It doesn’t matter whether you’re doing a full top-to-bottom kitchen remodel or simply a spruce-up for your bathroom.  If you don’t know certain terms, it can lead to serious miscommunication with your designers and/or contractors, costly mistakes and post-project woes.

Know and understand these phrases
 
David Waller, a leader in interior design for over 45 years, says to understand:

  • Work triangle. It's a concept to describe an efficient kitchen layout.  The trade organization, the National Kitchen and Bath Association, defines it as an imaginary line between cooktop, sink, and refrigerator. The idea is that the person should be able to move easily between spaces, and it makes the kitchen both visually appealing and highly functional.
 
While the bathroom doesn’t have a work triangle per se, this tiny space may require even more meticulous planning in the remodeling; for example, if you place the sink or tub too close to a cabinet, it can spell disaster.

  • Built-in vs freestanding appliances.  Built-ins are fixed, built into cabinets and countertops and cannot be moved.
  • Appliance garage.  A small cabinet used only to store and hide small items like coffee makers. 
  • Apron sink.  Once used mainly in the rural kitchen, it’s becoming more mainstream with the increasing popularity of the farmhouse style.  These are large sinks that have exposed fronts jutting out.
  • Fabricator.  A fabricator is a highly skilled laborer or craftsperson. If you’re remodeling your countertops, Deltona, FL., and you plan to use marble or quartz in your kitchen or want the look of a luxurious hotel bathroom with granite countertops, this is who you’ll want.
  • Backsplash.  The area behind the countertops, cooktop and sink to catch splashes and grease splatters and, hence, make cleaning easier.  They are also a design tool used to create focal points.  Backsplashes can be made from many materials, but tile is the most commonly used.
  • Composite.  Man-made materials often combined with natural ones, such as quartz or marble.  The addition of these lowers price and porosity and increases durability.
  • Task lighting: Focused lighting for special uses. For instance, when remodeling your bathroom, Port Orange, you might want it for makeup application or shaving.

What are integrated appliances?

They are built-ins but fit right into cabinets and are concealed behind doors. They give a more streamlined look.
 
For more information, come into the David Waller Interiors showroom in Port Orange, FL., and schedule a free design consultation.