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...
by Cornerstone Cabinet Company | Jul 25, 2024 | Architects, Homeowners, Interior Designers, Uncategorized
When it comes to storage, it’s easy to overlook the half-bath. Since the available space is often measured in inches, it’s even more important to utilize what you do have. Happily, customized cabinetry is versatile enough to fit into any space so there’s adequate storage for important items like soap, toilet paper and towels. Pedestal sinks are popular in half baths due to their size. They also come in a variety of styles. One way to get the best look and utility is to add a pedestal sink cabinet. It snuggles in beneath the sink without adsorbing extra floor space and has the added advantage of covering pipes or valves going from the sink to the wall. Mounted sinks are more popular than ever and create space below. Get the most from that space with a custom cabinet. Narrow cabinets may look inefficient but they store more than you think. Place them right beside the toilet or sink or up against a wall where there’s a little extra room. Corner cabinets are another option and utilize floor space that might otherwise go to waste. Instead of a standard medicine chest over the sink, think custom cabinet. Depending on the layout, one with less depth but taller and wider still provides storage with that personal touch. Cabinets with towel bars look good and allow for additional towels to be handy. This is a good place to mix open shelves and glass doors. Finally, cabinet vanities are a sure thing for half baths. Customized vanities can be built to any style with either a drop sink or an above-the-counter bowl. There’s...
by Cornerstone Cabinet Company | Jul 18, 2024 | Homeowners, Interior Designers
If you’ve just gotten a kitchen revamp then you’ll want to get the most of your new kitchen as you can. You want to make sure you have the Best Toaster, mixer, blender, utensils, etc. the finally give you the perfect kitchen. But how will you make sure everything is stored neatly away? Our previous article on kitchen islands focused on how the island has evolved from an extra table for food preparation to extended counter space that’s now a social hub. Not only do kitchen islands define the rest of the room, they supply easy-to-reach storage for regularly used items. When it comes to design, you can opt for utility, beauty or a combination of the two. Starting with utility, deep pull-out drawers are great for pot and pans. For small items – add customized shallow drawers to organize and store spices and small utensils. An increasingly popular option is drawers with mechanisms that lift smaller appliances. Normally tucked out of site, the mechanized ‘arms’ raise appliances like microwaves or toaster ovens to comfortable levels. The advantage is that these items are only visible when actually in use. If you want your island to be the focal hub for more than just cooking, consider un-kitchen items. Think about art supplies and homework necessities for the kids. Additionally, some homeowners use their kitchen as a mini-office to include taking care of tasks like bill paying. Too often people underestimate their storage needs. Before you start your remodel, think about how you cook, what activities and jobs take place and what gets used most often. And don’t forget the décor....
by Cornerstone Cabinet Company | Jul 11, 2024 | Contractors, Homeowners, Interior Designers
Remodeling is a great option if you are living in an improved housing market. The effort to upgrade over moving feeds makes it economical to stay put longer and customize what you have. It’s why we work with high-quality companies…such as Oakcraft and Timberlake…to install cabinetry our clients can live with long term. Looks and efficiency still motivate changes. What’s under the surface determines ease-of-use and durability. It’s Better Business To Make Cabinets That Last Manufactured woods like particleboard reduce costs. But those savings are lost if they affect indoor air quality. Many manufacturers have removed urea-added formaldehyde to make them NAUF (No Added Urea Formaldehyde) compliant. But it’s possible they use other VOCs or volatile organic compounds that will gas-off over time. Another problem with particle board is that it doesn’t stand the test of time. Its mixture of sawdust and glue is more susceptible to moisture. While that may seem immaterial in a climate like ours, it needs to be factored in for cabinets placed near dishwashers, showers or hold sinks. Manufactured woods don’t hold hardware as well. They’re more likely to strip and chip than wood and plywood that can last 50 years. If you screw a hinge into hardwood, it will stay there until someone comes along to unscrew it. As unlikely as it is for people to live in their homes for 50 years, quality construction increases overall home value and factors into remodeling options. Another way to cut manufacturing costs is to glue and pin or staple drawers and shelve ends together. With a little investment, the better method is dovetail construction where...
by Cornerstone Cabinet Company | Jul 4, 2024 | Homeowners, Interior Designers
As stated in “Banquette seating – will it work in your kitchen?” the trend in home design is to make the kitchen a place to gather, yet openly transition into other rooms. Kitchen islands play a key part as they go from food preparation countertop to banquette seating – making the transition seamless. Any style is adaptable so it doesn’t matter if your home is industrial, modern, traditional or a fusion of something between. The way to pull it together is to coordinate…not match…the cabinetry you have in both areas. Matching looks contrived. Coordination gives you more versatility and a natural feel. These days, farmhouse style is seeing a resurgence. This style is particularly easy to work with due to using a mix of antique finishes with a pallet of subtle colors. The same goes for rustic. Modern and industrial styles may present a little more challenge. Here the versatility of shaker cabinets offers a number of variations that tie rooms together. For example, a window seat with storage beneath may have wider or deeper frames and be a different but complementary color to the kitchen. The same can be done if you have cabinets surrounding a fireplace or beneath a buffet nook. Another way to coordinate any style is with glass doors and open shelves. A mix of these in both the kitchen and adjoining room could show off similar dishes or art collections. We tend not to think about having cabinets in the living area, yet they are the best way to store items you want to have handy but not always out in the open....
by Cornerstone Cabinet Company | Jun 27, 2024 | Homeowners, Interior Designers
The trend towards large kitchens continues to grow. More than simply meal preparation, modern kitchens now have specialized food and drink preparation stations. Even more important, kitchens are the focal point for more friends and family interaction. All of these features require more countertop space which leads to larger kitchen islands. If this describes your home, think in terms of having two kitchen islands instead of one. With the right layout and configuration, dividing one large island into two improves traffic function and flow. When it comes to function, two islands divide the work stations so that food preparation and clean up are more efficient. For example, set up one island exclusively for food preparation. The other island houses the sink and dishwasher for clean up. Or divide islands to separate the work station while the second island is a bistro style for others to eat and socialize. And there’s no reason why the islands have to match. Contrast them with one open underneath and the other lined with cabinets to organize and store kitchen items in one place. You may host events where one island is needed to create an elongated buffet. Sometimes an extra large work area is necessary. Consider a drop leaf that connects one to the other. The biggest advantage to two islands is to facilitate traffic control, especially in busy kitchens. One big island forces traffic around it. Two smaller islands create an additional route for everyone to move about. It also shortens steps from one side to another. Dividing a big island into two is one way to transform your kitchen. Before you...
