Cool Kitchens

SMALL-SIZE SMARTS
The masters of affordable, stylish efficiency at IKEA (Renton, 601 SW 41st St.; 425.656.2980; ikea.com) have a knack for thinking small, in a good way. Their abstrakt series ($2,499 for 10-by-10-feet) is perfect for small spaces, with lots of configurations and hidden organization options, such as drawer divides and cubbies, and fiberboard cabinets finished in a high-gloss foil that are made to shine. Tailor to your taste by picking from an array of handles, such as the stainless steel Metrik pulls ($5.99), countertop and color choices, and ceramic or steel sinks. The online kitchen planner (planyourkitchen.com) makes it easy to grandly reimagine your kitchen no matter how small.

CAB COLOR
Nathan Hartman and his team of crack craftsmen at Kerf Design (Interbay, 3635-A Thorndyke Ave. W; 206.954.8677; kerfdesign.com) have been creating colorful, one-of-a-kind cabinetry since 2003. They use Europly—a sustainable, sturdy plywood made of 13 pressed layers of peeled alder and birch—as their main material, but clients can choose among maple or walnut veneers, and 17 different laminate accent shades. Soft-close hinges and soft-close under-mount drawer slides ensure a sleek aesthetic. Whether your project is large or small, starting at $500 per linear foot (including design costs), Kerf can bring your cool, modern kitchen home.

WALL WISE
With SieMatic Seattle’s (Downtown, 2030 First Ave., Suite 110; 206.443.8620; siematic-seattle.com) newest kitchen system, FloatingSpaces, you can employ customizable wall panels and accessories to whip your kitchen into a mod workspace. Use one or several of the veneered walls fitted with floating shelves to expose your kitchen wares in an open, organized fashion. Pick a popular color like Dacar Grey or Lotus White, or pick another of the 1,950 shades. Don’t worry about going light: these lacquer or laminate panels are durable as well as stylish.

CHOP SHOP
Keep things clean and cute with Sur la table’s (Pike Place Market, 84 Pine St.; 2066.448.2244; surlatable.com) fun sets of foldable mats, such as their new Country Cutting Mats ($12.95, set of four) that make it easy to keep things orderly and to keep your poultry, veggies and fish separated. 

COOL CLEAN UP
Sadly, its brick-and-mortar locations are closing, but we’ll continue shopping at Velocity Art and Design’s (866.781.9494;  velocityartanddesign.com) online store for all things home hip. Look for Velocity’s online inventory to expand significantly, but already we fell for its Ferm Living collection of soft, 100-percent-organic-cotton tea towels with graphic prints ($19 each), shown here, and Thomas Paul’s hand-screened towels with coordinating piped edging ($20).