Alternative Kitchen Flooring

by Alex
(Yorkshire)

Choosing the flooring for your kitchen really sets the tone for the style of room you are trying to create.
Stone and wood are classic materials to choose and work for both traditional and contemporary kitchens.

However, if you want a material that is a little different but will still be suitable for a busy modern kitchen, then here are two great alternative options.

Resin flooring is becoming more and more popular and for good reason.

Firstly it is extremely easy to have fitted, especially if you have an unusual shape to your kitchen, as this material is poured into the room and sets to a solid floor.

There are a number of different types of resin but it’s vital to select one that is non-slip and scratch-proof to make it suitable for kitchen use.

Once set, the resin is easy to clean and is extremely durable, which makes it a perfect material for a modern kitchen.

Resin comes in a range of colours and styles, with an inset glass beaded finish being a particularly interesting look, that will make the room stand out from the rest and enable you to match up to your kitchen cabinets.

Another great alternative flooring material, which is not only good for your kitchen but the planet as well, is cork.

This environmentally friendly material is made from bark and does not kill the tree when harvested.

Not only is cork flooring made from a sustainable source, it will help save your money and the planet, as it retains heat which will also reduce your energy bill to give you some extra money towards the end of the month.

Cork is not only practical but it can be made to look like a classic timber flooring so you can have that classic wooden look but without the heavy price tag and carbon footprint.


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Comment
By Charlotte

Thanks for the great ideas, Alex.

You're right, stone and wood are popular choices for both modern and traditional kitchen flooring - and we are very lucky to have original quarry tiles in our kitchen...

...but sometimes it's great to have other options, or choose something a bit different from everyone else...

I've seen resin flooring in shops, and am pleased to see it's now filtering down into domestic use - I think it's great - hard-wearing, water resistant and that slight softness underfoot that makes it more pleasant to walk on in bare feet or slippers!

Just like cork! Nice and warm underfoot! My husband and I had actually just been commenting a couple of days ago how cork was now making a revival - and it's come on a lot since those 70's squares!

Now it's a thoroughly modern material - water resistant (unlike a lot of laminate floors!) and with a real richness of tone that lets you know you have a quality, and a natural, product there...

...with great eco-credentials and sustainability too - can't go wrong!

Thanks very much for the helpful hints and tips - just goes to show that a little extra research into the possibilities for your kitchen flooring will open up all kinds of new options, that could just be the perfect solution for you and your design!

Thanks :o)

More kitchen decorating tips

More flooring information, ideas and tips

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Kitchen Redesign: Considering Resale Value

Kitchen remodelling projects are fraught with potholes, meaning perfect planning is vital to success. Here are some tips to ensure your plans will result in a dream kitchen.

Firstly, you need to consider what you will use your kitchen for. The needs of a single person are often completely different to those of a family.

Furthermore, if you are a keen cook, it is likely you will need greater storage than someone who lives off takeaways and ready meals. These factors should influence your design.

Ultimately, you should design a kitchen to cater for your own needs and tastes but your property's resale value should never be far from your mind. Kitchens which are too quirky or individual could hamper the price of your home should you ever decide to move.

Furthermore, what is trendy now may not be trendy ten years from now, so consider adopting a more timeless look if you feel you may need to relocate in the future.

If you do want a more personal touch, this should be reflected in the paintwork or accessories as these aspects of a design are easy to change.

Although an individual look has become more popular in recent years, not everyone has the same proclivities when it comes to style. This means that carefully considering your colour scheme is extremely important.

Indeed, the use of colour is one of the easiest and clearest ways to adopt your own style and this goes far beyond the shade on the walls. Darker kitchen cabinets and lighter doors give an impression of greater space and can also have significant impact.

The same is true regarding glossy finishes, which reflect the light to generate a similar effect. The colour of the flooring is also important.

A kitchen redesign should reflect your own personal tastes as well as your eating habits and lifestyle. However, a little forward thinking could pay huge dividends in the long-run too.

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Comment
by Charlotte

Thanks very much for the tips and ideas!

It's a great idea to keep the main part of a kitchen neutral, just in case you need to sell (who knows what's around the corner!)

Kitchens are a major purchase, and you intend to keep the main structure for years, so it really makes sense to choose the main (and expensive) items in a neutral color that will not date, will not offend potential purchasers, and will not hamper any future choices of color scheme.

Keep cupboards, work surfaces and tiles in a fairly neutral tone, and add lots of your own personality through wall-color and accessories.

How much cheaply and quickly can you then change your mind and choose a whole other color theme!

Great idea!

Thanks for sharing!

Charlotte :o)

More kitchen decorating tips, here...

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Making the Most out of a Small Kitchen

Making the most out of a small kitchen

Not everyone can have large scale, open plan kitchens that you can do your morning jog around, which means getting the most out of the space you do have is vital!

When designing a kitchen with limited space, it's important to establish what you do in this hub of the home.

If you take pride in your food preparation, then creating adequate space on your kitchen worktops is important.

Having a confined space in which to perform tasks such as dicing vegetables can be dangerous, so sacrificing some space for decent countertops really is worthwhile.

Alternatively, installing a breakfast bar in the middle of your kitchen can be a great feature which will serve multiple purposes in the long-term.

It can be a space in which to prepare food, which means that you could gain more space from smaller external countertops.

A breakfast bar can also serve as a seating and dining area in your kitchen, which will look great when accompanied by some stylish high chairs.

With space being the most important factor, a breakfast bar that incorporates storage space underneath the countertop can be invaluable to making the most out of your kitchen.

There are many different types of breakfast bars out there and plenty of them have cabinets in which you can store pots, pans and other kitchen items.

Storage space takes up most of the room in the modern kitchen for those of us that don't have a separate larder for all those items that make a modern kitchen work.

Making sure appliances such as dishwashers and washing machines are efficiently positioned underneath countertops can also save priceless space.

Essentially making every feature in your kitchen as multipurpose as possible will mean that you can utilise limited space in this important room of the home to your advantage.

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Comment
By Pauline

Thank you for all the advice and tips relating to a small-space kitchen.

May need some help when I start trying to sort the kitchen out - but leaving it for a while in the hope that some inspiration shows up!!

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Comment
By Charlotte

Thanks very much for sharing these great ideas and tips - I agree, storage and careful planning is of the utmost importance for a small kitchen.

A breakfast bar is a great idea - we've had one in a previous kitchen and it was most useful for all kinds of eating, storage, preparation etc - and actually seemed to create more space in the kitchen!

Thanks for sharing the suggestions!

Charlotte :o)

More kitchen decorating tips...

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Solving kitchen storage problems

Storage is one of the most common issues concerning kitchen design. The most important aspect about this room is its functionality and too often, kitchen cabinets are found overflowing with pots and pans, whilst appliances consume valuable workspace on cluttered kitchen surfaces.

The result is a cataclysmic mess where nothing can be found easily, whilst it is almost impossible to find space to prepare food.

Many people do not have the time or the money to indulge in a kitchen remodelling project but this does not mean that this problem cannot be rectified.

Breakfast bars and kitchen islands can introduce new storage space at a fraction of the price, whilst islands in particular carry many other benefits.

In order to help decide upon the location of your island, just get hold of a kitchen planner.

Kitchen islands easily utilise unused empty space, whilst their ability to move means you can store items in different areas of the house.

This is also a significant advantage if you intend to use your kitchen for different purposes as the requirements for a dinner party are often completely different to those of day-to-day cooking.

For example, you can move your kitchen island closer to the oven if you need baking utensils easily to hand, whilst on a regular Monday you can tuck the island in a corner out of the way.

Furthermore, kitchen islands are multifunctional as they can act as a dining table or another potential work surface.

This means that you can increase the functionality and usability of your kitchen with relatively little effort.

Meanwhile, if you are hosting a dinner party, the island can function as a table around which your guests can congregate to talk to the chef.

Kitchen islands also have the potential of giving your kitchen a facelift without any effort at all.

The ability to move the unit around means you can constantly change the design of the room, adding a repeated freshness to your interior.

Islands are also extremely easy to assemble and disassemble - taking little more than an hour - meaning you can use them in many different rooms of the house.

The advantages of a breakfast bar are similar to those of a kitchen island, so if you are struggling to deal with your cluttered kitchen and cannot afford an expensive redesign, then this solution could be the answer to your prayers.


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Comment
By Charlotte

Great ideas - thanks for sharing!

Storage and organisation is so important in any room - but particularly in a busy room like the kitchen.

Careful thinking about how you use any room - and the layout of the kitchen (and work triangle) will really help with getting a kitchen that works well with with the way you work!

More practical ideas for planning your kitchen, here...

More ideas about how to organize clutter, here...

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How to increase your kitchen's storage capacity

There are many ways to increase the storage capacity of your kitchen and these should be considered as part of any redesign project.

The amount of storage space available to you will be determined by the size and shape of your kitchen. However, you can adopt particular techniques to increase the capacity of the room.

Having a clear idea of how much space you need is vital before you start considering construction and taking a thorough inventory before you begin is an important part of the process.

Knowing how much food you are likely to have in your kitchen, as well as the scope of your utensils and cutlery, will allow you to plan storage in your new model.

Open shelves provide a functional yet stylish way to store your items and these can also give a room a relaxed feel.

Of course, you need to consider carefully what you have on display but if you can keep this tidy, open shelves can enhance the look of the room.

Furthermore, they will keep kitchen units clear to allow you to prepare food whilst simultaneously provide ease of access to your cooking implements.

If you have a small room, then masking a boiler using shelving or using a back-of-the-door rack can give you extra space in the most unlikely of places.

Using a magnetic board screwed to a wall to store knives is another clever way of utilising space, whilst an under-shelf basket does exactly what it says on the, erm, basket.

Efficiency is another important aspect of kitchen design as you need to ensure your utensils are easily accessible.

This does not only make for stress-free cooking but it is also safer. Pull-out units and kitchen drawer organisers are good ways of making the most out of tight spaces.

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Comment
by Charlotte

Thanks for the great suggestions and ideas!

Storage is vitally important in a kitchen! Getting it right really does not only make your kitchen look neat, tidy and well designed, but it makes working and cooking in your kitchen an awful lot easier too!

We've found that open shelving has been great for us - so convenient for everyday items - do make a special effort to keep it tidy though...

..and wipe down regularly as we've found they can get quite sticky with all that kitchen grease and grime.

We're also making plans to get as many of the small kitchen accessories, which are currently cluttering up our counter-tops, mounted on the wall.

So, we're looking to get a wall-mounted spice rack, knife mount, and an under cupboard kitchen towel dispenser too, which should really help - and further more we'll always be able to find where we put that roll of kitchen towel!

Just think about the natural way you work in the kitchen, and where you ideally want certain items to be when planning storage - so that your natural work patterns can be accommodated in this way.

Thanks very much for the tips!

Charlotte

More kitchen decorating tips, here...

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