by Cornerstone Cabinet Company | Sep 5, 2024 | 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...
by Cornerstone Cabinet Company | Aug 29, 2024 | 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...
by Cornerstone Cabinet Company | Aug 22, 2024 | 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...
by Cornerstone Cabinet Company | Aug 15, 2024 | 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...
by Cornerstone Cabinet Company | Aug 8, 2024 | Contractors, Homeowners, Interior Designers
The kitchen is transitioning from just storage to functional storage solutions. Homeowners want and expect modern conveniences and at Cornerstone Cabinet Company we are continuing to design with ease and function as a primary goal for your kitchen. Coffee Centers – This two tiered k-kup coffee organizer is used to organize your coffee and accessories. Pantry Storage – Pull out pantries are perfect for organizing and giving you the ability to see and reach those items in the back of the pantry. Roll Out Trash / Recycling Centers – Our most requested accessary is the trash/recycle center. There are many options to consider. You have multiple sizes to select from. They can even be designed into a...
by Cornerstone Cabinet Company | Aug 1, 2024 | Homeowners, Interior Designers
Kitchen trends come and go, but a white kitchen stands the test of time. It’s clean, fresh and adds resale value because it’s a blank slate for any new buyer to customize. White kitchens have a grand history. In the 1920s and 30s, white was the only color offered by manufacturers. White was associated with sanitation and health. Since it began keeping records, the Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers reports that white appliances have consistently outsold all other colors. White also regularly tops the list of the most popular kitchen colors in the National Kitchen and Bath Association’s annual survey. Why white? As the brightest color, it makes even small kitchens seem spacious. It’s a great color to build upon with light fixtures, cabinet hardware, and tile accents. It’s easy to change elements around it whenever the mood strikes. It is applicable to traditional, contemporary, and transitional design styles. Because it’s a standard color for any manufacturer, white cabinets, tile, counters, faucets, sinks, and appliances are usually cheaper. All white kitchens can still have options. Appliances are offered in variations of white. Decorative white overlay panels can even cover existing stainless steel appliances. Countertops are available in a wide selection of white granite, quartz or marble. Some modern designers are even incorporating white concrete into their kitchen visions. Glass shelves or light colored wood can provide a little contrast without sacrificing the monochromatic theme, too. To keep a white kitchen from appearing boring, add interesting details like decorative bowls or baskets, detailed trim, and knick-knacks with character. Perhaps paint the ceiling or the kitchen island with a bold contrast...
