Tag: corian

Dream Kitchen Design Ideas

The kitchen is the heartbeat of the home and as such the design is incredibly important.  Your custom dream home should come with a dream kitchen 8where you can gather with your friends and family to converse and make food together.  If you’re trying to decide what a dream kitchen should have then keep reading some of our favorite tips to spark your imagination.

 

Islands

If your kitchen is large enough for an island, this is an essential part of a smoothly functioning kitchen, not just as a station for preparing food but also as a storage space.  In a small kitchen, the island can be mobile with wheels that can be locked and unlocked and wheeled out of the way when necessary while a larger kitchen can have a more traditional fixed island with much more storage space.  Perhaps you might even consider a raised bar on one side where your kids can grab a quick breakfast or after school snack.

Counters

Think about the counter placement, often when you bring groceries home, you’ll want to place the items that need to be refrigerated near the fridge.  This counter can be either across from or next to the refrigerator.

Choose a countertop that is durable and easy to clean, this will make your life much easier.  If you’re curious about which counter materials to choose, you might want to check out our article on granite vs corian countertops.

Cabinets

Where do you plan to keep your appliances, utensils, dishes, pots and pans?  Think this through while designing your cabinet space and be prepared to think creatively.  Are you an avid coffee drinker?  A drawer located just under where your coffee maker will sit with all your mugs neatly stored inside could save you time and energy when brewing your morning cup.  Maybe you want to keep your counters free of clutter and plan to store your appliances, are the cabinets tall enough?  Have you decided whether you will be installing custom or prefab cabinets?

Trash & Recycling

This is not something that most people think about when designing their kitchen, but where you keep your trash and recycling bins is very important, will it be a drawer that slides out from beside your fridge?  Under the sink?  In the pantry?

Talk over your ideas with your custom home designer or architect, they will be able to point out problem areas as well as give you great ideas.  Have you considered using Pinterest to help you design your kitchen?

Corian vs Granite Counter Tops

When choosing the material for a countertop, the choices may seem overwhelming; we have so many options available to and the pros and cons of each choice might not be immediately obvious.  Let’s take a look at a two popular choices and learn about their differences.
kitchen-670247_1280

Corian

Corian is a synthetic nonporous and homogenous surface that is stain resistant and available in over a hundred color options including ones made to look like natural materials.  DuPont, the same company that brought us products such as nylon, starting making Corian in the 1960s.

Benefits and Drawbacks of Corian

Because Corian is nonporous, it can be made without seams, this means that there are no cracks or holes where food or liquid can be caught and trapped.  For this reason, Corian is very hygienic, extremely easy to keep clean as well as durable and easy to repair. Thorough cleaning and drying is necessary to prevent water stains which will otherwise cause your counters to become dull.  Minor scratches and nicks can be removed with a scouring pad, and Corian can also withstand heat up to 325 degrees Fahrenheit though sustained contact with high temperatures can cause discoloring.

Granite

Granite is one of the most popular choices for kitchen and bathroom counters, it will always be in style and is a great choice when it comes to durability.  Granite is a rock formed from cooled molten lava, it is cut from quarries and then cut into slabs and polished for use as countertops.  It is available in many different and beautiful colors and because it is a natural stone, each piece of granite will be unique.

Benefits and Drawbacks of Granite

Granite is a porous rock which means that it will absorb any liquids that are spilled on it, despite this, damaging granite is not very easy.  Granite is heat resistant and scratch resistant.  Over time, with hard usage, granite is likely to crack or chip and replacement can be expensive.  Because granite is porous, that means that it should be cleaned well daily or else it can lead to mold or bacteria growth.  Any cleaning solutions containing acidic ingredients (such as citrus or vinegar) should not be used as they can dull the surface of the granite.  For granite countertops that are in regular use, it is recommended that you reseal them at least every two years to keep your countertops stain free.

Corian and Granite are both beautiful choices for any home and the perfect fit for your South Texas home should be discussed in more depth with your interior designer who will know just how to help you choose.