Welcome to Quiet the Noise, part 5 of a five-part series on A Quiet Kitchen design.
We demand a lot of our busy, active kitchens: food storage, meal prep, cooking, cleaning, gathering, eating, entertaining, even homework. And storing sooooo much stuff! With today’s open floor plans, what happens in the kitchen is also happening in every living space in the house. For your new kitchen, let’s design a space that can do it all, without the clamor. Leave the noisy world outside and reach for calm in a quiet kitchen design. If you don’t think you’re ready to take this on alone, no problem. A professional UltraCraft kitchen designer near you will be happy to help. They’re the experts!
There are five parts to A Quiet Kitchen: Quiet Look, Quiet Motion, Quiet the Clutter, Quiet Lighting, and Quiet the Noise. Read on for the final installment, Part 5: Quiet the Noise. Click here for Parts 1-4: Quiet Look, Quiet Motion, Quiet the Clutter, and Quiet Lighting. And be sure to download our free ebook, A Quiet Kitchen.
Part 5: Quiet the Noise
What happens in today’s open kitchens happens in every adjacent room, so let’s keep it down. We’ve covered calming chaos by simplifying the style of your kitchen, reducing unnecessary movement, storing away any clutter, and lighting for any mood or task, night or day. Finally, let’s talk about removing excessive noise.
Quiet Cabinetry
UltraCraft makes quiet cabinetry (shameless promotion), so let’s begin here. Soft close glides on drawers and pull-out trays, and soft close hinges on doors are a no-slam dunk! All quality cabinetry lines offer soft close doors and drawers as standard features. Don’t go home without them.
Wood doors and doors with textured surfaces, like Textured Melamine, reflect less sound than hard, shiny door materials, like acrilyc.
We also recommend separating and confining stored items that would clang against each other. Cutlery dividers for top drawers, pots and pans drawer organizers for deep drawers, and upright tray dividers, please. Standing metal sheet trays and glass casserole dishes on their sides/ends is quieter than stacking them on top of each other. You know the one you need is on the bottom, every time, and you know you only need it when the baby is asleep.
Quiet Appliances
The loudest noise sources in the kitchen are hungry house guests, grumpy teenagers, range hoods, and dishwashers. Don’t skimp on new appliances. Plan for upgraded, sound dampening devices wherever you can. (Set out appetizers for early guests; teens will, eventually, outgrow the snarky, eye-rolling phase.)
Quiet Architecture
Whatever its source, sound will move around and through the kitchen until it is stopped. Every surface will either bounce sound to the next surface or absorb it to some degree. You can visually see how sound will move by watching where light goes and whether it maintains its intensity. Pockets where light creates shadows will also catch and hold sound. Hard, glossy surfaces will reflect sound. To lessen sound-bouncing, consider silkier wood or soapstone countertops, or a “leather” finish to mute the shine, over hard concrete or granite. Textured, more coarse surfaces, like curtains and area rugs, will absorb sound. Dimensional and mosaic backsplash tile absorb more sound than large format, smooth tile, or a stone slab. Cork, luxury vinyl, and hardwood flooring are quieter than ceramic or porcelain tile. Leafy house plants, large or small, can capture sound and slow its travel around the room. You get the quiet picture.
That’s it. You now have five categories of tips for creating a quiet kitchen in your home. You can create an open space where the living and dining rooms live peacefully alongside a busy kitchen.
What are you waiting for? Visit your local UltraCraft designer’s showroom today!
Hero image is Piper door style in Sienna Textured Melamine; South Beach door style in Black Ops UltraMatte UltraLux Acrylic (or Adriatic door style in Coal SuperMatte Thermofoil); AF006 Metal door style in Onyx with White Matte backpainted Tech Glass. Wall panels are Sienna and Archicrete Textured Melamine.
Download our free ebook, A Quiet Kitchen!
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Here we’ll explore current design trends and ideas, look at UltraCraft products in ways they’ve not been presented before, and celebrate spaces created by UltraCraft kitchen and bath designers. We’ll build a reference library of ideas and information to inspire homeowners and professional designers to think outside the cabinet.
We’ll also introduce new products at least twice each year. We’re committed to living on the leading edge of fashion and function, and offering uncompromising quality, fit, and finish. Our in-house designers, engineers, and new-product developers are always searching for and creating better ways to bring you your dream kitchen…or even better than you can dream!
Hey UltraCraft kitchen designers…
Do you have professional-level photography of your outstanding kitchen designs? You can upload them to MasterBrand’s Media Hub and get them the recognition they deserve! Having your images on our Media Hub allows other designers to be inspired by your projects and your photos have the potential of being highlighted in our literature and on our website and social media posts. Other dealers (only those NOT located in your state) would be allowed to use your photos as long as they credit you and your photographer every time they use your image. Please share your pictures. We love your work!
