When deciding on a clock for your kitchen, it is important to understand the conditions and requirements that this piece should fulfill. The kitchen is, in essence, a utilitarian room. It is designed to be an area which makes the work of the cook easier and more effective. However the kitchen also serves a dual purpose, as a center of social interactions between different groups. Many people are drawn to the warmth, good smells, and tasty treats of the kitchen, making it a natural setting for gathering together. It is these two purposes that you have to consider when deciding on the appropriate wall clock to use in this setting.
UTILITARIAN CONSIDERATIONS
Counter space is important in a kitchen. It is the place where chopping, stirring, and setting out your ingredients occurs. As such you don’t have room for desk or floor clocks in the kitchen, and you may want to decide early on to go with a wall clock as the piece you use for the rooms design.
Designing cuisine is an art that utilizes the fourth dimension of time. If you do not pay attention to when things occur; how long to cook an item, when to add a special ingredient; you will find it basically impossible to produce quality dishes. While most ovens have timers, a wall clock with an additional alarm would allow you to time two different things at once. You can set the wall clock to go off when the soup on the burner is ready, and leave the oven timer to determine when the roasting chicken is ready.
At the very least you will want a seconds hand on this clock. Occasionally you have to do preparations that require small amounts of time, such as when boiling an egg. For occasions such as this, the convenience of a seconds hand readily available on the wall will be a welcome perk in your kitchen.
DECORATIVE CONSIDERATIONS
The wall clock you choose should fit seamlessly into the design and color scheme that already exists in your kitchen. Work with the structures that are permanent to the room, allowing the clock to act more like an accent to these designs rather then as a center piece.
The colors of a Kitchens decor are determined by several factors. Due to the function of the kitchen, the internal structures, such a counters, walls, and floors, will probably rely heavily on stone, wood, or ceramic, as these materials are resistant to stains and are highly durable. Large equipment such as ovens, sinks, and microwaves are generally made from metal, but can be painted almost any color.
The other major color source for the kitchen’s colors will come from its utensils. These can include spoons, bowls, knives, cutting boards, and the rest of the repertoire of tools that a chef may use. The colors of these items will often be basic wood or steal, although they can also come in almost any color. Even though their location is semi permanent, they act as natural decorations and have an enormouse impact on the feel of the room.
If your kitchen is designed using natural materials it should be easy to find a wall clock made in the same or complimentary materials. Stone clocks come in a wide variety of colors and can be made from almost any kind of stone, including ceramics. Steal and metal colored clocks are also widely available, and can range from simple round to artistically soldered works.
Wooden clocks can match cabinets, tables, and chairs, but you have to be careful with the kind of wood used. Certain woods will warp under extreme heat such as can be created in the kitchen. Wood is also an easy material to stain, and a pop of pasta sauce flying out of the [pot in the wrong way can destroy an otherwise elegant decor item. For this reason getting a faux wood or plastic wall clock may be a better decision to make.
If you can manage to balance creativity with utilitarian design, you can make a truly unique statement in your kitchen using something as simple as a wall clock. Your local yellow pages should be able to direct you to some good resources if you want to go to an actual clock store, and online there are hundreds of sites with a wide variety of clocks available. For starters you may want to try http://decorative-wall-clocks.com
About the Author
Joey Lewitin is an author, artist, and designer of unique stone furnishings and home decor. The original designs of him and others can be seen at the site http://pebblez.com