Got a kitchen layout problem?

Design challenges come in all shapes and sizes, much like client wishlists do. Whether the problem is a lack of storage, lack of light or lack of aesthetic appeal, a kitchen undergoing renovation is going through the process for a specific reason. It’s the designer’s job to interpret the client, interpret the problem, and make a miracle happen…a stylish miracle.

Decorá Cabinets’ 2007 “Design with Decorá” contest encouraged designers to enter their brightest moments of creative problem solving using Decorá semi-custom cabinetry and a dose of good design sense for a chance to win cash prizes. Brightest moments is an understatement as, coincidentally, each of the winning projects played dark and light against each other for a different effect.

Judged by design experts Ellen Cheever, CKD, ASID, Penny Chin, CID, ASID, IIDA and Mary Jo Peterson, CKD, CBD, CAPS Real Full Story here.

What is a Certified Kitchen Designer?

Certified Kitchen Designer

A certified kitchen designer is referred to as an individual who has achieved a significant popularity status for his / her kitchen designing prowess. Going back in history, the term “certified kitchen designer” became existent during the 1990s. And together with this existence was also the start of the booming number of kitchen designing programs in television and other types of media.

More often than not, a certified kitchen designer does not really make an immediate impact on the kitchen designing industry. Instead, they engage in activities that gradually propel them towards the high level of popularity. These activities include the numerous appearances in kitchen designing demonstrations and kitchen designing development.

However, the roles that a certified kitchen designer play is not limited to a kitchen designing demonstrations. Activities such as educating the public and other social responsibilities are often related with a certified kitchen designer. A great deal of emphasis lies on the efficiency and effectiveness of these roles. Therefore, understanding certified kitchen designers includes the analysis and management of their significant roles.

It is interesting to know the basic innate characteristics of certified kitchen designers which contribute towards the development of their effective image.

• Mental Stability

Mental stability is crucial especially in the pursuit of the correct decision as well as the management and development of the processes accompanying it. It is important for a certified kitchen designer to remain updated with the latest developments to be able to stay aware and knowledgeable in all issues.

• Performance and Credibility

The production of their best kitchen design outputs comes as a result of impressive research management and development activities. The strong performance of their kitchen designs and outputs in the market could also be linked to the effective strategic planning and resource mobilization of the certified kitchen designer. Thus, a certified kitchen designer’s credibility increases as his / her performance becomes better.

• Planning and Strategy Formation Capabilities

Planning and strategy formation nowadays has created the need for certified kitchen designers to become aggressive especially in the area of marketing themselves. This is because the access to strong distribution channels is critical for their continued popularity.

• Kitchen Designing abilities.

Upon arriving at the correct kitchen design, the certified kitchen designer now gains confidence in his / her ability to make critical decisions or choices especially when his / her integrity is on the line. Thus, this certified kitchen designer will now search for even more challenges and opportunities where he / she could further enhance his / her kitchen designing abilities.

• Holistic Mindset of Issues

Through the exposure to various puzzling issues, the certified kitchen designer along the process is able to develop a holistic mindset regarding the issues surrounding him / her. The certified kitchen designer now becomes a keen observer of the truths and lies surrounding the issue being tackled, instead of relying on mere hearsays. The continuous pursuit of the truth behind the puzzling issues enables the certified kitchen designer to consistently practice and enhance a healthy and holistic mindset which makes it difficult for detractors to give influence. Because of this holistic approach, the certified kitchen designer is able to effectively select the right choice and continue to maximize this potential for future use.

Glossary of Kitchen Remodeling Terms

The following information was sourced from SuperKitchens.

ADA - Americans with Disabilities Act. Federal law governing issues of accessibility in public facilities. Used as guidelines for multi-housing and home modifications for disabled persons or homes for "aging in place".

ANSI - American National Standards Institute. A federal agency which sets standards for quality, function and durability of materials used in manufacturing, building, etc.

Appliance Garage - A common name for a roll-up or single door unit placed under a wall cabinet. Roll-up doors are sometimes called 'tambours".

Appliqué (onlay) - An intricately carved decorative element installed on the surface of a cabinet.

Batten - A strip of thin, narrow lumber used to cover or reinforce the joint between two pieces of lumber.

Bead - (Beaded) A small double groove routed out around the perimeter of a cabinet frame or door giving the appearance of an added rounded, narrow molding. (Beaded panel - a panel with a vertical double groove routed at intervals across it's width). (Beaded inset - a style in which the cabinet door closes within the frame which has a double groove routed around its perimeter.)

Bevel - The slant of a surface, as on a beveled edge door.

Butt Joint - Joint formed by butting the ends of two pieces of wood together. Usually attached by glue or staples or both.

Capital - An architectural term for the crown or top element of a column.

Classic Crown (molding) - A wide, intricately carved piece of molding usually used on top of wall cabinets or furniture.

Concealed Hinge - A hinge that is attached to the door and the inside end panel of a cabinet, making it not visible from the exterior of the cabinet.

Continuous Pull - The door handle is an integral part of the door style and runs the full width of the door. The handle is not a separate piece of decorative hardware.

Conversion Varnish - An element of a finishing process, used as intermediate and/or top coats. This sprayed-on chemical material is bonded to the wood when heated in special ovens.

Cup Hinge - Used to hinge full-overlay doors, the hinge is set into a round recessed area routed into the back of the door. The hinge is also attached to the door frame.

Dado - A groove recessed into a board into which another board edge is inset to form a joint, usually with glue to secure it. Used to join cabinet backs to cabinet floors or sides (end panels) to face frame.

Dentil (molding) - A pattern of tooth-like cuts often used on trim moldings.

Diagonal Cabinet - A cabinet used to span across a corner. Other terms for this type of cabinet are WALL ANGLE or LAZY SUSAN ANGLE or CORNER WALL cabinet.

Dovetail - A method of fastening boards together by fitting pieces shaped like a wedge into like opposing cavities. Used most often in drawer assembly.

Dowel - A wood peg inserted into a corresponding glue filled hole.

Engineered Wood - Wood fibers and/or particles that have been bonded with synthetic resins under heat and pressure are formed into panels or boards. Engineered wood is more dimensionally stable and easier to machine than solid wood or plywood, making it the choice of many cabinet manufacturers for cabinet boxes (carcase) and laminate clad door styles. "Grain-free" surfaces yield smoother surface bonding of laminates.

Exposed Hinge - A hinge attached to the door and the front frame of the cabinet, making it visible from the exterior.

Flute - A groove routed into a wood part. Flutes may have a functional purpose, as with fluted dowels, into which glue is disbursed, or a decorative purpose as in fluted fillers.

Fretwork - Ornamental carving or fancywork.

Frieze - Decorative running design or cutout (fretwork) running along the top of a cabinet.

Full-overlay - Door style which leaves very little reveal of the frame or front edge around the perimeter. (In framed cabinet construction, the face frame is concealed.)

Galley Rail - (also spindle rail or gallery rail) A decorative element often used to create a front retainer on a plate rail.

Heartwood - Heartwood is wood that may contain deposits of minerals that may result in streaks of much darker colors than the sapwood portions of the tree area closest to the bark.

I-Beam - A horizontal support member joining a cabinet front frame, end panel and cabinet back of a base cabinet.

Kerf - A saw cut on the surface of a board to relieve stress. Used to create a curve in wood, as with toe kick cover around a base cabinet.

Kiln-dry - The removal of moisture from lumber using a heat chamber (kiln).

Knife Hinge - One of many hinge types for cabinets, the knife hinge is inserted into a slot routed into the side of a door. The hinge is attached to both the door frame and the door with screws which adjust to properly align the door on the frame. Some knife hinges are visible from the front of the cabinet; others are not.

Knot - A naturally occurring whorl in lumber created where a branch extended from a tree.

Laminate - (noun): A surface covering, usually affixed to a substrate with glue. May be any thin surface material. This word does not necessarily indicate "plastic" or "melamine" as is commonly believed. Paper or aluminum may also be a laminate. (Verb): To affix a surface covering to a substrate with glue.

MDF - An engineered wood offering an extremely tight, smooth surface. Exceptionally stable, MDF (Medium Density Fiberboard) is favored for laminating with thermofoils.

Melamine - A low pressure laminate thermofused to a smooth substrate.

Millwork - Machined woodwork.

Mineral Streak - Discoloration in lumber caused by chemical oxidation of minerals naturally occurring in the wood.

Miter - Two angles cut and joined forming a continuous profile. (Sometimes spelled mitre)

Mortise and Tenon - A joint between two pieces of wood in which a protrusion on one piece is inserted into a groove or channel in the other. Similar to "tongue and groove".

Mullion Door - Mullion doors have vertical and horizontal wood rails within the frame forming a grid pattern.

Muntin - The short bar extending from stile to stile. As in a tall cabinet door divided by a horizontal muntin.

Nominal - The "rounded" dimension number used in a cabinet order code. Actual dimension may differ by a fraction either greater or smaller.

Nose - Rounded edge on a wood member.

O-gee (ogee) - Edge trim or cut characterized by one 180 degree radius bead extending further out than another below it.

Onlay (appliqué) - An intricately carved wood decorative element installed on the surface of a cabinet.

Overlay - The degree or amount a door overlays the frame or front edge of a cabinet.

Pediment - Low-pitched triangular head or cap. "Broken pediment" is not solid and often contains additional trim in the open area, such as a spindle.

Pilaster - A column. May refer to vertical strips into which shelf supports are inserted.

Plywood - Thinly cut layers of wood veneer cross laminated with adhesive between layers.

Rabbet - Rectangular cut of two surfaces.

Racking (wracking) - The twisting out of square of a cabinet door caused by uneven installation.

Rail - The horizontal members of a cabinet's front frame or door.

Reveal - The area of the face frame not covered by the door.

Rout - To hollow out with a tool called a router.

Sapwood - Sapwood contains living cells and performs an active role in the life processes of the tree. The wood closest to the bark of the tree, usually lighter in color than heartwood.

Scribe (verb) - Careful fitting, in exact conformity, of an edge to the adjacent panel or wall.

SKU - Stock Keeping Unit. Each stock model, configuration, size or part is one SKU.

Stile - The vertical members of a cabinet's front frame or door.

Stretcher - A support brace between the two end panels of a frameless cabinet.

Substrate - A manufactured product used as a base for laminates or veneers. Thickness, density, weight and surface smoothness may vary depending on the strength required and the laminate to be applied.

Tenon - A projection at the end of a piece of wood. When inserted into a mortise (carved or dadoed area) forms a "mortise and tenon" joint. Usually joined with glue.

Tongue and Groove - A projection along the edge of a board inserted into a corresponding groove and fixed with glue and /or a metal pin. Other terms for this type of joint include, DADO and MORTISE AND TENON.

Thermofoil - Flexible, 100% vinyl with contact adhesive on its underside. Applied to smooth engineered wood using heat and pressure.

V-groove - "V" shape routed vertical line on a panel.

Veneer - A thinly sliced layer of wood applied to a substrate.

Wainscot - Lower portion of an interior wall that contrasts with the wall surface above it. A wall composed of two different surfaces, one above another. Classic wainscot is vertically beaded paneling on the lower portion of a wall, capped by a decorative molding or 'chair rail'.

Warp - To bend, twist or wrack a piece of lumber from a straight line. Caused by introduction of excessive heat or moisture.

Glossary of Bathroom Remodeling Terms

Bathroom Remodeling Glossary

The following was sourced from the bathroom design guide.

Back to wall toilet - fits tight up to furniture unit or false or stud wall. A cistern concealed within the unit or boxed in the wall connects to the pan by a short flush-pipe which, like the cistern.

Basin - see sink.

Bathscreen - a screen that sits on one side of the bath and is used to deflect water thus enabling the bath to double as a shower enclosure.

Bidet - is an item, similar in appearance to a toilet, however it projects water that is used for personal cleaning.

Ceramic discs - a new tap mechanism which replaces the need for washers, and provides you with a drip free tap which is easier to operate (quarter turn is often all that is required to activate flow).

Chromotherapy - treatment by coloured lights – alternative therapy which uses colours and their energy frequencies.

Cistern - the area in which water is held for flushing of the toilet. Sometimes known as tank or closet.

Close coupled toilet - water sits directly on top of the toilet pan, which is fixed to the floor, and the cistern is fixed to the wall.

Combination boiler - a boiler that provides a constant flow of hot water without the need for a roof tank or hot water cylinders.

Electric showers - draw water from the cold mains domestic supply and heat it as it is used. They do not require a full tank of water.

High level toilet – has a cistern that is mounted high on the wall and connected to the pan by a long flush-pipe, the flush is powerful and operated by a pull-chain and handle.

Hydro massage – massage produced by streams of water.

Hydrotherapy – external use of water in the medical treatment of certain diseases.

Low level toilet – has a cistern, which is fixed above the toilet pan to the wall, and is connected by a short flush-pipe. The cistern is most likely operated by a lever on the front of the cistern, and due to the height of the cistern (and gravity) the flush will probably be more aggressive than that in a close coupled toilet.

Mixer shower - uses a simple shower valve to combine your hot and cold water supplies to produce the showering temperature and flow that you require.

Power shower - combines a mixing valve with a pump in one complete unit. The valve blends hot and cold gravity fed water to achieve the showering temperature that is required. The pump boosts the flow of water to give a powerful, invigorating shower.

Sanitaryware - ceramic or enameled bathroom plumbing fixtures such as toilet bowls, sinks etc.

Sauna - is a bath that uses dry heat to cause perspiration. Pouring water onto heated stones produces the steam.

Showerbath - a shaped bath that is built specifically for containing a shower at one end.

Shower enclosures – are the framework in which you take a shower i.e. a shower tray and door, or a shower tray and door with inline and/or side panels.

Shower Panel - consists of bodyjets and multiple showerheads which can be used over a bath or within a shower enclosure.

Shower pumps - provide the necessary boost to solve your problems of poor shower performance and can be used with any good quality mixer shower or shower panel.

Sink - an item used for containing water that is fixed to a wall or floor and having a drainpipe.

System boilers - a boiler that heats water, which is stored in a hot water cylinder and provides heat to your central heating system.

Venturi Shower - provides optimum performance without the use of pumps or electrical connections. It uses mains cold water and pulls hot water from your cylinder through the suction effect of the venture nozzle.

Wall hung toilet - suspended or hanging toilet - is fixed tight up to the wall but does not reach to the floor. The cistern is concealed within the unit or wall connects to the pan by a short flush pipe.

Whirlpool bath - a bath with an electric pump that circulates water through pipes entering the bath via moveable jets. The water is forced into the bath providing a whirlpool of water that massages you whilst relaxing in the bath. Also provides therapeutic benefits.

Wetrooms - a fully tiled walk in shower room.

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