Worktop Dilemmas. Wood? Granite? Laminate?

There are a wide variety of kitchen worktops; they vary hugely in their cost and properties.  A few ideas to consider:  

• Maintenance.  If you have a young family stay away from surfaces that mark easily, like glass and steel.
• Heat resistance. Using materials such as granite, you can put a hot saucepan directly onto the surface.
• Look. What colour and texture do you like, and what will compliment your choice of kitchen cabinets.
• Hygiene. Some materials such as Corian and Stainless Steel have anti-bacterial properties.
• Speed. Some worktops need to be templated, so can only be measured for their fitting once your kitchen units are in place. Others can be measured in advance, so tend to be the quicker and cheaper options.

Hardwood

Wood gives a natural warmth to any kitchen.  Traditional style kitchens will suit oak, maple and beech. Wenge and Iroko will give a modern feel but may be harder to source. The wood will require higher maintenance than other materials and you will normally need to oil it every 3 months.

Granite

This natural stone is a popular choice for keen cooks. It’s strong and durable and comes in a variety of colours. Each work surface is unique with its own individual colours and markings, so it will vary from any samples you've seen in the showrooms.

Corian

Corian is a man-made acrylic material which can provide a seamless finish to your kitchen. It also comes in many colours and can be bent and moulded to fit most shapes. It’s a very hygienic surface as there are no gaps or joins to collect crumbs and other nasties.

Laminate

A durable and affordable worktop that's easy to clean.  Available in a large range of colours and finishes that can accurately mimic other worktop materials (such as granite, slate and wood) so will suit modern and traditional schemes.

And a couple of other things to think about:

Mix and Match

Add interest and texture by mixing materials.  It can also help reduce the cost; a mix of granite and wood will be much more affordable than using granite on every surface.

Height

Try varying the height of your worktops; you’ll need to keep to the standard height for cooking and preparation, but why not break things up with a higher level surface with bar stools, or a lower level breakfasting area.

5 Tips to avoid Garage Chaos this Summer!

Don’t let your garage become a dump for everything this summer. Here are a few spring-cleaning and tidying tips to get help you start on a good footing.

1. Make good use of the walls and ceiling

This is especially important if you actually plan on parking your car in your garage! Heavy duty hooks on the walls are great for keeping stuff off the floor. You can buy holders for brooms, rakes, mops etc from DIY stores.
Storage cabinets or shelves also keep the clutter from spreading over the whole garage and you can arrange a small workshop area on one of the shelves/cabinets to help with maintenance tasks.

2. Clear out the junk

The biggest problem is deciding what to keep and what to get rid of. Ask yourself “when was the last time I used this?” When in doubt, get rid of it.  You can use websites like freecycle to ensure your unwanted objects go to a good home and they are normally picked up from your house saving you a trip to the dump.

3. Create zones
Grouping the contents of your garage together will help maintain the organisation of your garage. Plan out an area for sports equipment storage, gardening equipment and DIY tools.

4. Eco-Ideas
Think about installing a motion detector inside the garage, it’s the one room where the family always forget to turn off the lights!

5. What not to store in your garage
Propane tanks for your barbecue should always be stored outdoors, a spark could ignite the fumes.
Paint – extreme heat or cold can ruin paint, the cans need to be kept in a temperate area.
Pet food – If you’re going to store it in the garage, keep it in a sealed container so it doesn't attract unwanted visitors.

Laundry and Utility Room Essentials

Here are a few tips to create a functional and efficient utility room.  They come as standard in all our new build properties and though it’s not always the most inspirational room in the house, a well-planned utility room is a real bonus.

Location: 
Noise, humidity and plumbing are the main considerations.  Not all homes have a separate area and if that’s the case, the washing machine and tumble drier area easily hidden by kitchen unit doors. In smaller spaces, you can choose to stack your washer and dryer on top of each other.

Work Flow:

Think about what you will use the room for - sorting clothes, washing, drying, and folding. Arrange the work surfaces and appliances to facilitate that flow. Shelves for detergents, hanging space for air-drying and a sink for handing washing delicate items are also useful. A stainless steel sink single bowl, chrome mixer tap and stainless steel drainer are perfect for the job.

Lighting:

You need to be able to see what you’re doing.  A utility room with natural light is great, but you’ll also need lighting over work areas so that you can see just how mucky your clothes are!

Surfaces:

We always try and use work surfaces and cabinets to compliment kitchen. Ceramic flooring is easy to clean in case of spills.

Add some style:

Just because it’s a functional room, it doesn't need to be boring. How about some colourful wallpaper or back-splash?

Added extras:

Built in ironing board

TV (for whilst you’re doing the ironing)

Energy Saving Heating

There are a range of basic energy considerations for any new home, these include:

• A high level of insulation 
• Choosing local materials in the construction
• Using materials from sustainable sources
• Choosing energy-saving building materials
• Installing energy-saving household equipment.

1. Heating controls

The cost of replacing an old boiler can be prohibitive, so the next best option is to upgrade your heating controls. These will vary depending on the type of heating you have. Some of the options available are:

• Timer – turns your boiler on or off at the times you set
• Room thermostat – measures how warm your room is and adjusts the boiler operation
• Programmer – lets you set different times and temperatures for different days of the week
• Thermostatic radiator valves – allow you to adjust the temperature of individual radiators and turn them off completely
• Smart heating system – allows you to control your heating remotely via an app.

2. Room thermostat

Your thermostat should be placed in a room that is used often with a good through-flow of air. This is because the thermostat will turn the boiler off once the room it’s situated in reaches the correct temperature. You should also make sure it’s not blocked by curtains or furniture and away from electric fires, TVs and lighting.

3. Heat the rooms you use

This seems obvious, but setting the thermostat (radiator or room) lower in areas of the house you don’t use will save energy and money.  Keeping the temperature low all the time is thought to use more energy than turning the heating on and off when you are actually using a room.

A programmer lets you set different times and temperatures throughout the week so you can customise the settings to fit your lifestyle. There is normally an override button that you can use if your usual routine changes so that you don’t have to completely reset the programmer.

4. Radiators

You can help your radiators work more efficiently by making sure they aren't covered by furniture or curtains. Radiators work by convection, drawing cold air in the bottom and producing hot air out the top.

Your radiator thermostat (TRV) will help you control the temperature of the room.  Find the level that’s comfortable for you.

Sustainability and energy saving is always a priority with our new homes. Each home in our most Chesterhill Wood, comes with a high-efficiency condensing gas boiler and is insulated beyond local authority requirements to keep bills to a minimum.  Windows are timber frames with Low “E” double glazing for heat retention.
recent development at

Beautiful Bathrooms - Design Tips.

Make choices that will still look good in 5 years or 20 years’ time.  You can avoid bathroom renovations with good design choices and quality products, saving a lot of expense in the future.

Our new properties in Chesterhill Wood all have bathroom suites from Porcelanosa, chosen for their top-quality manufacturing standards and great design.

1: Storage

An obvious need that is often overlooked.  Toilet paper, toiletries and medicines all need a home

that’s convenient for the family. Medicine cabinets are great for smaller bathrooms, but a small cupboard under the sink or a linen cupboard is a practical solution that will tidy all the clutter away.

2: Durable finishes

In high moisture areas, furniture made from hard woods will be more hard wearing than laminates (which can peel and warp). Porcelain tiles are a popular and practical choice, but remembers, the smaller the tile is the more grout you have and the more grout you'll have to clean. Find the perfect balance.

3: Lighting

There is such a huge choice of lighting products these days, it can be baffling. Do you want mood lighting that can be dimmed? Don’t forget to light your face from the front and put a light in your shower, it will help wake you up in the mornings!  The recessed spot lights in our newest development complement the clean lines of the bathroom and provide good lighting cover in all areas.

4. Privacy

We design the family bathroom with a different set of criteria than our en-suites.  It all revolves around the amount of privacy you'd like in your bathroom. Glass shower doors are great in private spaces and open up the space.  

5. Flooring

The flooring shouldn't clash with the hallway or bedroom beside it.  Tile and stone are the easiest to maintain.  We love the idea of a tile “rug” to add a bit of interest in a bathroom.

Our new development uses ceramic floor tiles for their durability, stain resistance and ease of care.  

6: Get in a professional

Layout of bathrooms takes a bit of thought and experience.  Where should the toilet go, how much room do you need for two sinks and do you have room for separate or combined bath and shower?  Our team of architects save us the headache of working this out.  Trust in a professional!

The Kitchen is the Heart of the Home part 3: Lighting

It may seem obvious but you need good levels of light for preparing food in all areas of your kitchen.  However, your kitchen is also a gathering place and the correct lighting is needed to set the mood.  We were so impressed by Salley Storleys 10 points on great lighting for kitchens that we have provided it here:
 
1  Forget grids of downlights; use light only where it is required. Work surfaces need good task lighting, whether it is from downlights or pendants. As well as adding impact and visual interest, a row of pendants over an island will help provide a visual divide between the dining and kitchen areas. 

2  Under-cupboard lighting is usually best for task lighting because it is well hidden and stops your shadow obscuring the worktop. The latest LED products have less heat output, which saves money and prevents cupboards and food becoming too warm. Using a continuous Contour LED strip or individual fittings of only two watts is an easy way to create practical and attractive lighting. 

3  Think creatively about where you put your light sources. For example, incorporating lighting below an island unit will make it appear to float. In kitchens with high ceilings, try adding uplights to the tops of cabinets. It adds general light to the space so you will need fewer downlights. 

4  Layer the light. I’ve mentioned general and task lighting, but also add some accent and ambient lighting. Using a number of different sources lends a more ‘three-dimensional’ feel and so helps you create the mood you want. Each source should be controlled individually so that the scheme can create anything from the feeling of bright daylight to an intimate atmosphere over dinner. 

5 The latest developments of LEDs means the most recent downlights are only eight or 10W rather than 50W. A large kitchen with 14 downlights and under-cupboard lighting can now be lit with only 200 watts. Be sure to check the packaging for a colour temperature of around 2,700 Kelvin and a CRI (Colour Rendition Index) over 90 to ensure you end up with a warm, attractive light. 

6 If your kitchen or dining area is small, you can increase the sense of space by using directional spotlights angled towards the cupboards and walls. The light is reflected back into the room and is much more effective than shining the light straight down at the floor. 

7 Try to ensure that lights fitted near hobs fit flush to the wall or ceiling – making them easy to wipe clean. Using fittings with a covered glass is ideal. 

8 If using track lights, the key is to position the track so that spotlights never shine in your eye. Too often the track is located in the centre of a kitchen, meaning a central island may be lit effectively but people sitting to one side are in danger of being either in shadow or full glare. 

9 Spots should be placed where you need the light. Selecting directional versions gives added flexibility. For example, lights over a kitchen counter often work best placed above the edges of the counter, but angled across it to create glare-free lighting. 

10 With glass cabinets, I prefer to light them internally. They become almost like wall lights, so make sure you don’t mind people seeing what you have inside them. 

For more inspiration have a look at some of the luxury kitchens on our website which Richmond Homes has created for our clients 

The Kitchen is the Heart of the Home part 2: Choosing surfaces

This is the second part of our top tips on how to make your new luxury kitchen the heart of your home, this time focusing on the range of surfaces available for worktops, cabinets, quality appliances and flooring.  These important aspects can be properly designed and planned to make the kitchen the favourite family living and gathering place while, at the same time, making the necessary utilitarian functions of a kitchen a pleasure instead of a chore.
   
The worktop.  Worktops take all the wear and tear in your kitchen so if you want to keep that pristine look, think carefully about what worktop to choose.  These days there is a lot of choice from specialist worktops such as granite, quartz, Corian, glass and LG, and non-specialist worktops like laminate, maia, wood and bamboo.  

Cabinets: No single item affects the look, cost, and longevity of your kitchen as much as cabinetry so buy the very best that you can afford.  Think very carefully about the purpose of each unit from pullout drawers for pots and pans, oversized drawers for baking sheets and designated cabinets recycling. Accessories like lazy Susans, built-in spice racks, drawer organizers and other cabinet extras make the kitchen a much more efficient and enjoyable place to prepare and serve meals as well as the less enjoyable job of clearing up!

Quality appliances: Kitchen appliances, from refrigerators to dishwashers and ovens are constantly changing. New products, concepts and designs emerge into the marketplace every year so your choice of appliances is a very personal one. Kitchens are also becoming more environmentally friendly, using recycled materials, environmentally friendly products and incorporating “greener” lifestyles.

Flooring Materials: Your kitchen floor will help establish the style of the room but also take a lot of wear and tear so it’s very important to choose the right flooring for you.  There is a bewildering range of materials on offer but we felt this article could be very helpful in making the choice.  Find out more>

Wall materials:   Your kitchen will have a mixture of wall coverings for the different areas.  From wallpaper or painted surfaces in the sitting area to tiling and splash backs in the kitchen, it is important that these blend together to give a cohesive style.  The majority of surfaces will be regularly cleaned so you want to be sure that they keep their appearance over time.

For more inspiration have a look at some of the luxury kitchens on our website which Richmond Homes has created for our clients

Our final blog post on designing your luxury kitchen will be posted on October 24th - considering an often neglected aspect of lighting