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.

For example, how much seating do you need to accommodate your family members? What kinds of activities are performed in your kitchen? Do you do a lot of cooking? Do your kids like to help?  Who else spends time in your kitchen? Don’t forget to consider how your needs may change over the years.

Whether accommodating little ones, hungry teens, busy parents, seniors, or physically challenged persons in your space planning, there are many ways to create an environment that works for everyone.  Here are a few ideas to help you along the way:

• If small children are a consideration, install countertops with rounded corners to prevent painful bumps and bruises.
• Incorporate a lower height area of counter space that provides easier access for children – and also seniors or physically challenged family members.
• Choose cabinets with durable finishes that will take the bumps in stride.
• Consider cabinetry options like Merillat’s SoftAction™ drawers that help slow down the moving parts as excited kids open and shut them. Self-closing concealed door hinges help prevent pinching and keep doors from hanging open.
• To help keep things clean, choose higher gloss furniture finishes that are easy to wipe off. This concept applies to walls too: “the higher the sheen, the easier it will clean.” Satin or semigloss wall paints are going to be your best bet.
• Upholster chairs with washable fabrics or slipcovers for those eventual spills. Plan on replacing in five years or so.
• Make your kitchen warm and inviting with bright, cheerful paint colors and fabrics.
• Microwave ovens, foods and dishes can be positioned at a lower level where less reaching is required.  Installing our Masterpiece® base microwave cabinet is one great way to put that appliance within easy reach.
• Carve out a comfortable niche for homework, games and just hanging out. This might also be a great spot for bill paying or plugging in a laptop.
• For toddlers you might set aside a small area for their own little table and chairs to keep them occupied and within sight while you’re cooking.
• Varnished hardwood flooring (like maple) will stand up to the abuse of an active family. Linoleum and sealed cork are other good options.
• Make the seating area in your kitchen welcoming by providing plenty of room to spread out for the whole family.
• Hang a pendant lamp over your breakfast nook or table to make a focal point that provides task lighting.
• An island or peninsula is a great way to combine informal dining with ample storage space.  Or you might invest in a rolling island to increase storage and work space.
• With so many people coming and going, you might also consider an entryway area or “drop zone” for things like keys, mail, coats, backpacks and purses. Merillat offers a number of family-friendly accessories to help you customize your space, including drop zone and entryway ensembles.

Ultimately, what you’re striving to create is a space that everyone feels comfortable in and can easily utilize on a daily basis. These are just a few ideas to help get you there.  Have additional ideas you’d like to share? We’d love to hear them!

Merillat's Satellite Media Tour with Curtis Stone

You may have seen renowned chef Curtis Stone on your favorite morning TV news show earlier this month talking about the functional innovation of Merillat cabinetry.  The interviews took place at a studio in Los Angeles and were broadcast through satellite to news morning shows across the country in top markets like LA, Sacramento, Denver and San Antonio.

I was in the studio during the interviews and it was quite exciting!  We began the day at 3 a.m. PST (yes that is 3 a.m.!) with the first set of interviews airing in the east coast and we finished up at about 8 a.m. That’s after completing 25 TV and radio interviews that reached 8.9 million viewers! Be sure to check out our video summary of all interviews.

During the interviews, Curtis made a crab mozzarella salad, while demonstrating different functional features of the kitchen and discussed how these features can make life in the kitchen easier.  He highlighted great Merillat kitchen features such as the pull-out spice rack, cutting board kit, deep drawer peg divider, double base waste basket and recycle bin, and even SoftAction drawers. I mean, who better to illustrate kitchen functionality than a professional chef?

We’d love for you to share what makes life in your kitchen easier. Share your stories, tips or even recipes with our blog readers.

On a recent episode, sweepstakes winners Kim and Josh Osburn of West Bloomfield, Michigan saw their crowded galley kitchen transformed in both style and function.

Of course, we can’t give everyone a kitchen makeover. But we do hope that seeing the Osburns’ kitchen transformation will help inspire some ideas about the hidden potential in your own!

As you watch, here are a few key features to look for:

A clear sense of style. Merillat Classic® Fusion maple cabinets with a deep Kona finish and sleek nickel hardware are the perfect complement to the contemporary style throughout their home. Whatever your style, consider how the kitchen will affect adjoining rooms.

Accessorize appropriately. Storage solutions make it easy to customize cabinets by lifestyle. Rollout shelves and garbage/recycling bins are a plus in any home. SoftAction™ drawers and doors mean a quieter kitchen and protection against pinches. For an avid baker like Kim, a specialty item like Merillat’s base mixer shelf is a dream come true—keeping her heavy stand mixer off the counter, and yet still within easy reach.

Cabinets outside the kitchen. The Osburns replaced their dining room table with a granite-topped island for additional storage as well as seating. A home office area in the dining room is made of matching cabinets and a granite work surface—keeping the couple connected during daily tasks, while  still looking elegant enough for company.

Beauty+Duty. The old bar area had style, but no storage. Adding wall cabinets and replacing the bar’s glass block base with cabinets and a wine cooler created a fun, functional hub for entertaining.

Twice can be nice. At first, the Osburns worried that a bar/prep sink just around the corner from their kitchen sink might be overkill. Now they’re wondering how they ever got along without it.

Keep it the same, but different. Encompassing both the kitchen and dining rooms, the Osburns’ design needed both consistency and variety. The glass tile backsplash in the kitchen gives way to stainless tile in the bar, and the wall cabinet doors in that area are replaced with frosted glass inserts. The dining room bar, island, and desk area feature the same granite surface, but at different heights (36”, 42” and 30” respectively) for both functional and aesthetic reasons.

To see the Osburns’ complete kitchen makeover, watch the full episode here.

Then, watch our video below to learn more about how this kitchen, and this episode, came to life.