Does your kitchen need a second sink?

Prep and Clean-up Sink

Many kitchens today, especially large ones, are being designed with a secondary sink station. But it’s not enough just to have a second sink, where you place it is just as important. When placed correctly, a food preparation sink is incredibly beneficial. It literally doubles the functionality of a kitchen without adding to the square footage. It also allows multiple cooks to work in comfort simultaneously. And it prevents dirty dishes from getting in the cook’s way or forcing him/her to stop in the middle of a task in order to clean out the sink so it can be used.

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Great Design at Affordable Prices

Most of us have always made purchasing decisions—especially big ones—with a careful eye on getting value for our money. Intrinsic in the idea of value is the intersection between what something costs and what it is actually worth.

It used to be that design was only for the high end of the construction market. Affluent homeowners were clients, modest homeowners were consumers (with all the distinctions between service and product that that implies).

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Greening Your Remodel

“Green” is definitely one of this year’s big buzzwords. And for good reason—the environment has been used and abused without us paying much attention since the Industrial Revolution. It’s past time that we take care of the world that takes care of us.

Okay, enough soapboxing. You are doing a remodel and want to “green” the project. Recycled glass tiles and countertops have caught your eye. Low-VOC (volatile organic compound) cabinets are on the list. You’ve even looked at bamboo or cork flooring. Don’t stop there. Think about your demolition plan.

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Book Review: Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver

In the little free time I have to read, I usually prefer fiction. I enjoy being swept away into another world, far removed from own. While I enjoy non-fiction, it’s not what I turn to for escapism. But I could not resist this book! First, because the author is one of my favorite fiction writers so I knew I could count on an engaging read. Secondly, the book is about something near and dear to my heart (and work)–FOOD!! How to acquire it, prepare it, and enjoy it but, more importantly, how to do these things ethically.

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“First we shape our dwellings. Then our dwellings shape us.” Winston Churchill

“First we shape our dwellings, then our dwellings shape us,” Winston Churchill.

For several months now, I have had the following quote as part of my email signature. I can’t remember where I first ran across it but it speaks to me of much more than just the pleasures of a beautifully designed space. As a designer those pleasures are, of course, very near and dear to my heart but this quote hints at the truth that within the oft-perceived “superficiality” of design is the very real affect an environment has on the people who dwell in it—for better or worse.

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Welcome

Welcome to my kitchen design blog. As a cook and kitchen designer, I believe that kitchens should be both functional and beautiful. Here I will offer advice, inspiration and perhaps the occasional rant.

Thank you,

Moorea Hoffman