you add storage and style in tight quarters to the typical kitchen challenges of fixtures and function. In many cases it is almost impossible to have a jack-of-all-trades kitchen— accommodating schoolwork, mail, laundry, recipe hunting and cooking duties. It is possible, however, if you don’t cook at all! The Lang’s Design Team realizes the kitchen’s main chore is meal prep. So the Team focuses first on function and making sure your design integrates the appliances and work areas you need. You may be able to save a bit of space by using scaled-down or innovative appliances, including refrigerator and freezer drawers and pint-sized microwaves, stoves (some with just two burners) and single sinks. The function is there, without all the square footage! If workspace is at a premium, the Lang’s Design Team may consider a smaller-scale island or a counter-topped cart that can be rolled away into a closet when not in use.

Now There Are Good Design Alternatives For Those Boxy Overhead Cabinets

Many kitchens can feel visually tight when too many overhead cabinets are used. Cooks can’t reach what’s in them (and there’s not a lot of room for a step stool or ladder), and the overall feeling is boxy and closed in. To help get your space more organized, the Lang’s Design Team can trade the top cupboards for open or glass cabinetry. The Lang’s Design Team will consider open shelving, glass doors and magnetic knife or spice holders that can help open the space. Not only will your kitchen look more spacious, it’s a great way to show off your favorite dishes or shiny pots and pan.

Mixing Material Selections Deliver A Dramatic Impact In Small Spaces

You may not have large-open spaces in your kitchen, but you do have a lot of choices. In fact, these choices loom larger in a small space than in today’s jumbo-sized kitchen. In a big area the Lang’s Design Team can integrate style changes to create a warm space; in a small space the Lang’s Design Team makes everything work, including the mix of wood and metals and other surface materials. Because a smaller kitchen may be short on interesting architectural details, Lang’s Design Team adds the all-important style in compelling countertop surfaces, cabinetry, fixtures, flooring, lighting and color. Is there any place you can add a pleasing curve? Will your granite countertop (more affordable in a small space!) coexist with your cabinet color? The Lang’s Design Team guides in selecting all the necessary products, styles, and colors to create the kitchen of your dreams.

Innovative Ways To Make Small Spaces Look Larger

One of the simplest ways of "expanding" a kitchen is to incorpoate glass, which lets you see through to the objects inside, thereby enhancing the feeling of spaciousness or what the Lang’s Design Team calls "negative space." Try a glass counter or tabletop, or glass door cabinets. Glass kitchen doors, to the outside world or to the next room, can also visually expand the space. There is even highly reflective glass tile that the Lang’s Design Team recommends to give your kitchen a unique sparkle. Mirrors, in a backsplash or strategically placed around the room, also lighten up the look of any limited space.

The Lang’s Design Team also advises adding pass-through windows into the next room to expand the space or creating a half wall between rooms to increase the functional space. If you don’t have one, the Lang’s Design team will work with you to add exposure, airiness and architectural detail by adding an arched window, counter pass-through, or half wall into the next room.

Lighting Makes A Night And Day Difference In The Function & Ambiance Of Your Kitchen

Like any other room, your kitchen needs a combination of task and atmospheric lighting. Fluorescent lighting, of the past casts a bluish light impacting the colorization of objects in the room, including the food. Today the Lang’s Design Team recommends compact fluorescent fixtures or LED lighting for three reasons:

1. Today the florescent fixtures and new LED lights have been designed to eliminate the bluish tint and create a more white light enhancing the kitchen space
2. The compact fluorescent, or CFL, saves energy annually. The LED lighting is even more efficient than the CFL!
3. CFL’s and LED’s reduces the heat produced by incandescent or halogen bulbs thus lowering the cooling cost annually.

When the Lang’s Design Team designs your kitchen, lighting is one of the most important aspects in creating a functional and memorable design. Combining recessed lighting with under-cabinet lighting creates the perfect work area when the lighting is spaced correctly. Placing pendant lights correctly to eliminate shadows is extremely important for a functional design. By planning your lighting layout during the design phase your kitchen will shine!

The Kitchen Flooring Selection Will Be The Foundation For Your Look & Lifestyle

Where does our eye go when we walk into a room? Often it goes down — right to the floor to see the worn area by the door or stained floor section by the sink. That’s why the flooring in a kitchen is so important. When the Lang’s Design Team considers floor material for your new kitchen, all aspects of your lifestyle are considered. For example; if you are a dog lover the Lang’s Design Team recommends porcelain tile or Amtico commercial vinyl tile due to the ease of cleaning. Other floor options the Lang’s Design Team considers are;

• Wood floors for the warm feel in your kitchen and the renewability of the surface
• Cork flooring for the soft under foot feel which is also a “Green” resources
• Laminate flooring is an inexpensive option that can overlay over your existing floor

Come see the Lang’s Design Team and learn which flooring best fits your lifestyle.

Correct Color Choices Can Make Your Kitchen Visually Pleasing For The Ages

The color of walls, appliances, counters, stools — even the dishtowels — can change the atmosphere and even the perceived size of your kitchen. The Lang’s Design Team will consider colors from pastels to vivids, deep warm colors, to bold outstanding colors. Coloration changes can help make your kitchen visually pleasing. Although color is nice to add, good doses of white will always help reflect light drawing the eyes upward and make the room feel larger. But don't think you have to be a “color chicken” in your space. Bold colorations can be very effective in smaller kitchens.

White is nice, but color can rev up a small kitchen, too: Interesting hardware and colorful cabinetry make for a bright space.

Small Details Make For Big Impact In Small Kitchen Spaces

Sure, we now know how to increase the visual size of a small kitchen, from layout and design to color and texture. But the Lang’s Design Team asks you to consider this: When decorating a smaller kitchen consider increasing the size of the room by coordinating the color, textures, and function of the whole space. The reason: by going with the existing architecture of the small area, the Lang’s Design Team can often create a wonderful well-designed cozy space. So instead of using tricks to enlarge the space, it may be wise and cost effective to embrace it just the way it is. Instead of going light or sleek, maybe you go country cozy. Perhaps you make sure there is a little nook where you can sit with a visitor knee-to-knee. Remember, too, that choosing a dark, rich color can create a sophisticated feeling. Options are numerous.


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Do I Really Want to Remodel My Kitchen?

The very first thought of a kitchen remodeling project transpires because of several different reasons.  You may want to upgrade your Cabinetry and make your kitchen design more functional for your lifestyle. You may want your kitchen remodel to include enlarging your space by taking out walls or adding a small addition. You may want to remodel just because you need new appliances and NOW would be the time for the complete kitchen renovation. The thought can be very overwhelming, especially if you don’t have the knowledge of what goes into a kitchen remodel. Important items to consider for your new kitchen design are as follows:

• What are my true wants and needs to include in my kitchen remodel?
• How should I design the space for optimum efficiency?
• What style kitchen cabinetry do I want?
• What Kitchen Cabinetry Grade should I consider?
• What budget am I comfortable with?

All of these questions should be considered when looking for a Kitchen Design Firm or Kitchen Cabinetry.

Let’s start with the kitchen remodel costs or budget. Will you be using the current kitchen design and space or will you be expanding into another area? This aspect alone will play a major role in your new kitchen design and also in the cost of the kitchen cabinetry. Having a Professional kitchen design team to help you come to a comfortable budget, as well as, design the kitchen layout for your needs and wants will help you in the long run to be able to relax more during the kitchen remodel. Using a professional kitchen Design firm will save you money in the long run by eliminating costly mistakes. Your designer will also help you choose the appropriate cabinet line, countertops, backsplash material, appliances, flooring, lighting & plumbing fixtures to best suit your overall kitchen design and budget. It is also up to the design team to help the homeowner understand the process of a kitchen remodel and inform the consumer on the latest materials and resources available to achieve the look and feel of the newly designed kitchen. A good design firm will also help you with the design of tile on either the backsplash or floor to enhance the style of your new kitchen. This provides you the client the highest possible value you can buy.

Next, the kitchen cabinetry selection is an important decision in your remodel as they will set the stage of the “new” look of your kitchen. Cabinetry selections, however, are quite vast not limited to the wood species, door style, finish, or trim. . You need to select a kitchen cabinetry grade that will fit within your kitchen renovation budget. The interior cabinet features are very important as well and add to the functionality of the kitchen remodel.

So, as you can see there are many factors that need to be considered when deciding to do a kitchen remodel, from the kitchen design to the budget, right on up to the kitchen cabinetry and material selections. Using a Professional Design Firm like Lang's Kitchen &  Bath will help put you at ease from the beginning stages of your remodel, to the very first time you get to fill all of those Beautiful new kitchen cabinets!


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What to Consider BEFORE your Bathroom Renovation...

Are you considering a Bathroom Remodel? Renovating a bathroom can often be more complex than any other room renovation in your home. There are many things to think about when deciding on a bath remodel. To start, here are a few things to consider.

• Do I have a Budget in mind for my Bath Remodel?
• Am I going to be doing a total Bath Remodel or do I just want to replace my bathroom vanity & plumbing fixtures?
• Should my Bath Design optimize my total space?
• What style bathroom Cabinetry do I want?
• What grade cabinetry would I prefer? A Furniture Vanity or do I want a standard bathroom vanity?

A Professional Bath Design firm can ensure that all of your wants and needs are met. When choosing a Bathroom Design firm for your bath remodel you can be confident in knowing that we have the knowledge and training to help you design your space efficiently, prepare a budget for your bath remodel, as well as assist you in choosing the right plumbing fixtures, bathroom vanity or furniture vanity, tile selections, flooring, lighting & overall bath design look you want to achieve. A good design team makes it a point to stay abreast of all the “hot” products and newest features available to you.

In today’s economy, many people are looking for the Best value when it comes to doing a bathroom remodel. When deciding on the Designer, plumbing fixtures, Cabinetry & materials to be incorporated, keep in mind the old notion “You get what you pay for”. First and foremost, remember that bathroom remodels are largely intangible products, in the sense that you cannot try them on for size or “test drive” them before you buy. In saying that, going with the cheapest or least expensive bath design firm, may not be the best idea! Remember, if it is done wrong the first time, you may never get a second chance. Would you consider using the cheapest Surgeon, when going for open-heart surgery? Also, take into consideration that when having your bath remodeled you can expect a return of 80-125% should you decide to sell your home in the next 2-5 years.

Let’s move on to bathroom vanity choices available. There are hundreds of manufacturers’ to choose from. When making your selection you will need to decide on whether you want a basic bathroom vanity or a more ornate free standing furniture vanity. Just like a standard bathroom vanity, furniture vanities come in all different sizes & shapes to choose from. Many of the vanity company now offer matching linen storage cabinets and have a wider range of materials used to construct the vanity from glazed thermafoil finishes to exotic wood species to custom colors & color matching. Some of the furniture vanities Lang's Kitchen and Bath supplies even come with granite tops! This helps you, as the consumer, achieve the style and feel of your new bathroom, as well as having options in your bathroom remodel budget.

The next decision to be made is the plumbing fixtures that will be used. Perhaps you’d like your bathroom remodel to be ADA-compliant without looking institutional. Plumbing fixtures such as toilets, grab bars, shower seats and enclosures now offer ADA approved choices. Other suggestions your bath designer may make on plumbing fixtures might include shower heads, hand held shower sticks, body sprayers, different types of diverters, steam shower units or personal - his & hers - shower fixtures. There is even a lot to think about when choosing a tub. Do you want a whirlpool, an air tub, or a soaker? Or how about the “Old World” style of a clawfoot tub? Bathroom faucets have come a long way in style and design as well – from ”Old World” to Ultra Contemporary.

Other elements that you might be interested in include heated floor elements placed under floor tiles to take the edge off cold mornings or heated towel warmers to keep you nice and toasty after a relaxing bath or shower. This will also help with the overall heat generated in the bathroom.

In conclusion, there are many things and decisions to be made when creating your “dream” bathroom or updating your existing bath making only a few changes. Lang's Kitchen and Bath design team & project managers know the amount of time, effort and work involved in doing a bathroom remodel. We also know the four major cost factors that directly impact the cost of a bathroom project. Our objective is to listen to your needs and wants and create different bath design solutions so the bath is the design of your dreams!

• Performance Value
• Investment Value
• Marketing Value
• Enjoyment Value

All four come with owning a bathroom designed and project managed from Lang's Kitchen and Bath. To learn about the four major cost factors that impact the cost of your bathroom remodel contact us to schedule an appointment with our experienced Team of designers and project managers. We would love to include you in our rapidly growing family of satisfied clients.

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Design of Kitchen:
Design of Kitchen Flow

The design of kitchen functionality has three main points:

1. How the design of kitchen cabinetry affects functionality
2. How the design of work flow changes the layout
3. Why the design of kitchen countertops can affect functionality

When the design of kitchen flow is created properly, spacing of walkways and the design of kitchen cabinetry will help increase the overall function and the design of kitchen work space. By creating the proper design of kitchen tall cabinetry, wall cabinetry, and base cabinetry the overall function in the kitchen with increase.

The design of kitchen flow is critical also to a well functioning kitchen. Once the proper design of kitchen is achieved, you must next consider the design of kitchen work flow and how the design of kitchen functionality will be affected if the design of kitchen work flow is changed. By considering changing the design of kitchen flow by moving the sink or cooking surface, the work flow can increase the efficiencies of the overall space.

When the design of kitchen countertops is changed to incorporate seating at an island, you can plan that seating as your main seating or as additional seating. You can also drop the countertop to table height in the design of kitchen countertops to use standard chairs with the lower countertop instead of using bar stools in your overall design of kitchen space.

Another option in the design of kitchen space is using or adding window seating in the kitchen. The window seat will add additional seating in the design of kitchen space along with increasing the overall feel in the design.

As you move forward with your plans for design of kitchen functionality, work flow, and countertops, do not forget to include a kitchen designer that specializes in all three of the above items.

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Additional Articles of Interest about Kitchen and Bath Design

Click on the article title

• The Art of Kitchen Design
  by: Sawhill Kitchens
• The Elements of Kitchen "D.E.S.I.G.N."
  by: Regency Designs and Interiors
• 8 Step Process to Ensure your Kitchen Makeover is your Family's Favorite Room in the House
  by: Signature Kitchens, Additions and Baths

Videos

Click on the video title

• "Desiging Spaces featuring StarMark Cabinetry"
  by: Callen Construction, Muskego and Brookfield, WI

Kitchen and Bath Design Photos for Inspiration

Click on the Kitchen Design Firm name

• Roomscapes Architectural Woodwork and Custom Cabinetry
  
• Signature Kitchen and Bath, McAllen, Texas
  
• Spacial Design, San Anselmo, CA