KITCHEN MOVING TIPS

Move your kitchen contents with ease and efficiency so you can enjoy moments like this

One subject we have not delved into at KFL is the dreaded MOVE.  Yes, moving pretty much sucks.  Even if you’re fortunate enough to be “movin’ on up”, the actual moving process is not fun.  In particular, moving the contents of your kitchen can be a real “kitchen nightmare”.  Jeremy, one of my readers from “down-under” just happens to work for a removalist in Sydney that specializes in just such an endeavor and has generously offered to share with us his professional expertise.  It’s always an excellent idea to hire an expert if you can but here are some invaluable tips you can put to use if you are a DIY mover.  Here’s Jeremy!

Your kitchen contains some of the most fragile and difficult to handle things.  Whether it’s your new dinner set or a collection of rare glass bowls, you need to pay extra attention packing the contents of your kitchen when relocating to a new home.  Items such as large serving platters as well as little forks and spoons all need to be wrapped with utter care, particularly if you are moving a great distance.

Before you begin to pack make a list of the things you really don’t want to carry to your new home.  Improvise ideas for getting rid of them well ahead of moving.  You could have a garage sale or donate to the needy.  If an item has seen better days it could make more sense to get rid of it and then replace it after the move. If you are too busy to find the time for packing, a professional moving company can come to the rescue.

If you are doing it without a professional help, here are a few tips for packing the contents of your kitchen.

You laugh but some very efficient packing is involved here.

Make an inventory

Creating an inventory is the first step towards packing your kitchenware successfully, with minimal or no harm. Review everything in your cabinets and drawers, like utensils, containers and cutlery. Make a list of all the items you decide to carry to your new abode. Remember to consider the weight if it is a factor in your moving expenses, for example if you are moving overseas.

Packing kitchen devices

While packing electrical appliances such as coffee makers, juicers or blenders, it is better to pack them in their original cartons if you have them. Clean and dry these items thoroughly before packing as any spillage or residue left can make for an unpleasant surprise at the other end.  Disassembling  the appliances can make packing easier an help prevent breakage.

Packing food items

You can pack dried and canned foods if you are traveling a short distance  but make sure to check their expiration dates, prior to packing. Avoid carrying sauces and liquids that may break open on the way to your new home and spoil rest of the things.

Packing dishes

There are special cartons available for packing  fragile items such as dishes, glasses and other breakables.   Bubble wrap these items carefully. The trick is to fill up all the empty space in your box with newspaper or any other filler to prevent breakage.

Label, label, label

Towards the end of the process it becomes tempting to throw it all in a box but you’ll save a lot of time and confusion on the other end it you pack like items together and always label the boxes with general content description and room location.

If you are moving overseas, look for a trustworthy removal company to help you.  Different countries have varying guidelines you may be unaware of.

About the Author:

Jeremy is a longtime associate of Aussie Man Removals in Sydney, Austrailia which specializes in helping to select the best service provider for a safe and hassle-free move.

DESIGN AND THE MODERN KITCHEN

I made it! Here at last.

Granted I'm biased, but I have to say that Counter Space:   Design and the Modern Kitchen is the most engaging exhibit I have had the pleasure of attending.  It opened at the Museum of Modern Art September 15th and closes on March 11th.  The thing about this show is that we can all identify and connect with the topic of kitchens.  They are an integral part of how we live but we seldom give thought to exactly how they came about.  You can find just about all there is to know right here.

DREAM KITCHENS MADE IN ITALY

Flux by Scavolini designed by automotive designer Giugiaro who designs for Ferrari, Maserati and Lamborghini

Daniele Busca lives for Scavolini.  After spending an hour chatting with him and touring the showroom and US headquarters in Soho I can understand why.  Daniele is the Manager and Creative Director who makes it all work on this side of the pond.  The new location which has been open since last October is enjoying a brisk business and I think it's largely due to Daniele's knack for tweaking this Italian product for an American market.  "American kitchens are generally bigger", he says, "and where you would have an island in America we might have a kitchen table instead in Italy."  Another major difference is the appliances.  American refrigerators are almost always bigger."  White still reigns.

Showroom Manager and Creative Director Daniele Busca

I thought it was interesting to hear that home owners are requesting glossy finishes and architects prefer the matte look.  A artful mixing of textures, both tactile and visual,  is also important.  I asked Daniele to define a trend.  He says, "in the end a trend is what sells." The showroom spans two floors.  Displays were designed in Italy and re-designed by Daniele for an exact fit both in size and taste for the US market.  "Americans also tend to prefer symmetry in kitchen design," he added.  Scavolini is a family business based in Pesaro, Italy and has been the largest cabinet manufacturer in Italy since 1984 with 40 dealers  in the US.  This year marks the company's 50th anniversary.  Clientele for the New York location is largely an international group who keep an apartment in New York City as well as elsewhere.  This year Scavolini will roll out seven new models.  Four new displays are already in the works for this new showroom.  The Tetrix line, as seen at IDS,  designed by internationally-famous British designer Michael Young, is also being featured.  Tetrix is not yet on display here but Daniele's sending me some pix to share with you.  Designers may be interested to know that Scavolini has developed their own design and pricing program.  Scavolini is very involved in the Green movement.  I was surprised to hear that the manufacturing facility in Italy is 85% powered by solar panels and they are planning to make it 100% by the end of the year.  All cabinet boxes and door panels are made from 100% recycled fire retardant and water resistant wood.  All lacquers used are water-based.  Scavolini is involved in the local community offering the showroom for fund raising events  organized by trade associations and design schools.  Generally speaking, a Scavolini kitchen can be yours for from about 10K to upwards of 90K.

Cool corner storage

Love the sculptural upper cabinets (if you have the room)

Ultimate trash/recyling pull out

.

The magic of efficient pantry storage!

A place for everything

check out that hood!

Follow the red glass steps to a whole other world of displays downstairs

The traditional display is down there just in case someone wants it. Daniele wants you to know that the exact same cabinets in black are HOT!

Italian walnut

You can probably afford this laminate kitchen but it still looks like a million bucks!

This is "niche storage", very specific (love the Italiano shoes and skinny trousers)

Thank you to Daniele for hosting my visit.  I really enjoyed chatting with him.  I asked a million questions and he was up to the task, warm and most gracious.  If you're ever in Soho stop in and see for yourself.  Tomorrow I will be back with more from New York.

STEP ONE, ORGANIZE YOUR KITCHEN

Happy new year!  Thank you for showing up here at Kitchens for Living where my new year's resolution is to continue to bring you the latest in products, trends and  kitchen related (mostly) tidbits as they cross  my path as a professional kitchen designer.  Whether you are planning a new kitchen, thinking about planning a new kitchen (someday) or just want to make the one you have better you're in the right place.  I am here to help as little or as much as you want!





Do you feel like these babies? Quite often we come to the conclusion that we need help when we realize how powerless and out of control our lives have become.  Well, guess what?  This happens in the kitchen too.  Do you want to have more time, less stress?  Organizing what you have in your kitchen is definitely a step in the right direction.  Here's how you can start.


DOWNSIZE


One of the number one trends for 2011 is downsizing in all aspects.  This includes not only your waistline but your schedule, your closet and yes, your kitchen.  Gone are the "McMansion" days.  Today we are learning about living smaller with quality instead of quantity.  The smaller the space the more each element counts and the more organization matters.  The Intuitive Kitchen philosophy agrees with 19th century creative William Morris who said, "Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful."

The Not So Big Life by Sarah Susanka

One of my favorite books about downsizing, prioritizing and organizing your life is Susan Susanka's The Not so Big Life.  She uses the metaphor of a house and its architecture and interior to show us a different way of looking at how we live.  She's actually written a whole series on this theme but this is the one I know.


SITUATE WHAT YOU HAVE


Now that you're down to the nitty gritty, the point is to store it so we can see it.  This is necessary for the items we use on a daily basis.  There is also what I call remote storage, or the hard to reach or up high areas which are ideal for storing seasonal items.  The biggest organizational day to day kitchen challenges are pots and pans, especially the lids, (according to my clients), spices, tupperware and cutlery.  Today we'll start with  solutions for pots and pans.


POTS & PANS


First of all don't Google "POT STORAGE". I did. It serves me right.






Seriously, you can easily get into a fight with your kitchen cabinets over pots.  I like to store mine in a deep drawer.  I keep the flat pans under the range but I love tray dividers or vertical partitions for storing cookie sheets, pizza pans, cutting boards and serving platters.  This type of cabinet can be located over a wall oven or better yet it's the best solution for a small base cabinet.

Wasted space becomes practical and beautiful pot & pan storage

If you thought the space over your windows was wasted, think again.  An over-the window-hanging-pot-rack can be convenient adding visual interest at the same time.

A Blind Corner Base sees the light with a LeMans storage system by Hafele USA used for pots!

Now a word about those lids.  They do make door racks to hold them but my favorite solution is this nifty chrome rack that fits in an upper cabinet or in a deep drawer.  It's great for the lids or other items and you can get one at  organize-it.com for $9.99

Lid storage and more from organize-it.com

So now you have some idea how to stash your pot pots for easy access.  Next post we'll organize your herb spices and cutlery.  ALSO COMING UP IS A GIVEAWAY! Yes Kitchens for Living is going to give one lucky winner some kitchen love!!  (I'm not really a pot head.  It was just funny so I had to run with it.)

SPIRAL WINE CELLARS?

I received an email from one of my fave clients the other day.  She is contemplating a dream kitchen for 2011 (Maybe you should too!) Anyway she sent me some of these amazing photos. Check out this dreamy spiral-trapdoor-otherworldly-cool wine cellar!  Was this an internet hoax, an urban legend, I wondered?





NO!  It's for real and you can check out the UK firm that builds them here.  The appeal is not only novelty but efficient design.  The concept was designed in 1978 by a Frenchman (of course).  It's not a basement, as I first thought, but an actual hole in the ground!








It's not only space efficient but it's Green as well.  They claim the temperature stays constant at 55 degrees.  Ok, so it's probably still only a dream for us in Florida.  If you dug that deep under my kitchen you'd have an undersea wine cellar.  Now there's an idea!

THE KENNEDY GREEN HOUSE

For many years I have been pleased to work with cabinetry by Holiday Kitchens, Inc.  The Robin Wilson Home Custom Cabinetry by Holiday has been incorporated in the renovation of the private residence of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. The cabinets are featured in three spaces including the kitchen, kitchenette and main laundry room.  The Kennedy Green House includes maximum energy and water efficiency fixtures, low VOC paints, reclaimed building materials and durable goods with low impact on the environment and indoor quality.  Robin Wilson is a bright and innovative designer who I had the pleasure of meeting at last year's Kitchen & Bath Industry Show (KBIS).  She has written a book about the experience called Kennedy Green House: Designing an Eco-Healthy Home from the Foundation to the Furniture. If you're looking for some green alternatives Holiday Kitchens  is a great resource for cabinets! Click here to see a video about the project 

THE KENNEDY GREEN HOUSE

For many years I have been pleased to work with cabinetry by Holiday Kitchens, Inc.  The Robin Wilson Home Custom Cabinetry by Holiday has been incorporated in the renovation of the private residence of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. The cabinets are featured in three spaces including the kitchen, kitchenette and main laundry room.  The Kennedy Green House includes maximum energy and water efficiency fixtures, low VOC paints, reclaimed building materials and durable goods with low impact on the environment and indoor quality.  Robin Wilson is a bright and innovative designer who I had the pleasure of meeting at last year's Kitchen & Bath Industry Show (KBIS).  She has written a book about the experience called Kennedy Green House: Designing an Eco-Healthy Home from the Foundation to the Furniture. If you're looking for some green alternatives Holiday Kitchens  is a great resource for cabinets! Click here to see a video about the project