Kitchen Cabinets

One of the most important rooms in a house is the kitchen.  We ponder, dream, and obsess over what our kitchen will look like.  There are counter tops, cabinets, appliances, flooring, windows and lighting choices to make.  Some things you can do to narrow down your choices are to tear out pictures in magazines or make a Pinterest or Houzz board dedicated to these decisions.  When you see a picture with something you like, tear it out or "pin" it.  Make sure to note what exactly it is that you like.  "Love the countertops."  "Island configuration is just what I need."  "Perfect paint color." You get the idea.

rustic kitchen cabinetry

The kitchen element we're focusing on in this post is the cabinets.  Here at Southern Cottages House Plans, the cabinets we specify are Kraftmaid.  They are a good, quality product with loads of options.  Door style, overlay, color, technique, and wood type combine to produce a distinctive look for your home.  Whether you're into traditional, eclectic, rustic, modern, something timeless, or any other style you will find what you're looking for.  The Kraftmaid website has some great tools to help you decide what you want.  Other manufacturer's should also have similar tools to help you.

With so many options out there we can't go over even a tenth of them, but here are a few ideas we found on Houzz:

Photo by Hill Farm Furniture Ltd - Search farmhouse kitchen pictures

Farmhouse style with recessed panel and trim, white glazed finish, inset panels (cabinet doors flush with the frame) and combination solid and glass doors.

Photo by Clay Construction Inc. - Browse traditional kitchen photos

Traditional style with arched recessed upper cabinets, square recessed bottom cabinets, medium wood finish, and full overlay (no cabinet frame showing between doors).

Photo by Greg Natale - Look for contemporary kitchen pictures

Contemporary kitchen with square recessed panels on base cabinets, glass paneled cabinets above, painted green finish, full overlay, and paneled tall doors.

Photo by Drury Design - Look for traditional kitchen pictures

Timeless traditional style with square raised panel, white color, full overlay, and combination solid and glass doors.

 

Photo by Roundhouse - More transitional kitchen ideas

Contemporary style with slab (flat) cabinets, gray color, full overlay (no cabinet frame showing between doors), and integral shelf in island.

Photo by Ferguson Bath, Kitchen & Lighting Gallery - Discover traditional kitchen design inspiration

Farmhouse style with square raised panels, glazed finish, dual colors, and beaded inset (small bead around the panel door and the cabinet doors flush with the frame).

Photo by Witt Construction - Look for traditional kitchen pictures

Traditional style with square recessed panel, distressed finish, dual colors, and beaded inset (small bead around the panel door and the cabinets flush with the frame).


We haven't even mentioned the many molding details, hardware options, lighting or storage solutions.  With so many alternatives available, good luck making a decision!  But seriously, remember, if you can pinpoint what exactly you like about a picture you find that will help narrow down your decision.  Good luck!

Porches Cottage Interior

The Porches Cottage is one of our coastal house plans.  What makes this house unique is that the design locates the living spaces on the top floor to maximize views, while the bedrooms occupy the first floor. This "inverted living area" arrangement works well for a beach community or other location where the view is a primary attribute of the site. 

This is the front of the Porches Cottage.  As the name suggests, this home has wonderful porches to take advantage of the outdoors.  Whether you are relaxing on the first floor porch or entertaining on the second floor porch, your outdoor living space will be the envy of your guests.   

The following are some interior pictures of the Porches Cottage that were sent to us from two different clients.

As mentioned earlier, the majority of the bedrooms are located on the first level of the Porches Cottage.  Each has a spacious closet, plenty of space for furniture and access to a conveniently located bathroom, which is usually attached.

The bedrooms provide a cozy space to retreat after a long day at the beach.  There are also plenty of windows that let in natural light during the day and make for an enjoyable sleeping space at night.

The living and entertaining spaces of the Porches Cottage are located on the top floor.  This provides a way to maximize the views, whether you are right on the ocean, or a lot or two beyond.  The livingroom and diningroom are arranged in one continuous space along the back of the house and toward your view.   A vaulted ceiling provides an airy feel and helps bathe the room in light.   

In another version of the house, the client added some wainscot, crown molding and decorative features to add an upscale feeling to the livingroom.  The fireplace is a central design element in the room and can provide a nice atmosphere during entertaining. 

The wainscot and molding were also continued into the diningroom, which is visually separated from the livingroom by columns.  Even though the ceiling is not vaulted, the atmosphere still provides an open feeling and a lovely space.

The kitchen is another exciting feature of the Porches Cottage.  It opens to the diningroom and livingroom to share in the exterior view and provide for a great entertaining space.  In this view from the diningroom, we look toward the kitchen and then beyond to the second level front porch door. In case you are wondering where the stairs to the first level is, it is located to the left of the porch door.  As you can see, there is still plenty of exterior light coming in through the front of the house.

In this upgraded and custom-modified-by-the-client kitchen, marble countertops, custom cabinets, and double ovens highlight what is possible in this versatile house plan.

In addition to all these features, the Porches Cottage works well on a narrow lot. Views are afforded front to back from nearly all rooms even if adjacent houses are close together on a crowded waterfront site.

There are four different versions of the Porches Cottage available.  Some of the options available are piling or crawlspace foundation, enclosed garage, a residential elevator, a roof deck and a range of three to four bedrooms.