When it comes to kitchen design, the pantry often gets overlooked in favor of more glamorous features like countertops and cabinetry.
However, a well-designed pantry can make a world of difference in terms of both functionality and organization.
Whether your client is a gourmet chef or simply looking to streamline their grocery storage, a thoughtfully planned pantry can help keep their kitchen tidy, efficient, and a joy to work in.
In this post, we’ll explore the top 10 ways to incorporate a pantry into all your kitchen designs today!
Continue reading “How to Incorporate a Pantry in any Sized Kitchen”
With the cost of cabinetry, countertops, appliances and plumbing fixtures constantly increasing, it is becoming more difficult for Kitchen Designers to develop show stopping projects on a budget.
The solution to this is to integrate mouldings into your Kitchen Designs.
With a background in both Kitchen Design and Moulding Product Design & Development, I have seen how Kitchens and Mouldings are a perfect match.
Follow along to see how you can use simple mouldings to bring the WOW factor to all your Kitchen Design projects, including the budget ones.
Continue reading “Adding the Wow factor to your Kitchen Designs with Mouldings”
Of course, the Kitchen is where cooking takes place, but the Kitchen is also where people gather to eat, socialize, work and relax.
As a kitchen designer it is important to think about these activities and design appropriate seating solutions for everyone’s comfort.
Since there is not a one size fits all approach when it comes to designing seating areas in the kitchen, the kitchen designer needs to get creative.
Let’s explore some of my favorite ways to approach the design of seating in the contemporary Kitchen.
Continue reading “How to Design a Kitchen Seating Area”
I often have conversations with kitchen designers about contemporary kitchen layouts.
Many agree the one-wall with island layout or galley kitchen is seen over and over again.
The L-shaped with island used to be the most popular, but there seems to have been a shift as of late.
There are a few reasons why I believe the one-wall with island layout is so popular in new construction.
In this post I’ll go over the reasons why builder’s pick that layout so often, and then using a case study will show you how you, as the kitchen designer, can add some excitement to this layout.
Continue reading “How to Elevate the One-Wall with Island Kitchen Layout”
Undertaking a kitchen renovation is a significant endeavor for a client and the kitchen designer is the best professional to offer advice on how to navigate through one.
The construction phase can be both exciting and challenging, demanding meticulous preparation to ensure a smooth process and a desirable outcome.
This VESTA Blog will outline essential steps to best prepare your client for a kitchen renovation during the construction phase, helping them navigate the transformation with confidence.
Continue reading “Helping Your Client Plan their Kitchen Renovation”
Based on the feedback I have been receiving on this series, both consumers and designers have been surprised by the multiple steps a Kitchen Designer goes through on a “typical” Kitchen project and the hours devoted to it.
In Part 1 we discussed the Pre-Design steps. They included attracting a client, educating that client, presenting your products and services, conducting a survey to determine their needs & wants, helping them narrow in on their appliance choices, and heading to the site to measure.
In Part 2 we dove into the Design Development portion of the process. During this stage, you scaled your site measurements, developed some design options, presented the options, worked on revisions, and presented a final design.
For Part 3 with signed contracts in hand, products need to be ordered in a methodically detailed process. A few days later you will have to focus on the supplier confirmations to ensure they are accurate and approve them.
To this point you will have invested approximately 33 hours on your client’s Kitchen Design Project.
You are now in the home stretch!
Read on to see what it takes to get over the finish line.
Continue reading “What A Kitchen Designer Really Does: Part 4”
In this four part series we have covered 2 stages of what a Kitchen Designer really does.
In Part 1 many people were surprised to see that a good 10 hours could be spent on a Kitchen Design project before the fun part of designing it began.
Then in Part 2, the hours added up to an additional 15 hours with the average Kitchen Design consuming approximately 25 hours to get to a point where a contract for product is signed.
In this post I will explore what happens behind the scenes in the world of Kitchen Design.
I think many will be surprised to see that the Kitchen Designer’s work has just begun.
Continue reading “What A Kitchen Designer Really Does: Part 3”
Most people choose Kitchen Design as a profession for the creative aspect.
After reading “What A Kitchen Designer Really Does: Part 1”, you will see that there are a lot of hours devoted to a project before you get to the creative side or the Art of Kitchen Design.
Between 4 and 10 hours will be spent in the Pre-Design stage of a Kitchen Design project.
Spending time attracting a client, educating a client, presenting your sales pitch to a client, conducting a needs assessment with your client, directing your client’s appliance choices and measuring the site all need to be done before “the fun part begins!”
Step 2 of “What a Kitchen Designer Really Does” is
Design Development
Let’s look at what that entails.
Continue reading “What A Kitchen Designer Really Does: Part 2”
While most people think Kitchen Design is all about creativity and the Art of Design, the truth is that the Kitchen Designer spends a lot of time on the Science and the Business of Design.
I belong to multiple Facebook Designer Groups where I see a lot of posts asking how to tackle a Kitchen Design Contract from scratch.
The Designers asking this question may be new to Design in general or may be new to Kitchen Design specifically.
Many of their questions ask:
How long should it take to produce a Kitchen Design?
In this Blog Series I will break down all the steps the Kitchen Designer needs to go through to design a Kitchen from start to finish!
Continue reading “What A Kitchen Designer Really Does: Part 1”
A big part of the Kitchen Design process is deciding on the layout you will present to your client.
While certain layouts are more popular than others, the Kitchen Designer should be aware of all the basic Kitchen layouts along with their pros and cons.
Read on to become familiar with different Kitchen layouts to help you decide what would work best for your client’s space.
Continue reading “Understanding the Options for Kitchen Layouts”
Many Kitchen Designers also practice Bathroom Design.
In my personal design practice, Vestabul Design, Bathroom Design goes hand in hand with Kitchen Design.
Both are rooms that need to function and be aesthetically pleasing.
One of the big differences between the two is that the Kitchen is a public space while the Bathroom a private space.
Most of my Bathroom Designs are focused on how the homeowner will use the space, but without knowing the specific end-user you need to get creative.
Read on to see how I accomplished this in a “mini-multi” project I designed called the Willow Project.
Continue reading “Case Study: Bathroom Design in a “Mini-Multi” Project”
Designing a kitchen that is both functional and beautiful is a top priority for homeowners, and one of the key principles that can make this a reality is ergonomics.
Ergonomics is the science of designing spaces and products to maximize efficiency, safety, and comfort for the people using them.
When it comes to kitchen design, ergonomics plays a crucial role in creating a space that is not only aesthetically pleasing but also easy to work in.
In this VESTA blog post, we will explore the significance of ergonomics in kitchen design and how it can result in a comfortable and efficient space.
Continue reading “The Role of Ergonomics in Kitchen Design”
Jan Rutgers