Greening Up Your Kitchen

As eco-conscious habits become more and more part of our collective culture, many people are taking to making their own homes more environmentally friendly. One of the best places to start the eco-journey is in the kitchen.

One of the biggest ways you can change the eco-friendliness of your kitchen is by being more aware of what you bring into it on a weekly basis in the form of groceries. Most North Americans buy a lot of pre-made, overly packaged foods every week; the majority of product packaging ends up dumped in landfills after each garbage day.

One of the best things that you can do for yourself and for the environment is to buy food that’s as close to its natural state as you can. This isn’t to say that you should buy raw wheat grains and grind them yourself, but you should buy uncooked, unseasoned meats and raw fruits and vegetables and cook them yourself. Not only will there be less in the way of packaging, but there will be less salt and preservatives going into YOU. Make sure to compost your uncooked, non-meat food scraps as well!

What you use to carry your groceries home makes an impact as well. Many grocery stores across the continent are not offering plastic bags to patrons any longer, instead actively encouraging them to purchase inexpensive reusable bags, bring recycled bags, or offering a biodegradable alternative. If you like a higher quality of reusable bag, check out your local shops or look online; some companies even offer a reusable produce bag for your fruits and veggies.

Another great way to green up your kitchen is by buying only really good quality cooking tools that will last a long time. A few good quality stainless steel pots and pans, a good cast iron frying pan, and some sturdy wooden utensils can last you a lifetime if you take care of them. Avoid Teflon coated pans as they have a limited life-time and there are some health concerns over the use of Teflon. Quality, energy-efficient appliances will help make your kitchen more eco-friendly as well.

The finishing touch on any green kitchen is, of course, in the cleaning; make sure that you don’t use harsh corrosive chemicals when you’re cleaning your eco-kitchen.

Once you’ve greened up your kitchen, it’s easy to move into greening the rest of your home, one room at a time!

Article Source: EzineArticles.com

www.LKNcabinets.com   offers quality cabinets at affordable prices. Estimates are FREE

Modern Kitchen Design – 5 Great Ideas for Charlotte NC

Planning a modern kitchen design? Well, here are five great bits of advice I can offer you on getting every element of your plans bang on perfect.

Let’s start by talking about planning. A modern kitchen could look and feel any number of ways but what will determine how yours looks is your lifestyle. Think about how often you use your kitchen, what you use it for and the type of things you do in there. Then write down all the things you need to have in there to enable you to work better. Planning isn’t the most glamorous part of any kitchen design, but you’ll be rewarded for your work by the end of the process.

The second tip is choosing the right materials. You’ll want to invest money in strong materials that not only look beautiful and modern but also last for as long as you need them to. Things like stainless steel are popular in modern kitchen design and will also stand the test of time. Make sure you think about every little thing you put into your kitchen and consider if you’ll get your value out of it.

Next, incorporate an island into your kitchen. No modern kitchen design is complete without a central unit these days. An island can also be remarkably functional and you can have it purpose built to suit your own needs. For instance, if you do a lot of cooking you can have a sink or chopping board built in. An island is also useful for entertaining guests so if you have a lot of dinner parties, it will usually become the central hub of activity.

Make sure you keep those lines clean. When I say this I mean that in a [http://www.kitchendesignsite.com/category/modern-kitchen-design]modern kitchen design, all the surfaces should have very straight edges and line up perfectly. A nifty tip is to ensure you overhead cupboards reach the ceiling. This is something that easily gets overlooked but can really give you that streamline effect, which is essential for a modern looking kitchen.

Last but by no means least; involve yourself in the process from start to finish. If you’re passionate about how you want your kitchen to look then make sure you stay on top of the design process right through to the fitting. Designers and builders will take liberties and make key decisions if you don’t make yourself clear. Stay involved with the project and see it through to the finish. You’ll be rewarded with a stunning modern kitchen.

Thomas Baugh offers more advice on planning a modern kitchen at the Kitchen Design Site.

Article Source: Thomas Baugh www.ezinearticles.com

www.LKNcabinets.com or LKN Cabinets and Remodeling offers Affodable Quality Cabinets for the Charlotte, NC Region

Design Ideas for Small Kitchens

If you don’t like your kitchen you are not going to want to spend time in it. Open kitchens are popular and help homes sell faster.
So what do you do when your number one complaint is that your kitchen feels closed?

LKN cabinets is prepared to tackle this problem in several common ways. We have pictures available showing Before and Afters of past  kitchen remodeling jobs we have done around Lake Norman. Projects fall in two 2 categories:

1.      Elimination of walls. This requires often drywall and framing to take place off non-load bearing walls. From openings to complete removal this will be the common choice to “open” the kitchen.

2.      Removal of overhead cabinets. Many older homes have overhead cabinets above a bar area. These can be removed and the ceiling repaired. From this point new cabinets can be put in that often include glass mullion doors to give a more open feel. Mirrors can also be used as a design tactic for “openess”.

Both scenarios require drywall repair/install which is one of the many services LKN cabinets manages for its clients as a fully licensed and insured general contractor.

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www.LKNcabinets.com is located in Troutman, NC but offers services from Statesvill to Rock Hill, from Salisbury to Gastonia