Everyone dreams of having a modern kitchen; they just do not always know where to begin. You may stand there at your stove, counter, or sink, wishing things could be different. However, you have no idea where to begin. That is where the expertise of an interior designer can come in handy. Your designer will make use of a kitchen design tool – a form of blueprint design to customize your remodel.

If you have ever looked at floor plans of a home, you probably saw something like this:

In the image above, you can see that the kitchen design is somewhat closed in, with a wall separating it from the living room and dining room areas. The kitchen is open only to a smaller eating area, with another walkway through to the dining room. You will see that we marked in red some of the changes that were to be made, including the removal of the wall to create an island and adding a straight wall to extend the kitchen cabinetry. An added benefit of remodeling the kitchen was a new closet in the master bedroom.

The kitchen photos below show the “before” dated look of the room, along with the wallpaper that was past its time. It was also time to get rid of the white cabinets and the black countertops. You can probably sense how easy it is for someone in the kitchen to feel closed off from everyone else, especially when entertaining.

The Kitchen Design Tool: A Work in Progress

In the after version using our kitchen design tool, you can see how the new wall helps to extend the kitchen cabinet design across the room. The goal was to increase storage space while also eliminating the original awkward angles of the previous wall.

The now-open floorplan includes a new island, as well as still providing space for a casual table and chairs. Now, when company is over, no one has to feel left out when working in the remodeled kitchen. Images below show how the old white and black design have been replaced by shades of cream and taupe. The taller cabinets provide abundant storage, and lighted shelves offer additional brightness for the display of select items.

We utilized the kitchen design tool to create an island with higher cabinets. In the next picture from our kitchen design gallery, you can see how the top of the cabinet is higher than the top of the island.

Aside from providing increased storage space, the higher cabinets also provide hidden space to camouflaging items on the counter.

These kitchen design pictures are part of a current work in progress.

Kitchen Designs Photo Gallery

If you are new to our blog, you may not have seen some of our other kitchen design ideas from past remodels. Through the innovative use of the kitchen design tool, we have been able to create modern kitchens that brighten up the home. There are two primary reasons to remodel your kitchen:

• To enhance your enjoyment of your home
• To prepare it for better resale value

Of course, most people who start looking at kitchen images online do it because they want to remodel their kitchen for their own use. Perhaps there is a need for more storage, as in the photos above. Some people want to turn a closed-off kitchen into an open floorplan – again, as with the room featured here.

In the kitchen pictures below, you can see how dark the lighting in this kitchen was in the before photo. Next, you will notice that we added more recessed lighting as well as hanging pendants above the now straight island. You can see more of the before and after photos from this kitchen in our blog: Kitchen Design Ideas – Things to Consider Before Moving Forward.

For additional ideas for kitchen design, you can also check out our blog: Modern Ideas for Kitchen Design – Options for Updating Your Kitchen.

Contact HK Interiors for help turning your kitchen into a culinary paradise. To discover how our interior design services can help you transform your home or office into the vision you desire, call 954-401-8542 today.

It is easy to get so caught up in decorating your home that you forget to think about functionality. This is especially important when considering various types of window treatments. The way a window functions in your home should be the primary factor in what type of window coverings to buy.

Things to consider when making this decision include:

• Do you need the window treatments to protect from sun and heat – the South Florida sun can be brutal during the long winter months. Proper protection can also help lower your electric bill. Another issue to consider is the protection of your furniture and flooring from fading. Some products offer UV ray benefits.
• Does your home have a zero-lot-line? If so, you may want window coverings that can give you added privacy. Opaque materials provide privacy when back-lit as people cannot see in from the outside.
• If you are hoping to sleep late in the morning, getting blackout curtains or shades is a good idea. These products can also help reduce glare and eliminate the penetration of natural light when they are closed.
• Are you hoping that your window curtains will enhance your décor without blocking the outdoors view? If so, you may opt for sheer fabrics.

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One of the hardest decisions people have when reimagining or planning their living space is chandelier size and design. Anyone who has ever walked into a lighting store can tell you how overwhelming it can be at first glance. You do not even have to look up to see all the chandeliers hanging from the ceiling. Where do you begin?

There is a trick to selecting the right light fixtures for your home or room. You have to know what size will work best, and then what type of style will compliment your furnishings. Today, we are going to focus solely on chandelier size and leave style for another day.

The most common room in the home for a hanging light fixture is the dining room. Dining room chandeliers can make or break your design, meaning that you must focus on getting the right size.

Some people also opt for a kitchen chandelier, especially if they have an eat-in kitchen. Placing a mini chandelier above a small, corner kitchen table can add ambiance to the space. If you have a kitchen island, that gives you another option for specialty lighting. Just remember to keep the hanging lights a minimum of 28 to 34 inches above the top of the island. Pendant lights, spotlights, orbs, track lighting, box lights, and even a small chandelier will create spectacular ambiance in your kitchen.

Ceiling height is another issue, especially when choosing vaulted ceiling lighting for a living room. Yes, you can spend hours of time researching chandelier options, or you can speak with an interior designer who can help you get it right with minimal time and expense.

Choosing Dining Room Chandeliers

Your dining room chandelier will be a focal point of the room, catching the eye and creating ambiance for all your dinner parties. If you have frequent buffets or gatherings, you are going to want lighting that will truly enhance both the mood of the event and the appearance of the food. Too large a chandelier will be overwhelming. Underestimating your dining room lighting will cause it to look out of place and not enhance your table. The goal is to wash the table in light, elimination shadows without adding heat to the room.

There are two primary ways of selecting chandeliers for dining room ambiance:

• As a fixture for an empty room before purchasing furniture

If you are moving into a new home and have not yet purchased furniture, follow this rule:

Measure the length and width of the room and add them together. The number of feet is equal to the number of inches in diameter of your chandelier. For example, a 10’ x 12’ dining room equals 22’ – corresponding to a 22” chandelier.

• If your dining room already has a dining table

Matching chandelier size to a dining room table is also easy. The rule here is to keep your chandelier no larger than one-half to three-quarters the width of your table.

Hanging height is also crucial when considering chandelier placement in a dining room. The bottom part of the chandelier should hang no lower than 30 to 32 inches above the top of the table.

You may also want to consider using a dimmer switch to adjust the lighting in a dining room. Buffets often do better with brighter lighting, while intimate dinner parties may do better with a softer glow.

How to Select the Right Living Room Chandelier

There is a lot to take into consideration when buying a living room chandelier. You have to think about the height of the ceiling, the size of the room, the style and positioning of the furniture, as well as ambiance.

If you have a high ceiling, your chandelier will have to cover a great deal of space, often hanging low in the room. Creativity is a big part of living room lighting. Again, speaking with an interior designer can make all the difference in the world for how your room will come together in the end. Creating an ideal living room lighting scheme is crucial to the functionality and ambiance of your home.

In addition to selecting just one central chandelier, you can also opt for ceiling lighting to go with the hanging fixture or multiple smaller chandeliers placed around the furniture layout. Using four smaller hanging lighting fixtures is an excellent option when a living room has a ceiling fan. Many ceiling fans also have light fixtures to consider.

A Final Word on Chandelier Size

You do have a little leeway when looking at chandelier size for a room. In addition to the measurement instructions provided in the dining room section, here are some other options to consider:

• Rooms smaller than 10’ x 10’ – select chandeliers between 17” and 20” wide
• Rooms around 12’ x 12’ – choose chandeliers between 22” and 27” wide
• Larger rooms around 14’ x 14’ – select fixtures between 24” and 32” wide

In addition to the rooms mentioned, long hallways or entrances to the home are excellent opportunities for hanging a chandelier. Bedrooms and even bathrooms, especially over a central custom tub are other options for hanging a chandelier.

Please contact HK Interiors to discover how our interior design services can help you transform your home or office into the vision you desire. Call 954-401-8542 today for all your interior design needs.

For many years, beige and cream were the warm neutral shades everyone seemed to use in their homes. Times change, and so do interior design ideas. Move over warm neutrals and say hello to slate gray and silver. Of course, there are many different shades of grey you can consider. As you can probably see, we are spelling gray with both an “a” and an “e.” There is no right or wrong way to spell the color grey.

Grey interiors are versatile. You can use varying shades of gray hues on your walls, including light gray paint and blue-grey paint which will bring out different emotions and accents in a room. Silver textured or patterned wallpaper can also make a room pop. Grey bedroom furniture is often soothing for improved relaxation. Furnishings, light fixtures, and accessories in shades of silver and gray offer exciting contrasts.

What Is the Meaning of Gray or Silver in a Room?

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You may not know this, but there are rules for placing rugs in your rooms. If you break the rules, your room may look choppy, out of place, and unfinished. Use the right size and rug placement, and you will be thrilled with your finished look.

The two main rooms for rug placement are the living room and bedroom. Some people also place rugs in the dining room. Follow the rules listed here and choose the right size and shape of rug for your room.

Rug Placement in the Bedroom

Some people opt to forgo carpet and use wood or tile throughout their home. To add a feeling of warmth, they select area rugs. Rug placement on hardwood floors and tile serves a dual purpose – functionality, and appearance. Stepping out of bed onto a cold floor in the middle of the night is not pleasant. Feeling the warmth of a nice rug under your feet keeps you in a state of tranquility. However, you have to know how to place the rug for both design and function.

Using a larger rug helps frame the bed and nightstands and make the room seem bigger. The next best option if you cannot find or afford a large enough rug is to go with two runners – one on either side of the bed.

Rug placement in a bedroom provides a few options: …more