Archive for the ‘Inspiration & Design’ Category

Considerations in Designing a Family Friendly Eat-In Kitchen

Posted by: Merillat Marketing on 07/29/2010 | Permalinks | Trackbacks
Merillat Masterpiece Fairlane in Maple Burnished Praline

Merillat Masterpiece Fairlane in Maple Burnished Praline

If your family is like most, your kitchen is more than just another room. These days, life happens in the kitchen. The kitchen is the hub of your home, the center of all the day’s activities. And even if you have a showcase dining room, you may actually eat most meals in the kitchen.

With your family’s busy schedule, things tend to overlap. Cooking, homework, bill paying, small talk…it’s all going on across the kitchen counter or at the kitchen table. The eat-in kitchen is the new normal, and when renovating your space you need to design accordingly to make it as family friendly as possible.

To begin, put some thought into how you want your kitchen to function – your lifestyle will dictate the design.  Ask yourself what will help make your space operate efficiently and comfortably. Consider all of the ways in which you currently use your kitchen, where your children or other family members hang out, and then develop your solutions around these factors.

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Design Trend – Celebrity Kitchens

Posted by: Merillat Marketing on 04/07/2010 | Permalinks | Trackbacks

Movie Sets, Famous Chefs & Celebrity Athletes Inspiring Kitchen Design Trends Across the Country

Photo Credit: www.thekitchendesigner.org

"It's Complicated" Movie Set; Photo Credit: www.thekitchendesigner.org

The kitchens of celebrities, movie sets and famous chefs are influencing our design and style trend choices in many areas of the home, but especially in the kitchen. In this post, Sphere Trending, a trend spotting and design forecasting firm located in Waterford, Michigan, points out some noteworthy kitchens recently featured in film, television and magazines that have generated quite a buzz for their design appeal.

The recent film, “It’s Complicated”, centered around the eclectic and comfortable kitchen of the main character / bakery owner played by Meryl Streep.  Designed by Beth Rubino, the kitchen captured the essence of the casual, “cleaned-up coastal” style currently experiencing an up-trend in home and kitchen design.  The open shelving, curtained fronts, warm finishes and beachy color palette quickly made headlines on blogs and in design magazines as a trend to watch inspiring many to seek out ways to recreate the movie set kitchen’s relaxed style and comfortably chic look in homes across the country.

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Innovative New Kitchen & Bath Products

Posted by: Merillat Marketing on 03/29/2010 | Permalinks | Trackbacks
Innovative Backsplash

Jo Omar's Funky Backsplashes

In today’s constantly changing, 24/7 world, you can read a new blog, pick up a new magazine or book to find new inspirational photos or to learn about new technology in products designed specifically for the kitchen and bath. How can you choose what is right for you?  Here are a few suggestions from Sphere Trending, a trend spotting and design forecasting firm located in Waterford, Michigan.

If it’s individuality and style that you’re craving, a custom backsplash may be just the thing you’re looking for.  Individually designed and created by Jo Omar for your kitchen or bathroom each “Funky Splashback” is hand painted and sized to each specific project.  An alternative to ordinary tile, these unique designs are an innovative, one-of-a-kind alternative for your kitchen or bathroom.

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The Importance of Design Style When Planning Your Kitchen

Posted by: Merillat Marketing on 03/26/2010 | Permalinks | Trackbacks

Mas-Fai-Map-Bur-KitThe kitchen is, by far, the most important room in your house. It is the “hub” of most family interaction and entertainment and the design of your kitchen should reflect your unique lifestyle. Whether you are planning for your new kitchen, or redesigning/remodeling an old one, the style is important not only to the immediate user (you) but also to possible future users, such as growing children, aging parents or the next homeowner.  There are so many ways to approach the design for any of these purposes, but first and foremost you should take the time to learn and appreciate your own design desires and preferences.  Merillat’s Your Design Style guide will help you decide what design style best defines your preferences.

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Advantages of Different Types of Flooring (Part II)

Posted by: Merillat Marketing on 03/22/2010 | Permalinks | Trackbacks
Examples of different flooring types

Examples of different flooring types

To conclude our flooring guide, below are additional types of flooring with both advantages and disadvantages.   Our first post included information on wood, tile, vinyl and stone flooring.  Now we look at laminate, linoleum and cork.

These are just some of the most common flooring options and each has its own distinctive features and qualities, as well as downsides. Use this as a guide in choosing the right flooring material for your kitchen, bath or laundry room…we think there’s a flooring option to fit every unique need!

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Advantages of Different Types of Flooring (Part I)

Posted by: Merillat Marketing on 03/19/2010 | Permalinks | Trackbacks

flooring-blog-image-lg1Besides your cabinetry, flooring will be one of your most significant decisions when building or remodeling.  Deciding on the right flooring choice for your kitchen, bath or laundry room depends on several variables.  Like other design elements, you need to weigh and balance the importance of each: style, functionality, durability, aesthetics, cost, etc.

With so many flooring choices available, it can be overwhelming to come up with the best fit for your kitchen and your needs. To help you along the way, we have created this handy two-part post describing the advantages (and disadvantages) of various types of flooring on the market today. So take a look and see which floor might work best for you!

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Choosing the Right Lighting for Your Kitchen Design

Posted by: Merillat Marketing on 02/26/2010 | Permalinks | Trackbacks

Merillat_LightingThe kitchen is the foundation of your home; it’s the gathering place.  Like the glow of a calming fire, the right lighting draws people into the kitchen.  It is also often the last thing considered in the design and the first thing cut from the budget.  The days of having one fixture centered in the ceiling are gone!  The best type of lighting requires light layering where accent, ambient and task lighting are successfully combined together. And the right lighting can be done inexpensively.

Take inventory of your lighting needs by location based on the activities that take place, whether it is homework, food preparation or entertaining. A smart kitchen has flexible and well planned lighting that adapts to your lifestyle.

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