Get Bank For Your Buck! Sensible Spending Can Reap Big Rewards!

What room in the home provokes more analysis, expert opinion, design and re-design, lots of thought, hesitation and which people gravitate to as if by instinctive.....the kitchen.

Since its evolutionary linkage to the cooking range and the capability of getting water, the kitchen has had more technical advances than any room in one's home.

What makes a kitchen?  It comes down to taste, style, material preferences and the money one can afford.

There is an array of categories which include Contemporary, Country, Old World, Traditional and Transitional kitchen styles.  Many articles have been written about each and many hours spent in trying to explain the differences between each of these types.

•·         When talking of a Contemporary kitchens generally one is talks of a modern, minimalist geometric type room with horizontal lines with no molding.  Materials used are stainless steel, laminate, frosted glass, concrete, linoleum, chrome, and lacquer.  The main stylists of these kitchens are Italy, Germany and Scandinavians countries.

•·         The Country kitchen is one that is very cheery with bright colors and lights; the cabinetry painted and glazed with decorative shelving and the room has quite a bit of molding.  The Country most popular styles are French, English, Tuscan, Cottage, Farmhouse, and Garden.

•·         An Old World kitchen is one of large hearths or cooking grottos and heavily stressed.  It has the look of pre-17^th century Europe.  Themes of this style kitchen include Tuscan, Mediterranean, Medieval, Castle, French Chateau, Italian Villa, Normandy or Cottage.  Materials are usually stone floors, mosaic tiles, brick, plaster walls, pewter or copper.

•·         The Traditional kitchen typically reflects the elegance of the 18^th, 19^th and 20^th century.  Design styles include Victorian, Edwardian, Georgian, Federal, Regency, Italianate, Early American and Neoclassical.  Generally these type kitchens have more ornate molding, cabinets and materials are often cherry, walnut, mahogany woods consisting of antique fixtures and appliances.

•·         The Transitional kitchen is mixture of traditional and contemporary.  Eclectic in nature there is a mixture of natural and man-made materials, finishes and textures.  Bamboo flooring is often the choice for transitional kitchens and appliances are showed cased rather than hidden behind panels.

So for a room equipped with a stove, sink, refrigerator, oven, dishwasher and other appliances it is a place that takes on the taste and shape that meets your needs and monies.  Not an absolute but generally monies spent in the kitchen enhance the overall value of the home.