Monday, December 19, 2016

Country Kitchens with Modern Planning: Traditional Kitchens Los Angeles, CA

Are you interested in traditional kitchens in Los Angeles, CA? At German Kitchen Center, our beautifully crafted kitchen design solutions will make your dream kitchen a reality!

Even as kitchens become more modernized, there will always be something special about an old-fashioned country kitchen. With a custom kitchen made in Europe, you are able to benefit from modern engineering without compromising on that laid back country style you love.

Advantages of a Custom Built Country Kitchen

One big factor that influences this decision is the choice of better materials. Traditional kitchen cabinets receive a huge upgrade by eschewing low quality boards for a higher quality material like MDF that is impervious to household liquids and heat, and contains no added formaldehyde. Cabinet finish options have also become very sophisticated. Lacquered cabinets are a popular choice in Europe since modern lacquers are silky smooth and much more durable than paint.

Kitchen functionality is also modernized thanks to the amount of custom add-ons available today for cabinetry. A kitchen can be tailored to appear very traditional on the outside with innovative storage concepts inside. For example, pullout cupboards allow the back of shelves to be reached easily. Cabinet door styles are diverse and unique, such as the rising flap option that gives extra clearance to avoid hitting heads or elbows. Drawer inserts can be designed specifically to hold waste bins, aluminum foil rolls, or even wine bottles.

Kitchen Plan Ideas for Best Use of the Layout

In the past, kitchens were designed for a single cook. Modern day kitchens often accommodate multiple cooks and larger households. A modernized kitchen island is a great way to create additional functions, like a separate cooktop and prep area. An island or peninsula also creates the opportunity for extra seating and storage cupboards.

Another way to optimize your traditional kitchen in Los Angeles, CA is to opt for floor to ceiling cabinets. A single wall can be transformed into a multi-function unit for tall cupboards, display shelves and wall-mounted appliances like the oven and coffee maker. By using the entire wall, the kitchen design helps ensure that no space is wasted.

Eat-in kitchens have also become a popular choice for smaller urban spaces, since the dining room and kitchen are merged. This design also makes the home feel more connected.

Traditional Kitchen Details

Give any kitchen a cottage-like charm by adding country style details.

  • Shaker style doors: Many different types of traditional shaker style doors can be added to a custom kitchen. These doors have a framed center panel detail and options range from very basic to ornate and elegant.
  • Soft white finish: Pastel colors are trending in kitchen design, and a soft white kitchen finish can be more forgiving on showing dirt than a brighter shade.
  • Tongue-in-groove wall panels:  By adding panel details to the backsplash or cabinetry, the kitchen has an antique appeal.
  • Rustic Countertops: A distressed wood look gives the worktop a country feel. As an added bonus, realistic wood-style laminates cost much less than natural wood and are nearly indistinguishable from the real thing.
  • Distressed Handles: Even brand new handles have an antique charm when finished in a brushed metal style.

For more information about our traditional kitchens in Los Angeles, CA, call German Kitchen Center at (888) 209-5240 and one of our expert kitchen designers will be happy to help you.

German Kitchen Center- Your source for beautifully crafted traditional kitchens in Los Angeles, CA!

Friday, December 9, 2016

Dream Kitchens on Your Budget: Free Kitchen Design Consultation

Are you looking to remodel your kitchen and are interested in a free kitchen design consultation? At German Kitchen Center, our expert kitchen design team will work with you to design the kitchen of your dreams while staying within your budget. With customizable design solutions, you can rest assured that we will work with you to create a beautiful kitchen that you can afford.


Clients are often wary of remodeling their home with a custom kitchen because of the potential cost. But the beauty of a customized kitchen is that while it is designed and built exclusively to fit your space, you also have control over the cost of materials. This creates a great deal of flexibility in the total budget of the project.

There are many ways to reduce the cost of your dream kitchen. Let’s explore these in a little more detail.

Kitchen Finish
The finish choice for the kitchen is probably the biggest factor determining the price. And considering this, the easiest way to save a lot of money is to go with a laminate finish. Laminates have really evolved over the years, and the options available for kitchens today are anything but plain. Whether you prefer a solid color, a natural grain wood, or stone look, you might be amazed just how sophisticated a laminate finish can be when priced at entry level.

Laminates can even be designed to mimic textured finishes. An oak reproduction, for example, has knots and grooves you can actually feel. Many people find it impossible to tell the difference between a high quality laminate wood reproduction and the real thing. Similarly, lacquered cabinets are luxurious, but tend to run on the expensive side. You can choose a lacquer-like laminate for a silky smooth finish at a much lower price.

Countertops can also be finished with a high quality laminate in much the same way. An added bonus is that laminate is also very durable and performs well against staining, impact and heat.

Kitchen Cabinet Door Styles
The choice of cabinet door style also makes it quite easy to adjust the price. The general rule of thumb is that the simpler the door style is, the lower the price of cabinetry. Framed doors are beautiful but the extra details can significantly increase the cost. A flat door style is the least expensive option and can always be dressed up with an eye-catching color or a textured laminate without breaking the bank.

Choose Only the Add-ons Most Necessary
Many innovative storage options and cabinet functions can be added to a custom kitchen that service your daily needs. While very convenient, these high-tech enhancements can add up and raise the total cost quickly. Focus only on what you truly need the kitchen to do. For example, drawer organizers can be built from metal frames or plastic dividers instead of solid wood inserts. Lots of high end mechanics can make the cabinets especially fun to use, but regular hinged doors are just fine too.

Consider Mixing Materials
If you’ve just got to have that luxury touch to complete your dream kitchen, such as an authentic wood veneer, consider mixing higher cost finishes with more affordable ones. The expensive finish can be used on a more prominent area like the island or to accent certain cabinets. A more economical finish can be applied to the kitchen perimeter.

For more information about our free kitchen design consultation, fill out the form on our website or call German Kitchen Center today at (888) 209-5240.

German Kitchen Center- Your source for a free kitchen design consultation!

Monday, December 5, 2016

5 Creative Modern Kitchen Layouts: Modern Kitchens in Los Angeles, CA

Are you looking to design modern kitchens in Los Angeles, CA? German Kitchen Center features customizable designs for you to design a creative modern kitchen layout. With roughly 2000 color options and a wide variety of finishes to choose from, your kitchen will be built to your unique style

L Shaped, U Shaped, Galley Style… these are the typical kitchen layouts that come to mind. Want to break the mold? Custom kitchens give you the ability to plan all sorts of original and innovative layouts.

In order to highlight some of this diversity, we’ve compiled a list of 5 unique kitchen layouts from creative designers not afraid to use unexpected planning choices.

1. Nobilia Structura Open Layout Kitchen With L Shaped Library And Media Center

Open concept kitchens are quite popular in homes today since the kitchen and living room have become synonymous with one another. This layout by kitchen manufacturer Nobilia has a different take on the idea.

This kitchen, designed using wood-style cabinets from the Structura line, borrows living room elements within the kitchen itself. Off to the left we can see a sideboard, which showcases house plants and art alongside a dining table. To the right is a compact kitchen with just two main units: an island fitted with a sink and cooktop in front of a wall with stacked cabinets. The wall pantries have two integrated ovens and the refrigerator inside. The whole arrangement is built flush into the wall.

The most standout element, however, is the back wall. Standing between two floor-to-ceiling windows is an entertainment center with a backdrop of contrasting white brick. Media cabinets supporting the TV are framed by an L-Shaped shelving arrangement mounted on the wall. Introducing a library and television area into the kitchen like this puts the entertainment focus within the dining space, perhaps leaving a screen-free den elsewhere for peaceful recuperation.

2. Leicht Classic FS Contemporary Kitchen With Ceiling Suspended Cabinets
This kitchen made by Leicht is contemporary and industrial, but the ingenious component is the set of suspended cabinets supported by ceiling hangings. This set of cabinets is noteworthy not only for its placement, but for its size- twenty cabinets altogether are contained in a single unit, with ten on each side. Along with the staggered cabinets below lacquered in contrasting colors, this creates a partition, separating the cooking area from the dining room.

The Classic FS style cabinets give the kitchen an ultra-modern aesthetic, combining handleless cabinets in a silk matt lacquer with open shelving boxes for display. The back wall features a total of three integrated ovens, surrounded by open shelves with warm LED lighting inside.

3. Team 7 Loft Kitchen With Appliance Hutch and Table-Island Combo
Team 7 builds modern kitchens using 100% solid wood, so these cabinets are already quite striking before we even go into the design. This kitchen in the “Loft” style has a center island with cooktop attached to a large natural wood table with enough seating for the whole family. The cooktop even has a slim pillar-like induction hood suspended above. And the innovation certainly doesn’t stop there.

The high board cupboards feature an appliance hutch built in. Here, the oven, mixer, and toaster are all on the same level within a pantry work area. The prep surface is well-lit thanks to integrated cabinet lighting and surrounded by storage cabinets in beautiful knotted wood. The single exception is the frosted glass cabinet that slides upward upon opening.

Cabinetry on the back wall has a multi-layered appearance, with varied finishes and cabinet arrangements. Perhaps most prominent is the textured stone counter and backsplash with the added custom organizer compartments holding utensils and even a house plant. We also see frosted glass used on the mid-height pantries, and a thin shelving arrangement up top is backed with a reflective glass finish.

4. Nobilia Laser Riva Segmented Kitchen With Eat In Area Bench and Window-Style Cutout
Nobilia is known for their array of cabinet styles, and this kitchen with solid white and wood style finish certainly defies convention. The back wall, finished in a striking geometric backsplash, features a modern cube-style white range hood that matches the upper cabinets and high board. Lower cabinets are finished in wood-style laminate, matching to the bench table in the eat in area.


All cabinets have a modern handleless design. The white high board unit, as a separate element along the side wall, integrates the oven at chest height and a refrigerator behind what appears to be a pantry door on the outside.

This layout is special in its spaced out planning, with a bright and airy atmosphere created by floor to ceiling windows between the kitchen’s three regions. Above the dining bench, a window-like cutout finished in the same wood reproduction features a cabinet insert and hooks for storing odds and ends.

5. Leicht Concrete Topos Kitchen with Wraparound Open Shelving and Tabletop Extension
This German kitchen by Leicht uses custom shelving in an unexpected way. Instead of a backsplash, the wall above the counter has been fitted with open shelving that continues down a column to one side in a sort of upside down L formation. This allows for a long wall to wall picture window in the remaining space. Each custom shelf compartment varies in size and the arrangement features integrated lighting.


Each finish choice used in this kitchen is distinct and creates a delightful interplay with the others. Most unique is the textured concrete finish that sets Leicht apart from other cabinet brands, seen here in a bright white tone. The upper cabinets and open shelves are finished in a natural oak matching the tabletop extension.


While eat-in kitchens are a popular choice in kitchen design, this option is unusual because the peninsula table extends from the counter’s midpoint. A slim and practical dining solution, the table is a perfect prep surface when not in use by guests, providing an extra arm of counter space.

For more information about our modern kitchens in Los Angeles, CA, call German Kitchen Center today at (888) 209-5240.

German Kitchen Center- Your source for beautifully crafted modern kitchens in Los Angeles, CA!

Thursday, December 1, 2016

White Kitchens in NYC

Are you interested in white kitchens in NYC? At German Kitchen Center, we carry beautifully crafted white kitchens from leading European kitchen brands such as Nobilia, LEICHT and Team 7. Our expert kitchen designers will help you create the kitchen of our dreams from our vast selection of customizable design solutions.

Back in the 1920’s, white was pretty much the only cabinet color available. And for a generation recovering from a flu epidemic, this made sense because cleanliness was crucial. Today this trend endures, and not just for the sanitation factor. White kitchens match with many colors and have a peaceful, calming effect.

Here are a few things to consider for those planning a kitchen renovation this year to update their white kitchens in NYC:

Truly Modern White Kitchen
For the purist, a more contemporary white kitchen design looks crisp and pristine with smooth door fronts that are often handle-less. The kitchen can be planned with straight lined up cabinets along the walls and center for a streamlined look. Keep pure white cabinets on the kitchen perimeter. It will make the room feel more spacious and lets whatever is in the middle of the room shine. And on the topic of “shine”, a high gloss finish is loved by many modern kitchen owners. It gives the slab doors a mirror-like effect, making the whole kitchen sparkle.

If you opt for a fully white kitchen, there are a few ways to give it some dynamic in the absence of color. Adding lighting to the back-splash, toe kick and within cabinets warms up the palette a bit. Consider strategically adding shelves and open cabinet boxes. This adds a perfect backdrop to add color with pottery, books, glassware and art.

Modern White Kitchen With Traditional Elements
If you are making the transition from a traditional to modern white kitchen, maybe the best solution would be to meet in the middle. Using a cottage shaker-style door lends a subtle traditional element to the white kitchen. The cabinets can also be fitted with handles for a softer look than a handle-less front.

A matte finish is also preferable for those more comfortable in familiar territory, as opposed to glossy cabinets. And if a pure white finish seems too overwhelming, you can opt for a more muted off-white tone.

White Kitchen With Colored Accents
Create an interplay by accenting plain white cabinets with another color or wood finish, or even stone for something extra unique. This works particularly well in modern kitchens because design elements are so simple, allowing the color to really stand out. You can add a textured back-splash, counter and end panels in a wood or stone look. Or you can finish some cabinets in a contrasting color. Sometimes it can be a really nice effect to have all white cabinets against the wall in white with a center island featuring a different hue.

Since white shows dirt so easily, your cabinets need to be of solid construction and finished in a material which is easy to clean. Nobilia, the leading German cabinet manufacturer, is known for their extensive quality tests on all finishes. Only cabinets which have passed strict testing against common household chemicals are deemed appropriate for sale.

Chat with one of German Kitchen Center's kitchen designers about installing a modern white kitchen.

For more information about our white kitchens in NYC or any of our other kitchen designs, call German Kitchen Center today at (888) 209-5240.

German Kitchen Center- Your source for masterfully designed white kitchens in NYC!