Designing Your Kitchen - Part 2: Materials

Now that you have selected a comfortable layout you can start focusing on customizing your space with the materials and features that will personalize your kitchen. Lets start from the floor up.

Flooring

• Tile - The most common type of flooring used in the kitchen is tile. Tile flooring is extremely strong and durable and will handle your everyday foot traffic. Maintenance is also relatively easy.
• Cork - Cork has a look all its own. The material is baked in various degrees to achieve different colors. It will definitely be a topic of conversation with your dinner guests.
• Concrete - One of the fastest growing trends in flooring today is concrete due to its durability and wide variety of finishes. One drawback to concrete is the weight. You may want to consider reinforcing the floor if you live in an older home.

Cabinetry

• Raised Panel - The possibilities for cabinets are endless. The classic raised panel style will look good in just about any kitchen.
• Glass - A glass panel door is really beautiful but should be used as an accent piece in a few locations of your kitchen. You probably don't want your cereal and canned goods on display for everyone to see.
• Hardware - There are endless possibilities for the hardware you decide to use on your cabinets. For a quick update in your kitchen consider switching out the hardware for a cheap change.

Countertop

• Concrete - If you're looking to go modern in your kitchen then concrete might be the answer. Concrete can be mixed in a variety of colors and it makes for a very durable surface.
• Marble - A marble countertop will impress your friends but may leave you with an empty wallet. Marble is a high end material with a high price tag. And it's not as durable as most other stones. However it does look amazing.
• Silestone - Silestone is a manufactured stone. It has a similar price tag to granite but comes in more colors and is more durable.

Sink

• Farmhouse - This style of sink depends on your personal taste. These sinks can be highly detailed or very minimal. There aren't really any pros and cons for a Farmhouse style sink, just be aware that they are generally pretty big.
• Self Rimming - These sink come in a variety of materials from stainless steel to cast iron to porcelin and more. Stainless steel is easy to keep clean and can match your fridge and dishwasher.
• Undermount - An undermount sink will give your counter space a clean finish and looks especially good with a stone or solid surfase.

Backsplash

• Tin - Some have said the easiest backplash to clean in the kitchen is tin. It also comes in a variety of patterns and colors and is easy to install.
• Subway Tile - A great way to recapture the vintage nostalgia is through this classic rectangular tile. What once was considered old is now a popular trend in todays kitchen.
• Glass Tile - This type of tile is a great way to personalize your space and add a punch of color. Glass tile comes in a variety of sizes, colors, even shapes.

Lighting

• Decorative - A great location to introduce decorative light fixtures is over a kitchen island. Find a fixture that matches the style and mood you want for your kitchen.
• Under Cabinet - A great way to highlight your countertop and backsplash while providing task lighting.
• Recessed - Recessed lighting will put just the right amount of light where you need it.

Designing Your Kitchen - Part 1: Layout

Congratulations! You're designing your kitchen!

One of the first steps to consider when designing a kitchen is the layout. The layout will determine the placement of the major components in a kitchen such as the refrigerator, sink, stove, dishwasher and storage areas.

The placement of the refrigerator, sink and oven create what is called a "work triangle." These components are the most commonly used stations in the kitchen. The total length of the triangle should be between 12 and 26 feet, so as to cut down on leg fatigue while cooking and preparing food.

Now, imagine yourself in the space preparing a meal. What would feel most comfortable to you? Do you prefer an open layout concept where you can have multiple people in your kitchen at one time? Do you have limited space and need a compact kitchen? Do you prefer an eat-in kitchen? These are just a few of the questions you should consider when picking a layout for your kitchen design.

According to KraftMaid.com, there are five different layouts found in today's kitchens. They are the L, U, G, single-wall, and galley. Below are illustrations of each of these, taken from the article "Five Common Kitchen Layouts". Click on any of the pictures to find out why that particular layout has become a design favorite.

The L-shaped Kitchen:

The U-shaped Kitchen:

The G-shaped Kitchen:

The Single-Wall or Straight Kitchen:

The Corridor or Galley Kitchen:

Here are a few examples of our Cottages which successfully use three of the layouts:

L Shape: Shingle Garage

U Shape: Woods Cottage

G Shape: Shelter Cottage 2466 SF

Once you have selected a layout you can then move on to personalizing the space with materials and custom touches. We'll discuss this step in "Designing Your Kitchen - Part 2: Materials". Stay tuned!

Island Cottage Available on SimCity

SimCity, a popular city-building computer and console video game series, was first published in 1989. Since then, the popluar game has gone through several different editions which have sold worldwide. One of there spinoff games, The Sims, became the best selling PC game in history after selling 6.3 million copies worldwide.

It was recently brought to our attention that one of the Southern Cottages was modeled and made availbale on SimCity. The Island Cottage can be downloaded on Simtropolis from the user onlyplaces4. In his description he says:

[The] Island Cottage is based on an actual building that has been designed by the architect Michael R. McLeod. You can actually buy the plans to have this house built...

Thank you onlyplaces4 for making us a part of the popular SimCity world. View his model of the Island Cottage here. Or check out a few of his pictures below.

He did a pretty good job don't you think? And here are a few pictures of the actual house availabe at Southern Cottages House Plans.

We're on Twitter

Don't forget to follow us on twitter. Just click the button below to subscribe and get up-to-date information on our Southern Cottages, the architecture community, energy saving techniques, and more!

Garage Plans

Looking for a little extra storage space or simply somewhere you can park your vehicles? At Southern Cottages House Plans we offer several different styles of garage plans. Click on any of the pictures below for more information.

The Porches Garage was designed to compliment the Porches Cottage. This plan provides for a studio apartment above a double bay garage.

The Hip Garage was designed to coordinate with the Hip Cottage. Used together on a site, they create a compound of complementary forms and shapes. This plan is for a (2) bay garage.

The Shingle Garage was designed to coordinate with the Shingle Cottage. It also goes well with the Island Cottage. See this example of the shingle garage connected with a breezeway to the Island Cottage. This plan provides for a studio apartment above a (3) bay garage with separate ground entrance.

100 Views!

We were excited to learn that a few of our videos on the Southern Cottage's YouTube Channel reached over 100 views! We consider this a great success considereing these are some of the first videos we have ever made. Thank you for viewing our videos and we hope to get some new ones up withthin the coming month. Until then, here is a video we enjoyed viewing here at the office. Makes us want to head to the beach and start building with sand! Enjoy...

List of videos made by Southern Cottage's YouTube Channel:

• How to Draw a Floor Plan, Part 1 - Tools and Materials
• How to Draw a Floor Plan, Part 2 - Creating a Bubble Diagram
• How to Draw a Floor Plan, Part 3 - Adding Detail
• The Porches Cottages
• The Island Cottage
• Michael R. McLeod, Architect, P.A. Projects

Out on the Porch - by Patrick Joseph Hubauer

I came across a poem the other day and it reminded me of one of our pictures of the Island Cottage porch.

Out on the Porch

Come sit with me out on the porch in early morn,
And watch a new day struggle to be born.
A tinge of orange upon horizon's breast
And stars now tired--flicker low and rest.

Look through dark leaves to lighter skies in space,
At patterns that resemble finest lace.
So quiet hear the beating of our hearts
As slowly day arrives--and night departs.

The moon now pale high in the sky,
Watch morning birds as they begin to fly.
Tranquility abounds, air crystal clear,
A moment stopped in time, devoid of fear.

To feel the warmth of rising sun,
Another day for us begun.
Reach out your hand for me to hold.
Together, watch this day unfold.

--Written by Patrick Joseph Hubauer

The porch pictured above is from the Island Cottage plan. The Island Cottage house plan is a playful, coastal cottage getaway which could feel at home anywhere there is a view. With its wrap-around porches, roof decks and roof-top observation loft, it is the embodiment of a style we might call "Island Victorian".

Complaints, Comments, Compliments

We would love any feedback you might have regarding any of our posts. Please don't forget to leave a comment and let us know what you think! Thanks for checking in with us.

New Renderings - Check them out!

Keenen Altic, our graphics technician, has been very busy updating some of the renderings on our Southern Cottages House Plans website. Here are some of his most recent completed houses.

The Grand Gazebo Cottage is a contemporary adaptation of a grand southern mansion. The wrap-around porch is ideal for hot southern climates. The gazebo elements provide opportunity for entertaining and capturing that special view or sunset. The observation loft is the crowning glory of this exuberant structure enabling a spectacular view.

The Shingle Cottage balcony plan has many special features including skylights over the stair, baths and dressing area, an open central stair well, a laundry chute/hamper, vaulted ceilings in upstairs bedrooms, large walk-in closets at all bedrooms, interior columns at living room, built-in storage cabinets and TV/sound system cabinets in the family room, large "table" island in the kitchen, many full height windows with transom windows above and palladian windows at upstairs bedrooms with easy balcony access.

The Hip Cottage plan is compact, yet has all the features that make for comfortable living including a separate laundry room, large closets and kitchen opening into the living spaces. Front and rear porches extend the living space to the exterior. A special feature of this design is the clerestory light well above the kitchen and living areas. Light from the clerestory bathes the vaulted ceilings and rooms below to create a cheery mood. Large overhangs protect the interior from direct sunlight.

The Hip Cottage with wrap around porch plan is similar to the hip cottage above. This plan also includes a separate laundry room, large closets and kitchen opening into the living spaces. A major difference in this plan is the wrap around porches that also extend the living space to the exterior. This plan also features the clerestory light well above the kitchen and living areas. And don't forget the large overhangs that help protect the interior from direct sunlight.

Keenen did a great job on the renderings. Which one is your favorite?

Our Crazy Intern...

Last month we posted some pictures that our intern brought back to the office after his first trip to Washington DC. Today, he showed up with some new pictures from his most recent adventure. Our intern, Jody Zimmer, decided to go skydiving over the weekend in Fayettville, North Carolina. Here are a few of the pictures from his jump.

Jody and his tandem partner, and good friend Joe Jones.

They jumped from 13,500 feet in the air.

Traveling at 120 miles per hour.

Looks like he enjoyed it.

Smooth landing!

This jump was Joe's 4,000th and Jody's 1st

What kind of pictures will he bring back to the office next weekend?

Local Legend Gains Interest

Recently an article was published in the Mormon Times about a little girl who was buried in the Hampstead Latter-Day Saint cemetary 85 years ago and the mystery of her identity.

Looking for answers about a Mormon girl buried in a N.C. grave

By Jake Hancock

HAMPSTEAD, N.C. -- The father had helplessly watched his little girl deteriorate from sickness to death a few days earlier. And now he stands 2,500 miles from home with a borrowed shovel in his hand.

Besides the company of a 9-year-old local boy who happened upon the scene, the solemn father, a Mormon traveling from Utah, was alone as he buried his child in an unfamiliar North Carolina cemetary just off the atlantic shoreline. There were no pallbearers or relatives to help carrythe actual and emotional weight of it all. There were no flowers. And there were no prayers -- as least none uttered aloud

It was just a father in a grassless, windswept cemetary toiling to tear open a fresh wound in the earth as precisely wide as the size of the hole left in his heart...

For the complete story click HERE

The article has recieved a lot of attention since being published in the Mormon Times. Deseret News, WECT Channel 6 News of Wilmington and KSL Channel 5 News of Salt Lake City, have all featured the story. Click on any of the logos below to view videos and articles about the story.

Laura McLeod has been recieving many phone calls from concerned and interested followers of this story from around the United States, eager to help in any way they can. We're excited and hopeful that the mystery of the girls identity will be solved, and look forward to sharing it with you when it happens.