Finish First!

by | Mar 30, 2023 | Architects, Contractors, Homeowners, Interior Designers, Uncategorized

Make the best of your cabinets by selecting a finish that enhances your kitchen style.  Painted finishes come in a wide variety of colors. Paint can be used to accent or fully cover the cabinetry. It works best for maple cabinets because the wood is smooth and uniform, but be aware that the natural grain often shows slightly through the paint. Paint finishes chip, hairline crack, and rub off in high use areas. Adding a tinted varnish to natural wood cabinets can create a look that is similar to painted cabinets, but shows more wood grain and is more durable. Staining enhances the wood pattern, but always has a slightly irregular look. Although the variations seem noticeable on individual pieces, when the cabinets are installed, the total effect is complementary and brings extra depth to the design.  However, here are fewer choices in stain colors and finish types. Glaze is a finish type that has some color, but glazes are transparent or semi-transparent, so the color is lighter rather than opaque. Glazes are brushed on over paint or stain, then rubbed off by hand so the color remains in the corners, recesses, and imperfections of the wood. Glazing creates a unique look, but it can be expensive. Most cabinet manufacturers finish all of their natural cabinets with polyurethane varnish to make them harder and more corrosion-resistant. Polyurethane varnishes create a glossier appearance. Some green manufacturers now offer a water-based, ultra-violet (UV) cabinet finish that contains virtually no volatile organic compounds, and emits no toxic fumes or chemicals into the air. The look is basically the same as polyurethane and...

Create Your Dream Kitchen With Universal Design

by | Mar 15, 2023 | Homeowners

Kitchens continue to evolve as the center point of homes. Since it’s where families tend to gather, Universal Design makes it easy and inviting. Let’s start with your cabinets. Probably one of the easiest ways to make cabinets look great is to use C and D-shaped hardware. Larger is better and this hardware not only looks great but simplifies opening doors and drawers.  “Push-door” cabinets offer another alternative. To open the door, all you have to do is press it. The door opens about an inch so you can reach behind it to fully open it with your fingers. It’s done with a spring-loaded push latch and is ideal for that clean cabinet look. Instead of placing dishes on shelves, think about drawers. Drawers are great for heavier items - like dinner plates. Drawers pull out all the way and come with pegs to keep dishes separate from each other. Other options include: Plate racks which place frequently used items at a convenient reach level. Foot activated roll-out bins for trash and recycling. Hands free and no bending! Lazy susans in corner cabinets which bring previously hard to reach items to the front for easy access. Roll out shelves that take advantage of small spaces while making items like spices, canned goods, etc. Induction stove tops are safer because they heat pans with a magnetic field. Burners don’t get hot until you place a pot or pan on them. You control how much heat you need while cooking and once the pan comes off the burner, it cools off immediately.  Traditional oven doors open from the top, requiring the...

Vanities for Small Bathrooms

by | Mar 15, 2023 | Homeowners, Interior Designers

Even in grand homes with a large master bath, there is likely a guest bathroom or a powder room with minimal square footage. Cramped bathrooms can feel open and airy with the right layout and well-proportioned vanity choices. The best vanities for small baths make a statement without compromising storage needs. Consider a floating vanity to make the room feel bigger by providing more visual space underneath. (A raised style makes the floor easier to clean, too!) Perhaps add a tall open towel shelf over the toilet to allow more personal items and cleaning products to be stashed in the vanity cabinetry. Choosing a vessel sink can add a few inches to counter-top spaces. Building the lighting right into the vanity and mirror also gives off plenty of lumens for tasks without the need for an additional light fixture to ruin sleek, magnifying lines. A corner vanity can be another chic solution to a small bathroom challenge. In any case, it is important to balance small vanity surface area above with ample drawer room below because hinged cabinets may not have enough available space to fully open the doors. If you must try to squeeze in a double vanity, try one long, narrow sink with faucets mounted at each end. One large mirror above the double vanity is a great aid to give the illusion of a bigger, brighter space. Also consider making the double vanity multi-level so that one side of the counter is low enough for kids to use easily without the need for a step-stool. A small bathroom doesn’t have to be claustrophobic. Consult the design...

Why Glass Cabinetry is Versatile and Timeless

by | Mar 9, 2023 | Contractors, Homeowners, Interior Designers, Uncategorized

There are some cabinets that never go out of style. Shaker cabinets are a prime example. Certain types of glass cabinet doors are another.  Glass is so versatile! Open shelving can soften the overall appearance. “Push-door” mechanisms on glass door cabinets keep that sleek, clean appearance. But if rustic, farmhouse and more traditional looks are what you’re seeking, glass really shines. Glass doors give you a way to decorate with dishes, decorative items and even some greenery. Glass doors add softness with back lighting. These cabinets are the perfect compromise between solid cabinetry and open shelving. For beautiful dishes or favorite decorations, they let you display everything with the additional advantage of keeping out dust. You also have a lot of variation based on the type of glass you choose. Transparent glass is the most common and the most versatile as it suits all types of kitchens. The biggest drawback is how easily it shows fingerprints. Frosted glass is blasted with sand or grit. Frosted is not the same as opaque. It hides little details but the silhouettes of items are still visible. It can be even be etched with custom patterns and designs. Additional options include molded or embossed glass to produce textures. These include rain, ribbed, pebbled, grooved or beveled glass. These options aren’t as susceptible to showing marks or fingerprints. What’s important is that you love the texture you pick. Some designs become outdated quickly. Seeded and leaded glass add an artistic look but again, any specialized choice needs to be personal as these looks are subject to outdating. Glass door cabinetry has the ability to...

Benefits of Having Custom Kitchen Cabinets

by | Mar 8, 2023 | Uncategorized

Custom cabinets are highly sought after due to the fact that they are made to fit your lifestyle, design preferences, cooking habits, preferences for storage, and kitchens that are unique in shape. Give Cornerstone Cabinet Company a call today to get started on your custom cabinets! Click here to read the full article. ...

150 Shades of Gray

by | Mar 2, 2023 | Homeowners, Interior Designers, Uncategorized

Did you know the trend towards gray interiors started in Scandinavia? It wasn’t until about eleven years ago when the color caught on in the United States. Rather than become passé, the popularity of gray continues to rise. According to Andrea Magno of Benjamin Moore, gray interiors are evolving and they’re seeing an increase of gray on cabinetry and trims. But picking the best shade of gray for your home can be tricky. Since grays have undertones of blue, purple or green, you’ll want the shade that’s compatible with the surrounding tiles, furnishings and fabrics. For instance, there’s a big difference between cool and warm grays.  Cool grays are better for modern interiors while warm grays work better in traditional homes. There’s also a middle ground often referred to as French grays. Traditionally trims around gray are lighter shades of gray or whites. Now we’re seeing more trims in the same or even a darker gray.  Laurie Pressman, vice president of the Pantone Color Institute agrees. She sees gray with gray trim as a trend and feels people should give more grays a chance. If you’re ready for gray walls, cabinets or trims, it’s best to get samples of your three favorite grays and paint a poster board with each one. Check them out over a period of one day (or more) to see how they appear in varying degrees of light. This way you get it right the first...