Kitchen Lighting Styles And Trends 2014 + Pesto Pasta Bonus Recipe (Cont'd)

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The latest kitchen trend isn't a trend or a style - it's a 'livability'.

Since function is the key, primary element in designing kitchen space anyways, this makes sticking to the the fundamentals of vital importance.

Of the many design essentials in creating your extremely livable kitchen, ample light and lighting are requisites. What's more, proper layering of this design element is critical in assuring that you achieve the look you desire and, one that 'lives well'. 

How sweet it is!

In kitchen lighting there are five primary types:  1. recessed  2. wall-mounted  3. pendant  4. ceiling-mounted, and  5. track. Each has its primary and secondary uses and a space may require one or all of these lighting types in order to perform a specific task or set a desired mood.


This is a good time to proclaim: Chandeliers are no longer just for entryways!

Jerome Buttrick of Buttrick Wong Architects, notes about this splendid lighting form, "It's nice to have a chandelier over a kitchen island as it adds intimacy and scale to a room, although it should not compete with the dining room lighting."

This is what kitchens are all about:

• cooking, fit for a chef
• the centerpiece of the house

Designed and implemented properly, as seen at right in this wonderfully combined island/casual breakfast nook, both are visually and functionally correct.

This immense space was heightened by the absolutely perfect lighting choices.

These are destination kitchens. Gone are the days when kitchens are just kitchens.  Trends and styles. Basically design in its best sense. These key notes should bring about the objective of assuring that you achieve the look you desire, and one that lives well for you.

Working with a lighting professional and a qualified interior designer will help assure you get the look you want while eliminating costly mistakes. In the long run this will also save you the most important thing above all else. Your time, to enjoy life!

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Pesto Pasta With Sun Dried Tomatoes And Roasted Asparagus

Yield: 4 Servings

A quick and easy dish for those busy weeknights, and its chockfull of veggies.

Ingredients:

8 ounces medium shell pasta
1 lb. asparagus, trimmed
2 T. olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1/2 cup basil pesto sauce*
1/3 cup julienned sun dried tomatoes, drained
1/3 cup diced mozzarella cubes

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees f. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta according to package instructions; drain well.
3. Place asparagus in a single layer onto the prepared baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper, to taste; gently toss to combine. Place into oven and roast for 8-12 minutes, or until tender but crisp. Let cool before cutting into 1-inch pieces.
4. In a large bowl, combine pasta, asparagus, pesto, sun dried tomatoes and mozzarella.