Advice

Sometimes, the ideas backing modern kitchen conveniences can be traced back hundreds of years. This is part of what makes modern kitchen design so fascinating; oftentimes, we’re revisiting ideas our ancestors had laid out well before us, proving the desire to innovate and make our lives easier is one ingrained within our very DNA. Today, we’d like to take a good look a thoroughly modern kitchen innovation that can trace its roots back to the Medieval age; that of the Vacuum Cooker.

Your mind mind immediately leaps to a Pressure Cooker upon hearing the name, and though the principals are somewhat similar, the Vacuum Cooker is an entirely different beast. A Vacuum Cooker comes in two parts; an inner pot, and an outer one. The contents you wish to cook are placed within the inner pot, which is then heated to cooking temperature. Once it reaches cooking temperature, it is placed within the outer pot and sealed shut.

What the outer pot does at this point is act like a Flask (and it is often called as such); it reduces heat loss to the absolute bare minimum, meaning the contents of the inner pot continue to cook without any further fuel or energy needing to be expended to do so. This keeps meat tender, reduces food waste/burning significantly, and keeps the flavour firmly locked in the dish. Dishes which require a long period of Braising or Simmering are perfect for the Vacuum Cooker as well, and as a result they are highly favoured by Cantonese cooks- in fact, when the Vacuum Cooker was introduced to the US, they sold in large numbers primarily in Asian communities.

Whilst this type of cooker is very much in vogue now, the principal has existed a lot longer then the modern equivalent; as prior mentioned, the idea backing the Vacuum Cooker can be traced back to the Medieval practise of Haybox cooking. The practise is more or less identical; a large, earthenware pot containing food would be heated to cooking temperature, and then place either in a larger pot, a reasonably sized box, or even a hole in the ground, which would have been insulated using hay, dry leaves, and even moss in some cases, before being covered.

For safety reasons, it is absolutely essential that whatever you are cooking is heated to an appropriate temperature. For many foods this rests at most anywhere above 60°C, but certain foods- including a variety of beans such as fava beans and kidney beans- contain a toxic pathogen by the name of  that must be boiled for 10 minutes at 100°C to be reduced to safe levels. Bringing such foods to a rolling boil for a brief period before placing it in the flask should ensure the food is cooked safely. It’s also worth noting that most any food can be cooked using a Vacuum Cooker; even baked goods, such as Bread or Cake, can be cooked in one so long as they are slightly submerged in water.

This spirit of erstwhile innovation is what business like ours were built on, and we can’t deny a certain sense of pride seeing said innovations become wildly adopted as the years roll by!

You may ask why buy a wine cooler and question don’t I have a fridge for that ? Well, wine coolers do exactly what they say on the tin and that is cool wine. They are designed purely to do this, they are made to chill your wine to the perfect temperature which is ideal for serving white and Rose wine and some models even allow for dual cooling for red and white wine.

Many wine coolers allow for the temperature to be adjusted to your preference for chilling wine. In fact some models even have dual modes which allow for wine to be chilled at a different temperature at the same time. This is perfect for a party or entertaining when you want to serve both white and red wine as dual models allows for 45 f for whites and 65 f for red at the same time.  But what about sparkling wine? Well some models can also chill wine to the low temperature of 40 to 43 f which many people like for drinking sparkling wine.

How to decide on the best cooler for you

Now that you have decided that a wine coolers is an essential addition to you kitchen you need to know what to look for when finding a great cooler.

• Decide what wine you want to chill: This allows you to look for a basic cooler or a dual.
• Decide on what size will work in your space and also make sure you look for a cooler that has the capacity to chill ALL of that delicious wine.

Compare the coolers

You have decided on  the size and style of the cooler but need to choose which one you would like to have to complete your kitchen. When comparing wine coolers we would think of the following.

• Depending on the age and price of your wine you may want specific features such as light protected doors these would protect your wine from light and would work perfectly for you to preserve your wine in the best condition possible.

As you can see there is lots to take into consideration when choosing a cooler but we also hope that you have decided that a wine cooler will be the perfect addition to you kitchen. Happy cooler hunting.

Space is something we’ve covered a couple of times on this blog; namely, how it’s usually at something of a surplus in many homes. However, that isn’t always the case; a number of abodes have a bit more free space to play around with, or have room on the land around the house to allow for extensions to be built if so desired.

Even removing walls to make the room isn’t entirely out of the question- indeed, a study conducted by one of the various trusted home insurance surveys in the country found that one in five households in UK have removed a downstairs wall over the last decade. Even more opt for an extension, to give them that little bit of extra space. And where there’s space, there’s design ethics to take the fullest advantage of it. Enter the concept of the Open Plan Kitchen.

Make no mistake; designing rooms for larger spaces is as difficult as designing for smaller ones. The challenges may be different- how do you maximise efficiency in the more open space, as just one example. Thankfully, a number of options and ideas are readily available to you, whatever your fancy. Here’s a few tips and suggestions we picked up when we were researching the subject:

Firstly, if you’re intending to host get-togethers often, it’s worth weighing up whether you want to keep the middle of the kitchen free, or whether you wish to have a Kitchen Island sitting in the middle of the room. Both are reasonably conducive to social settings, but offer different advantages. Keeping the bulk of the room open allows for freer movement and a larger total room capacity, but a Kitchen Island unit allows a place for guests to actually sit, potentially.

Secondly, placement of appliances is absolutely paramount. If your room is large enough, you may want to consider placing appliances and fixtures within relative proximity to one another, depending on your preference and needs. It’s also smart to consider exactly how much of that space you want to take up with appliances, and how much of it you want to keep free for pots, pans, or places to prep food and so on and so forth.

Thirdly, and an odd point thought it may seem, don’t be afraid to use a single kind of flooring. Time was, depending on room layout and general openness, that the floor in an extended open kitchen/living room/dinning area may have split, designating where one “area” begun and another ended. A reasonable idea in theory, but it could potentially add to the overall cost, and depending on the functionality of the intersecting opening rooms, could lead to unwanted floor damage in terms of softer materials. Going with a singular material, and the one most conducive to the prime functionality- in this case, the Kitchen- is a smarter choice, and it arguably lends a more unified, cohesive look to the room overall.

Finally, lighting placement is also an incredibly important factor to consider. Obviously, you want the room to be well illuminated overall, but considering where the primary focus of the light should be directed is a smart move. In general, directing the focus onto the location of the appliances so you can clearly see what you’re doing is the best bet.

These are just a couple of the tips we found or thought up; it always pays to do a little research yourselves when considering big ideas. If you have any further questions you’d like to ask us, please feel free to contact our expertly trained design team.

It likely seems like a bit of an understatement- bordering on a “no duh” one even- but knowing your way around materials in a kitchen context is vital. Each type of material is going to have a number of strengths and weaknesses depending on it’s use, so knowing how to utilise each to get the best out of them, and therefore to make your kitchen as productive a space as possible, is one of the most important factors to consider when planning your dream kitchen.

Similarly to our occasional pieces on colour and/or colour theory, we like to shine the spotlight on certain kinds of materials and weigh up their pros and cons, to allow our clientele the opportunity to come to their own conclusions as to what will best suit them. This go around, we’d like to take a little time to talk about Acacia Wood.

A little outside of our usual fare, perhaps, but Acacia Wood is quite interesting. Derived from the Acacia genus of trees and shrubs native to Australia, Acacia Wood is a widely used material in both Kitchens and Bathrooms due to it’s durability. It’s said that even when untreated, Acacia Wood can last for up to forty years before it begins to deteriorate. Specifically, it is incredibly resistant to water damage of any kind, meaning it won’t warp or bend no matter how soaked it becomes.

It is also highly resistant to scratch damage or fungus growth. How is it used in kitchen settings? Well, there are a couple of uses for the material. The most common tends to be as kitchenware- bowls, trays etc.- although it is also sometimes used for furniture and even worktops due to it’s overall sturdiness.

It is worth noting that further care of Acacia Wood is needed, however, to preserve it’s long lasting nature. Items made of Acacia Wood should be kept away from extreme hot and cold temperatures, and it must be hand washed clean.

It might not be the most common material found in German style kitchens, but the natural, warm brown tones of the wood can make for a great contrast to a kitchen predominantly decked out in greys, blacks, and whites. If you’re looking for a modern kitchen with a more homely touch, it’s certainly a material worth looking into!

Space is a topic we tend to cover a lot on these advice columns, and whilst that may seem a tad monotonous we think it exemplifies how important a topic it truly is. At the risk of sounding like a broken record, Space is often at a surplus in any homestead, and as house prices continue to soar, the only affordable places of residence for many of us grow smaller and smaller.

Never let it be said, though, that a smaller kitchen means a reduced capacity for creativity and panache; the modern age has allowed for a number of innovations in the kitchen that makes life easier, no matter what the circumstances. The innovation we’d like to highlight today is that of the One Piece Kitchen.

The name is pretty indicative; One Piece Kitchens are, in essence, a single unit containing the essentials you need in a kitchen setting alongside a number of cabinets and drawers. These can include a built-in sink and faucet, electric burners, even refrigerator and freezer units for some models. Most units that classify as a One Piece Kitchen are specifically built at a smaller total size, packing in all that functionality into single, compact space for ease of use and freedom of movement.

As prior mentioned, space is at a premium in most abodes, but those of you that have larger kitchens may not immediately see the benefits of a One Piece Kitchen unit beyond just having everything within relatively easy reach. The places that most benefit from them are, as you might expect, apartments and flats with much less floor space to work with. In a great many apartments and flats, the total size of a kitchen may amount to only a couple of square feet; nary more then a glorified closet bathroom in more then a few circumstances. One Piece Kitchens are more or less an essential in kitchens this small, as individualised appliances and cabinets are simply not practical.

There are couple of more interesting uses for One Piece Kitchens you might not immediately be familiar with. For one thing, they’re incredibly common in Hotel-to-Apartment conversions, largely for similar reasons regarding space and efficiency. Another that turned up during our research is that they are often installed in ancillary rooms in homes, as a second kitchen to be used as the homeowners desire. They’re also found in places like College dorms, Pool Cabanas, anywhere where groups of people may congregate.

Another curiosity that surprised us during our research is that some of the first compact kitchen units were designed by one William L. Murphy. If the name doesn’t immediately sound familiar, Mr. Murphy was the inventor of the Murphy Bed- aka, the mattress and bedframe contraption that can be folded into the wall it’s affixed to as needed. He sold his designs to the Dwyer company in 1926, and are now sold under the Dwyer Compact Kitchens brand.

Although not a recent innovation by any stretch, the One Piece Kitchen unit is one of the triumphs of 20th Century homestead innovation. It stands as an example of technical innovators, designers, and mechanics being presented with a problem that must have seemed immeasurably high at the time, and overcoming the challenges anyway. And in doing so, they allowed for an improved quality of life for a great many people that may not have otherwise had it.

And that is something that we here at Silke can not only appreciate, but it’s a core part of our dedication to cutting edge German kitchens. We think the very idea of innovation that improves quality of living is something that should be highlighted and celebrated as often as possible, and that further implementation of these innovations into our kitchen packages is our way of contributing to that philosophy of betterment through modern technological application.

Colours are a topic that come up quite often here at Silke. What colours go with what, what certain colours mean or evoke (by themselves or in tandem with other colours), and which colours are favoured by certain schools of design. As always, we feel it important to state that there is no “correct” choice of colour in any aspect of kitchen design; what works for what will depend entirely on any given individual. With that said, however, we’d like to take a little bit of your time to talk about the colours you most often see in kitchens, particularly ultra modern, German style kitchens like the ones we provide here at Silke.

Perhaps the most obvious you’re likely to think of are White and Black. This makes sense; Black and White are both neutral shades more then distinct tones, and they pair off with the metallic Grey sheen of the appliances likely to dot the kitchen space. White, as we’ve previously discussed before, evokes a certain clinical, practical feel in abundance, and in a modern kitchen designed to be as efficient as possible that can work wonders. Psychologically speaking, it creates the idea that your kitchen space is as efficient and high-tech as it appears to be, and that can have a wonderful confidence boosting effect on both it’s users and guests that enter it.

Black is interesting; though often unfairly associated with negative aspects or a vaguely authoritarian air, it’s intrinsically linked with the idea of the “modern” when it comes to design. This can be seen in how many predominantly stainless-steel appliances and decorative fixtures accent their overall reflective grey colour scheme with touches of black. Even schools of design not restricted to the kitchen seem to understand this, hence it’s commonality in the present day.

The advantage that both of these colours have is the previously mentioned neutrality. By the simple virtue of being hard shades at opposing ends of the colour spectrum, they can be paired off with more or less any colour without issue. Although the fusion of colours and tones in any combination is always going to be highly subjective, most everyone can agree White or Black will work no matter what you mix them with- though rarely when you mix both White AND Black together with another tone.

What colours do we at Silke think work in a modern kitchen setting? If we had to play favourites, we’d probably say cooler colours such as Blue tones or Purple tones. Stainless Steel has a natural coldness to it- figuratively as well as literally- and cooler tones work in tandem with that to deepen the atmosphere without shattering it. A little bit of colour highlight breaking up the wall of hard shades also helps offset the more clinical aspects of said atmosphere with a little bit of personality and, ironically, warmth. In theory, however, almost any colour or tone could work in a modern kitchen setting, though we would recommend in smaller doses personally.

We offer a wide range of paint styles and colours, provided by one of the best paint companies in the country. If you have any further questions regarding this subject, or would like further consultation on a project, please feel free to contact us for friendly and helpful information provided by our expert design team.

Our speciality is ultra modern, cutting edge, European-styled kitchens. You probably clocked that one already. However, at times, we think there is some value to be gleamed from talking about other forms of kitchen design. Broadening your horizons by closely examining differing schools of design- both to criticise and to appreciate- and reflecting on how they appeal to different people are a good way to open up your own options, and to further reflect on what you appreciate about your own chosen design ethic. We’ve engaged in discussion and analysis about other schools of design before for this very reason, and today, we’d like to do that again by discussing Shabby Chic Kitchens.

The name isn’t particularly appealing, is it? “Shabby” indicates something that’s run down, unproductive, visually unappealing and either dirty or grimy, if you’re taking it to it’s negative extreme. And, well, to some extent… that is indeed what Shabby Chic is, as a concept. Not so much in a “dirty, useless thing” sense, but moreso in that it’s a positive re-appropriation of design styles, technology, or aesthetics that are old- and very visually so- and otherwise outdated in terms of taste. And sometimes, depending on how hardcore the individual wants to take it, even in their function as well.

So, basically, Shabby Chic is completely antithetical to everything we built out business model on here at Silke. It is the exact, diametric opposite of modern design in almost every way. But that’s precisely why it’s interesting, and partially why it’s caught on amongst people.

As we’ve mentioned before, for all the convenience it may offer, modern design is often stereotyped as very cold and clinical; “emotionless” even, if you’ll pardon the slightly pretentious wording. For every person that thinks modern design looks trendy, there’s someone who’s going to find it lacking in any character. You can even make the argument that some modern appliances or aesthetics are designed so intricately, so minimally, that it’s intentionally devoid of it. The functionality comes before everything else, and it’s built to blend in rather then stand out to facilitate the fact.

Conversely, things that are old- or rather, vintage- tend to have character practically oozing out of every crevice. There’s a couple of reasons for this, and they’re all worth unpacking.

Firstly, we as a species tend to be fascinated by vintage stuff from an aesthetic point of view simply because it >is< vintage. It’s design and it’s functions harken to past days with different values, and as tastes change and older things grow more alien, the further the fascination grows. It’s the same phenomenon that keeps people fascinated with schlocky 80s movies, 60s pop music, or Victorian-era novels.

Shabby Chic exploits this quite a bit; a number of design guides for Shabby Chic Kitchens call for vintage ovens, old cabinets, even re-purposed garden furniture with older, more intricate designs in a few instances. Shabby Chic absolutely revels in it’s vintage aesthetic for it’s own sake.

There is another layer to the appeal, though, that once again is the complete opposite of modern design in some folks’ eye; most things vintage, particularly things that look very well used, have a certain homeliness to them. Timeless, even. Even though tastes change, tastes are also established; they encapsulate so much about the era that they originate in, and that can swing two ways.

On the one hand, they can feel so defined by their time that they come off as cheesy, or cringe worthy; on the other, they kind of feel removed from time and feel applicable to any era. Or, in laymen terms, they never really feel all that dated. And, once again, Shabby Chic done well exploits this fact perfectly; a cursory glance at any Shabby Chic Kitchen design guide will show you images of kitchens that just feel inviting, warm, and homely. We daresay, even almost fairytale-like.

Shabby Chic Kitchens have taken off to such an extent that there’s a veritable market for items that fit the aesthetic, but are designed with modern sensibilities and functionality. This, in essence, removes the downside of Shabby Chic; that you may actually be using old, outdated, and possibly barely functioning appliances or dodgy furniture. This isn’t a widely popular thing, though, for a couple of reasons.

On the one hand, modern design practises are sometimes more cost effective then those of yore, so the appliances or furniture designed to look old might not be as long lived as their genuine counterparts. That and, well, they’re just not genuine; they’re imitating and aping older objects or design ethics without actually being of the time. And for some folks, that just won’t do.

It goes without saying, however, that schools of design that embrace some elements of Shabby Chic have found themselves into more modern forms of design. For example, some of the very modern glass splashbacks we offer here at Silke have patterns that evoke brick or stone walls, which is arguably a visual more closely associated with older kitchens, or Shabby Chic Kitchens.

As stated above, we think there’s a huge merit to discussing other forms of design, even ones so brazenly opposite and different to our own. Hopefully, we’ve opened your mind and broadened your horizons a bit by doing so today.

Design in a kitchen context is about more then simply looking good; it’s about creating a space that is efficient in it’s function, in addition to having an eye pleasing form, and balancing the two of them in perfect harmony. There’s no one way to do this, of course- form and functionality are subjective and what works for one person won’t immediately work for another, so on and so forth. Baring that in mind, we’d like to highlight one particularly clever form of kitchen design that we think is, by far and away, exceedingly phenomenal in how well it blends both; that of the Galley Kitchen.

You will have seen plenty of Galley Kitchen’s before, even if you’re not immediately familiar with the name. A Galley Kitchen is a kitchen space wherein two parallel runs of units form a central walk-space, putting everything within immediate ease of access. You’ll find Galley Kitchens in narrow or small kitchens predominantly, but they work with more or less any kind of kitchen setup, even wider ones. Design ethic is also not a restrictive element; Galley Kitchens come in all shapes and forms, be they Shaker or Modern.

A few of you will be scratching your heads at this point, wondering what makes a kitchen that is far more intimate- and in some views, cramped- so desirable. Well, what you sacrifice in terms of social space, you stand to gain in functionality; as mentioned above, the design of a galley kitchen means that everything is within ease of access, and in narrower kitchens this means there’s far less ground to cover if you’re cooking anything time sensitive. If you’re smart, you can even plan a Galley Kitchen out so that the most essential items are contained within the same area, on either side. In fact, here’s an interesting bit of trivia for you; Galley Kitchens are favoured among man professional chefs entirely because of this reasoning. So, if you’re more focused on maximising your kitchen space for cooking prowess then you are turning said kitchen space into a social hub, then a Galley Kitchen might just be the thing you’re looking for!

As always, we offer further consultation on all kitchen design matters should require it. Simply head on over to our contact page to speak with our professional design staff directly, as they will be happy to field any and all questions you may have.

Colour theory is a favourite topic of ours at Silke, entirely because of the flexibility and subjectivity of it. Colours, specifically how they are used, both individually and in tandem, makes for a fascinating topic of discussion within a design context, and it’s definitely something that people with a design project in mind need to take into consideration. Thankfully, we pride ourselves on being as helpful as we can in as many was as possible, however niche the topic, so today we’d like to return to the topic by focusing on one specific colour; Cream.

Cream’s a bit of an interesting colour for several reasons; firstly, despite it’s closeness to white, it evokes a totally different feeling for most folk. White, by virtue of being a neutral shade more then a definite tone, has a very sterile, clean, and efficient sort of ambience in most contexts. This is particularly notable when it’s paired off with other neutral shades like Black and Grey, which it often is in modern kitchen design. Cream, conversely, has a slightly warmer, more homely feel; though still relatively neutral, it has a level of tonality to it that’s in the brighter regions, meaning it picks up and reflects light very easily. The tone itself is very warm and inviting, which only adds to the homely effect it imparts on a people when heavily used in room design. It’s likely why it’s found in very sterile environments fairly often- Doctor’s offices, hospital waiting rooms, office blocks etc.

Despite having a hint of tonality, it nonetheless remains a very flexible colour to use in design settings. Most colours and shades will work with it fairly well, whether it’s the dominant colour or not, without diminishing it’s homely effect. This also makes it a very flexible shade when it comes to aesthetics; though it’s typically associated with kitchens that utilise older or more retro forms of design, cream can work with more or less any design ethic you can think of. In fact, if we can drop impartiality for a second, we think it makes a quite daring companion to modern kitchen design, in lieu of White or lighter shades of Grey. It compliments and contrasts Black and Metallic surfaces perfectly, whilst allowing for a more welcoming and inviting atmosphere overall. If you’re looking for an ultra modern, cutting edge kitchen with a somewhat friendlier touch, then Cream is a colour you definitely ought to consider.

As always, we are happy to give further consultation regarding Colour and design choices before you commit to anything, so if you have any further questions, please feel free to contact us directly. We offer a wide range of colours provided by only the best paint specialists in the country, so no matter what your taste, you know you’re getting the best!