ArchEve

You don’t have to be an engineer if you think differently but you must think differently when you are an engineer.
Happy Engineers Day 2024 👷🏻‍♀️👷🏻💛

Rule #1: Decide on your kitchen must-haves ⬇️

In a space that’s so utility-driven, it can be difficult to open your mind and figure out how to put your own spin on the interior design while still accounting for everything you truly need. Whether you want a modern kitchen, a more traditional space, or you’re not even sure on the type of kitchen you want, deciding on your must-haves first will help you approach your layout, budget, and wide world of aesthetic choices.

Rule #2: Figure out your layout ⬇️

It’s tempting to jump right into paint colors and fun finishes, but start with the nitty-gritty instead: a good kitchen layout. Professional designers and contractors will do this heavy lifting for you, all while keeping design rules, scale/proportion, and building codes in mind. They delineate work zones, strategically place appliances, plan for adequate storage, and ensure there’s enough room to comfortably move around.

Rule #3: Think Storage ⬇️

In a grand kitchen, the question of storage may be more about how exactly to organize your belongings than about squeezing everything in, as is the case in a small kitchen design. Regardless, there are a number of elements to think about at this stage in the kitchen planning process that can make things easier when you’re figuring out where exactly to put that waffle iron.

Rule #4: Decide on surfaces ⬇️

Different countertop materials provide different levels of utility, durability, and cost effectiveness. You could choose marble for its beauty and resistance to heat, though it is porous. You could go for butcher block for its utility, but it does require regular oiling. Stainless steel is a choice many professional chefs go for, but it does create a rather industrial-leaning vibe in the space. There are plenty of options, so be sure to take maintenance, durability, and appearance into account before settling on one material.
Rule #5: Don’t forget the details ⬇️

A lot goes into a kitchen remodel beyond appliances, cabinetry, and countertops. The small details make a major difference in the look and feel of a kitchen—be sure to consider these aspects just as carefully.

Twelve years ago, French shoe designer Christian Louboutin bought a holiday home in Melides, an agricultural community on the Atlantic coast, south of Lisbon. Everything was perfect, except this: “There was no restaurant where I could go every night and hang out,” he says. “My house was not built to have dinner. Lunch, yes. Dinner, no.” He found a small, nondescript home on the edge of the historic village and thought he’d open a bistro there. The local mayor had a grander idea. “He said, ‘Do a hotel,’ ” Louboutin recalls. “So I did.”

This month, Vermelho Melides—named for the word red in Portuguese, a nod to his signature scarlet soles—opens for business. Set in a newly constructed building that resembles a centuries-old convent, Vermelho has 13 bespoke rooms, a spa, a bar, and, yes, a restaurant, all designed by Louboutin in collaboration with Lusitanian architect Madalena Caiado and longtime friend Carolina Irving. “I didn’t want a busy hotel or a loud hotel—I can’t stand when you arrive someplace and there is music everywhere, very lounge-y,” Louboutin says. “If you go to a hotel, you should feel like you belong there, that feeling of home.”