Even though we all have the ability to make coffee at home, there's something comforting about recharging at our favourite coffee shop. Money doesn't matter, because we're not just paying for a $5 cup of coffee—we're paying for a vibe. Good tunes, dog-eared magazines and beat-up leather chairs pull you in like quicksand. And that sensory punch of ground beans and steamed milk? It's a delicious addiction.

The coffee shop is so beloved and ubiquitous that some modern workplaces have even gone so far as to emulate that coffee shop feel at the office. But why not take it a step further and recreate your favourite café atmosphere at home? 

When you break it down, the coffee bar “look” can easily be achieved with a few carefully curated items and essential equipment. Soon, you'll have friends and family dropping into your kitchen for a cup of java instead of the local!

Pick your style

First, nail down the design elements you love about your latte loafing headquarters. This is best determined by doing some research and visiting a few other shops to suss out the vibe. Do you gravitate towards the stark Scandi approach? Are you most at ease in an Industrial setting? Or do you err towards the comfortable, colourful cafés of bold Bohemia? Whatever your preferred design style, think about whether you're planning on working in your home café or simply want to use the space to hang out. 

Lighten up

Coffee shops generally rely on lots of natural light from floor-to-ceiling windows. The further recesses are easily warmed by floor lamps and swing arm reading lamps. If possible, create a café nook near a window and remember, pendant lights over countertops create ideal lighting for spreading out the weekend paper.

Shopping list: lighting

Scandinavian: Satin nickel LED floor lamps, drum-shaped wooden and metal flush mounts.

Industrial: Foundry lamps, seven-light cluster pendants, oil-rubbed bronze caged ceiling lights, aviation-inspired double blade fans.

Bohemian: Geometric pendants, Turkish Moroccan lanterns, aged brass pharmacy floor lamps, antique stain wicker blade fans.

Take a seat

It all comes down to ergonomics versus slouching. If your kitchen counter is going to double as a workstation, matte iron counter stools are sleek space-savers but aren't designed for the long haul. Window seats or banquettes offer casual flopping spots in micro spaces and can be piled up with throw cushions that lend to your look.

Shopping list: seating

Scandi: Polypropylene desk chairs, beech wishbone chairs with woven seats.

Industrial: Drafting table stools, adjustable height swivel stools.

Bohemian: Pear-shaped twill bean bags, Bardi's bowl chairs, howdah (traditionally used to carry people on the backs of elephants and camels), chunky knit or leather poufs.

Against the wall

Don't overlook the surface that allows you a free-range canvas of possibility! While you can rely on paint to achieve coffee shop coziness, textured options like faux brick walls will flip a room instantly. Consider open shelving with apothecary jars or hang unexpected art pieces like a spray-painted beach cruiser bike or an old axe or dart target board.

Shopping list

Scandi: Create your own blackboard surface with paint or visit a printer to design a retro vertical flat menu with your favourite or peculiar coffees from around the world like Scandinavian Egg Coffee. It's a thing!

Industrial: If you don't live in a former warehouse with exposed brick, you can still achieve the look by purchasing faux brick wall panels and applying the German Schmear technique (a carefree whitewash of mortar and paint). It's a simple DIY with gratifying results.

Bohemian: This look offers so much freedom—from elephant tapestries, Batik designs, antlers or a collection of mismatched mirrors… anything goes.

In re-creating your favourite coffee shop at home, don't forget the vitals. Canvas friends for soundtrack requests or swap magazine piles. Grab games like Mahjong or The Worst-Case Scenario Survival Game. Have an ongoing Scrabble board for drop-in players—everyone must leave a word.

Most importantly, start collecting cool mugs, buy good beans and hone those barista skills!

Source: realtor.ca

Installing an island can enhance your kitchen in many ways, and with good planning, even smaller kitchens can benefit

Nukitchens

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One Size Doesn’t Fit All

When it comes to kitchen islands, don’t assume that if your kitchen is small, an island won’t be possible, or that you can’t include the options you want. There are many possibilities for making an island work, even where space is limited. Most kitchen companies or designers offer options with a reduced depth, a customized height or extra-large cabinets tailored to suit a specific design and the space it is intended for.

Create your island with a kitchen designer on Houzz

Agnieszka Jakubowicz PHOTOGRAPHY

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Determine Your Clearance Zone

When clients ask if they have room for an island, designers must consider factors such as how many people live in the house and how they use the space. But first and foremost, they need to know the size of the room. 

In a rectangular room that’s 16½ feet (5 meters) wide and 19¾ feet (6 meters) long, the main run of cabinets would be positioned along one of the walls. The depth of the cabinets from the back wall to the front of the cabinets will measure about 25 inches (650 millimeters). Within the design, you should leave a gap between the countertop edge on the back run of cabinets and the island’s countertop edge. This space between the two working areas forms part of the island’s clearance zone, which is the space surrounding the island.

The ideal distance for the clearance zone is about 3 feet (1 meter). This is best for enabling free and safe movement around the island and throughout the kitchen.

Timeless Kitchen Cabinetry

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Consider safety. A safe distance for your kitchen island also includes the right amount of clearance between the island and the opposing cabinets and appliances, so that all doors, drawers, ovens and dishwashers can be opened safely and without obstruction. 

Potentially the most dangerous item is always the dishwasher door. These doors open downward, so if you walk past, you risk tripping, falling and hurting yourself or others — particularly dangerous if you’re carrying knives or hot food. As such, it’s best to leave more space. The minimum distance you should allow between two fully extended drawers on opposing runs is about 3 feet (900 millimeters).

COOPER Design Builders

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Squeeze an Island Into a Smaller Kitchen

Islands can vary in size and shape, but the minimum recommended size of a fixed kitchen island is about 40 by 40 inches (1,000 by 1,000 millimeters). Although small, these dimensions still allow for a practical working island, including the option of integrated appliances. 

An island of this size would require a minimal clearance zone of 31½ inches (800 millimeters). This is the smallest possible distance for safe and unobstructed passage. A clearance zone of this distance would be suitable for one person working in the kitchen but not, ideally, for two, as the space would feel cramped and could be hazardous.

See more compact kitchen ideas

AJB Kitchens

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Plan a Multifunctional Kitchen Island

A kitchen island can be extremely efficient if it is planned from the outset as a multipurpose workstation. An example is this island with seating, cubby storage, workspace and a gas cooktop. The layout was well-considered to accommodate the owner’s needs while maximizing space.

Crisp Architects

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Stay in Proportion

The average size of a kitchen island is about 3 by 6½ feet (1,000 by 2,000 millimeters). This would typically have a surrounding clearance zone of about 40 inches (1,000 millimeters). But an island’s size is usually determined by the distances around it, so it makes sense that larger rooms can allow for bigger islands. But something too large for the room could spoil your kitchen’s aesthetic. A good kitchen designer will help you determine just how large you should go.

By not keeping an island’s dimensions proportional to its surrounding space, you also risk creating a cramped environment with an impractical and inefficient workflow. Even navigating around an island can be a chore if it’s too big. Also, in a larger space, it may seem logical to allow a wider walkway between the island and the work surface opposite — there is a drawback to this, however: A clearance zone wider than about 4 feet (1,200 millimeters) means the layout will be less comfortable to use, as the gap between the island and the countertop will feel less user-friendly.

Pike Properties

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Go for a Galley Island Layout

Chefs typically prefer a galley kitchen layout, which features two parallel runs of cabinet, for safety and ease of use. This is something you can adapt to use with an island too.

A galley island layout allows you to stand at the island but turn with the spin of a heel to reach the workspace behind. In a well-executed design, this allows safe and easy access to all work surfaces, cabinets and appliances during cooking. But beyond a clearance of about 4 feet (1,200 millimeters), most users would have to pivot and then step to reach the countertop opposite. This creates a disconnect between the two spaces and can make the kitchen feel laborious to use.

Turkel Design

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Ensure That the Countertop Will Fit Through the Passageway to Your Kitchen

In addition to figuring out if an island will fit your kitchen space, consider the countertop size it will require as well. Some countertop materials have a maximum size limit before requiring a visible seam, which you may prefer to avoid. 

Also — and this may sound obvious — be sure to check that your chosen countertop will physically fit inside your house and into the kitchen before you order it. If, for example, your kitchen can be reached only via a narrow flight of stairs or winding passageway, you may have no choice but to reduce the size of the island for the countertop to fit in one piece, and without the unwanted seam.

Mattingly Thaler Architecture

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Investigate Island-Style Alternatives

If you are set on a kitchen island but your space is just too small, there are various options.

The most dramatic is to rearrange your layout and open up the room to create more space. This may mean altering some of the interior structure, such as taking a wall down to make an open-plan setting or building an addition.

That, of course, won’t be feasible for every kitchen. So smaller-scale options include the use of butcher blocks, moving islands and trolleys — all great options when there’s no space for an island. Eye-catching in their own right, these small islands can be extremely functional, offering extra storage space and work surface. They are also much less costly than a fixed kitchen island.

Shop for kitchen carts and islands on Houzz

Jack Trench Bespoke Kitchens & Furniture

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Break From the Norm

When it comes to kitchen islands, there is a multitude of possible layouts, shapes and sizes to choose from. You may choose a small island with a raised breakfast bar for extra height and work surface. Or why not go for something really different — like this dramatic round island?

Jameson Interiors, Inc.

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Consider a Kitchen Peninsula

Finally, there is the option of a kitchen peninsula rather than a full island. The word “peninsula” comes from the Latin for “almost an island,” and a kitchen peninsula shares most of the same appealing qualities as a kitchen island but is fixed at one end. Peninsulas are a practical and functional choice for small kitchens because, with one end fixed to a wall, they take up less floor space.

A peninsula also doesn’t require the same clearance as an island. For example, an average-size island, about 4 by 8 feet (1,200 by 2,400 millimeters), would need a clearance zone of about 3 feet (1,000 millimeters) on all side. But a peninsula in the same space would, of course, require that extra yard (meter) only on three sides — giving you back valuable space. 

Source: Houzz.com

So you've decided you're ready to buy a home. Now the real work begins—saving enough money for a down payment.

“It's absolutely critical the down payment is a good size on a first home—somewhere in the range of 10 to 20%,” says Lesley-Anne Scorgie, a personal finance author. “The rationale simply being that the habit of saving is the same habit you'll need for actually owning a home—keeping up with the payments and preparing yourself and your bank account.”

There are many online mortgage calculators available to help you determine how much home you can afford. REALTOR.ca's mortgage affordability calculator can help guide you through this entire process. It's important to save a healthy down payment to avoid, what could be, steep mortgage insurance fees.

To help, the federal government has set up a number of tools you can use to build up sizeable savings, including Registered Retirement Savings Plans (RRSPs) and Tax-Free Savings Accounts (TFSAs). Each offer benefits for first-time home buyers to help them achieve their home purchasing goals.

“For most first-time home buyers who earn an income of over $60,000, the RRSP is a very good choice, as they're building up their down payment while they receive the benefits of a reduced tax bill,” said Scorgie. “That money can then be put towards further beefing up their RRSP, with the ultimate goal of taking out the money for buying a home.”

First-time home buyers can use their RRSPs towards their down payment, which again, isn't taxed. Recently, the federal government's 2019 budget increased the Home Buyers' Plan (HBP) withdrawal limit from $25,000 to $35,000. The repayment period starts two years after the funds are withdrawn, and one-fifteenth of the withdrawn funds need to be repaid each calendar year (over a max of 15 years) or it will be taxed as income.

“When you pool that with a spouse or a partner, they can each take out that amount in their RRSPs. When you have 15 years, that's a nice length of time to pay it back,” Scorgie said.

There is one drawback: When money is withdrawn from an RRSP, it's not invested in any financial markets but rather in the real estate market. Home buyers are trading off one market exposure for another. In real estate, your investment is exposed to the fluctuations of the local market. Meanwhile, money invested for the long-term in stocks, bonds or mutual funds is exposed to the changes in the financial market.

“If you feel you'd be better off making more money in the stock and bond market, keep your money there. Consider instead taking the money you need for the down payment out of a TFSA,” says Scorgie, adding it can also be a better option when household income is lower.

For example, if you've been over 18 since 2009, you would have TFSA contribution limit of $63,500 in total; $5,000 for each year from 2009 to 2012; $5,500 for each of 2013 and 2014; $10,000 for 2015; $5,500 for each of 2016, 2017 and 2018; and $6,000 for 2019. (TFSAs were not available before 2009).

“If you invest your money in a TFSA, there's no penalty for using that money for a down payment. You can also re-contribute all that money back because you get your limit back. You can keep saving. There aren't many drawbacks,” Scorgie said.

In the end, it really comes down to a personal preference between an RRSP and a TFSA. According to Scorgie, you could also use both to improve your savings power.

“In expensive markets, it's very common to use both,” explains Scorgie. I would say 90% of first-time buyers in expensive markets have to use both because of the limit of the RRSP.”

Saving for a down payment is hard work, no matter how you choose to do it. Be sure to take advantage of all the savings tools at your disposal and, before long, your dream of homeownership could become a reality.

A REALTOR® can help recommend a mortgage broker, online tools, and make sure you're getting the most bang for your buck when negotiating the sale of your first home.

The article above is for information purposes and is not financial or legal advice or a substitute for financial or legal counsel.

source: realtor.ca