by Chris Boulton | Nov 23, 2016 | Cabinets 101
The National Kitchen & Bath Association offers advice on when and why to update. Many homeowners think their kitchen is outdated from the looks of their worn cabinets, dated appliances and crackled countertop. What they may not realize is that there are many other reasons, more important than cosmetic, why a kitchen needs to be remodeled. The National Kitchen & Bath Association (NKBA) offers the following tips to help homeowners evaluate the current condition of their kitchen and decide if the time is right for a remodel. Adequate space: Are you satisfied with the amount of counter space, cabinet space and floor space in your kitchen? The position of your refrigerator or shape of your counter may be taking away useful workspace. According to the NKBA Kitchen and Bath Planning Guidelines, when replacing a countertop or changing the shape of your kitchen, keep in mind that a total of 158″ of countertop frontage, 24″ deep with at least 15″ of clearance above, is needed to accommodate all uses, including landing area, preparation/work area and storage. Traffic flow: If there’s more than one cook in your household, you may want to consider making more room around the main workspace. If you enjoy entertaining, you may want an open plan kitchen that allows for more social interaction between the kitchen and other rooms. According to the NKBA Kitchen Planning Guidelines, the width of a walkway should be at least 36″ and the width of a work aisle should be at least 42″ for one cook and at least 48″ for multiple cooks. Children: Depending on whether or not you have children,...
by Chris Boulton | Nov 9, 2016 | Cabinets 101
It is known the heart of the home is thew kitchen. It can easily become useless when it doesn’t function to the homeowners needs. When building or remodeling be sure to find the designer that is going to listen to your needs and wants. Yes, your designer should know all the rules of design and be able to weave your needs and wants with the rules into the kitchen you desire. We all tend to assemble in the kitchen. From the kids homework to our guests, off to the kitchen we go. The kitchen is one of the best and most used rooms of the home. When you move forward with updating your existing kitchen or begin designing your new home, your designer must preserve the style you want and the function you need. As designers, adding value to your home as well as more efficient time spent in your new domain is our main focus. Top Kitchen Mistakes to Avoid As professional kitchen designers we will offer you design suggestions to help you avoid these unwanted design faux pas. Most if not all of these issues can easily be avoided. Be fun and and creative with your new kitchen. There is so much more than just placing cabinetry and countertops. Be sure your personality is a part of your new kitchen. Lack of counter top space is a huge complaint in many kitchens. Function needs to be a priority right up there with the decorative aspects of your kitchen. Your designer should discuss with you how you use the space in you kitchen. By knowing your habits in...
by Chris Boulton | Nov 2, 2016 | Cabinets 101
When designing your homes cabinetry needs whether you are building new or remodeling, the choices available are endless. So we suggest you start your search early in the process. The multiple wood species, cabinetry door styles and finishes alone can make your head spin. With a designer that will help you narrow the choice to the one that satisfies your wants and needs, the project becomes manageable and fun. This should be the goal of your project. Find the designer that will help you have fun in your project. After the cabinetry is specified and you have decided that contemporary, traditional, rustic or maybe the old farmhouse look is what you want, we have many more decisions to make. Again, we highly recommend you start the process of cabinetry in the early stages of the total project. Cabinetry The choices of cabinetry are many. Oak, Eastern Hard Rock Maple, Hickory/Pecan, Fir (very soft), Quarter Sawn/Rift Oak, Laminate Wood Designs are just a few of your choices. Door styles come in just as many choices as well. If you know exactly what you are looking for your choices will be easier to make. We do suggest taking a tour of the designers showroom to help finalize your decisions. There could be a wood or cabinet door style you will fall in love with. At least give yourself the chance to see all that is available. We also suggest you look through magazines then sticky note what you like. It helps when you are working with your designer. Cabinetry Accessories Now this is where you can have a lot of fun....
by Chris Boulton | Oct 27, 2016 | Cabinets 101
So many people are straddled or blessed with small to tiny kitchens. Depending on your views it could be either for you. The question for those of us with small kitchens is how to best design the space. We will look at some ideas to help you in preparation of your small/tiny kitchen remodel or ‘small space living’ new home. It is all in the design how well your small kitchen will flow and function. As always we suggest you find a qualified Kitchen Designer that has the expertise to design the best kitchen for you no matter the size. Let’s Start by Going Vertical That’s right vertical, the walls are our friends in a small kitchen. Between a shallow depth decorative rack pushed up against an unused wall, utilizing the space above your cabinets and/or wall organizing systems that can be ordered for any area in just about any finish, we can add so much storage to your small kitchen. It becomes a fun task for your designer to work with you finding the perfect mix of styles, colors and functional accessories to please your senses. Rising to the Designing challenges of Small/Tiny Kitchens One of our challenges is the pairing up of a great hardworking, neat & tidy minimal kitchen. As designers we take pride in producing a kitchen with your needs and wants. We help you to make the decisions necessary to fit your new digs. Our owners are encouraged to start thinking in a minimalist attitude and hone down their kitchen collection to the bare minimum. It is a good practice to remove your non-essentials...
by Chris Boulton | Dec 11, 2014 | Cabinets 101
The differences between kitchen cabinets and bathroom cabinets are not readily known, especially to the first-time shopper. Bathroom cabinets are a bit shorter, shallower, and don’t have quite so many options as kitchen cabinets from the same retail manufacturer. However, because they are labeled as “Bath” cabinets, many designers may flip to that section of a catalogue when sitting down with a customer to come up with a plan. Yes, there are specific bath cabinets that don’t have a kitchen counterpart, but often times it may be more practical and aesthetically pleasing to try and swap out different types of cabinets. You may end up with a more functional bathroom in the end. Other differences between Kitchen and Bathroom Cabinets While the main and crucial difference that separates a kitchen cabinet from a bathroom cabinet is size (bathroom cabinets being marginally shorter and less deep), there are other factors to consider when choosing to enact a more custom remodel of your home’s cabinetry. Height Even though the accepted standard is that kitchen cabinets are often taller than bathroom cabinets, recent design trends are shifting toward a taller and less wide bathroom cabinet, which turns out to be much more convenient as years pass, due to less bending over being done over time. Accessories Consider for a moment the different accessory options that come into play depending on which room your cabinetry remodel is completed; as far as your imagination may project, so may your desires be enacted with your remodel project. If you are taking the time and resources to renovate the feel and design of your home, why...
by Chris Boulton | Oct 15, 2014 | Cabinets 101
Time is Money Kitchen remodeling projects, especially those taking place within new and old Arizona homes alike, are major contenders amongst the many options within the field of home improvement. They are a task that, while full of fun and excitement as you have newer things to explore and assemble, can cost you a considerable amount of time, money and effort. Home improvement can often be decribed as a bonding process that brings the family together within a new outlook within a fresh and modern space, but at the same time, a project that lasts too long or goes over budget can put strain on the already arduous task of changing your kitchen for the better. A kitchen remodeling assignment may consist of total rebuilding, complete replacement, or some partial modifications that are made to countertops, kitchen cabinets and kitchen appliances. A Chandler or Scottsdale kitchen remodeling project may require handsome investment for this task. However, an expertly crafted kitchen remodel results in an enduring sense of fulfillment, and means of bonding for family members, especially a reason to eat together, and most importantly a way of making cooking easier and more accessible to all members of your desert home. We at Cornerstone Cabinet Company would like to help you, the homeowner, by disclosing certain key points that can make this daunting task much more manageable and will help you grasp the entire situation at hand and assist you in running it smoothly without any unnecessary steps or procedures. Important factors to consider when planning a home kitchen remodel are: Decide the needs, wants, and overarching objectives of your...
