Neal's Home Remodeling and Design Blog

Trends in home design can be helpful for determining the current and consistent tastes of homeowners. While some trends can be very specific to style, region, or budget range, other trends can be used as a starting point for planning your home remodel. While trends in other areas, such as fashion, revolve fairly quickly, home design trends have sticking power simply due to their very nature. Trends, particularly in the "background" materials like flooring, can provide great inspiration and still not end up being a "trendy" choice in the long-run. Keep reading for six trends in kitchen flooring we've been seeing in our Greater Cincinnati projects.

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This Hyde Park home was built in the 1920’s, and had not yet undergone a major kitchen revision. Typical with older homes, the walls and floors were not level. In order to create the new kitchen, the entire space was gutted and rebuilt. Shifting the floor plan around in this kitchen remodel was the key to gaining a better traffic flow and more space in general. After that, the kitchen was given a face lift with modern selections. The new contemporary kitchen remodel is now an impressively functional space in addition to being beautifully appointed with a contemporary touch.

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Functional kitchens are based on the relationship of the sink, cooktop and refrigerator- the three components that make the kitchen a useful space. Designers refer to this as the "working triangle". In order to create a working triangle it's important to think about the layout of the entire kitchen, and explore the possible locations for each of the three elements. What we find is that the majority of kitchens with a triangle that works out well for the space end up falling into one of four basic kitchen floor plan designs. Every home is different, so the details and exact arrangement will always be a bit unique, but starting with the basics is a great way to see the potential for your kitchen remodel. Here, we take a look at each. Read More

Updated 6/20/17 | Originally published 6/27/14

Summer is upon us. It’s time to shake off “cabin fever” and enjoy spending time outside in the warmer temperatures and sun. Of course, during the summer months, our idea of a great meal is one that we cook outdoors. New appliances and concepts for outdoor kitchens are changing the way we cook in our backyards. The standard grill for hotdogs and burgers is now morphing into a the ultimate outdoor gourmet experience. If you’ve thought about spending more time grilling and dining “alfresco,” we have four design ideas for creating an awesome outdoor kitchen.

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