The Irish Kitchen and Bedroom Association (IKBA), will be holding an open evening of information and inspiration for homeowners considering a new kitchen for their home.

The event will be held in the Hayfield Manor Hotel on College Road in Cork City on Thursday May 26th 2011 from 7 to 9pm.  The IKBA plan to have three presentations on the night to discuss different aspects of kitchen design, and this will be followed by a question and answer session to a panel of experts.

The cost of the event to homeowners is €20 on the night.  However, if you book a spot at the event before Wednesday the 18th of May attendance is free of charge.  It is advised that you pre-book your place at the event as it tends to fill up quite quickly, and of course you can save yourself €20.

So why not pop along to the Hayfield Manor Hotel in Cork on the night and bring a copy of your architects plans to discuss your kitchen plans with the experts on the night.

To pre-book the event you can email the IKBA at info@ikba.ie

Gaggenau, renowned for their high end kitchen appliances and innovation, really have created the perfect induction hob.

The CX 480, a frameless full surface induction hob, consists of one 2,800 cm² zoneless cooking area that allows you to put pans or pots of all sizes and shapes anywhere on the surface.  It also comes with an extra-large TFT colour touch-control display will indicate the size, shape and position of your cookware. The induction cooktop can accommodate up to 4 pans simultaneously.

The CX 480 includes many features including a booster function, separate timer for each cooking position, information key with use indications and power management.  For safety, this induction hob also includes a main switch, individual pot detection, residual heat indicator and a child lock.  As with all induction hobs, the use of magnetic induction pots and pans is necessary.

For more information on this induction hob and other the rest of the Gaggenau range, visit their website at http://www.gaggenau.com/change-country.do

I came across this kitchen on the website of Tierney Kitchens and decided I had to share it you all.

Although it is a kitchen from their showroom and not one they fitted in one of their clients homes, it still shows what can be done with a bit of imagination and flair.  Tierney Kitchens have been clever in the use of paint colours to turn this kitchen into a real eye catcher.

The kitchen itself is an inframe kitchen with the cabinet doors inset into the frame.  This bespoke style of kitchen gives off a quality hand made feel and lends itself perfectly to the old charm country look.

In order to create a freestanding kitchen, Tierney’s have used chunky square legs on the base cabinets and omitted the plinths or kickboards.  The oak plate rack separating the glass cabinets is also a key focal point in the kitchen design and being slightly stepped back it creates a break in the face of the cabinets and cornice.

To finish off the country look, the kitchen is fitted with solid timber worktops and wooden door knobs.  The timber worktops are a lovely contrast to the paint colours used and compliment the kitchen perfectly.

For more information on this kitchen you can contact Tierney Kitchens in any of the following ways:

• Website: www.tierneykitchens.ie
• Email: info@tierneykitchens.ie
• Profile Page: http://www.kitchenindex.ie/retail/category-1/Fitted-Kitchens-and-Bedrooms.aspx/listing-3198/Tierney-Kitchens
• Phone: 01 841 7233