by Cornerstone Cabinet Company | Feb 20, 2025 | Architects, Contractors, Homeowners, Interior Designers
With the trend in adding a “work” kitchen to the “social” kitchen, let’s look at where kitchen appearance and function is headed. Last February, the Kitchen and Bath Show in Las Vegas showcased a plethora of new views. Many kitchen designers now incorporate fashion-forward features like glass fronts and LED lights on refrigerators. Appliances and cabinetry have chic leather and metal hardware. Back-splashes now feature unusual finishes like shagreen, metal, raw wood and artful murals. Tech is also the buzz and smart kitchens are definitely going digital. Currently Smart-touch faucets turn on and off with just a tap. Refrigerators feature integrated cameras that allow people to check their groceries from both inside and outside the home. Induction cook tops save energy with technology that changes heat settings instantaneously. Now think of dishwashers responding to voice commands and appliances that could communicate with each other to create shopping lists, meal recommendations and cooking instructions. Not only futuristic, these features dovetail with the trend towards Universal Design – the approach that makes living at home easier for everyone at every age. This is why experts believe innovations for the sake of technology alone will be weeded out. They see the market moving towards technology that not only looks sexy, but improves kitchen function and ease of food...
by Cornerstone Cabinet Company | Feb 12, 2025 | Homeowners, Interior Designers
When building your dream kitchen, first consider your storage needs, kitchen size and shape, and your family’s personal style. Then, keep the following cabinet design hacks in mind: Craft an eclectic look by combining a variety of cabinets such as natural wood, gray and white. Different cabinet sizes and door styles create depth in the room. With a two-toned kitchen, paint the inside shelves of the upper kitchen cabinets to match the cabinets under your counter-top. This contrast will create a cohesive space. Combine cabinets and open shelving to make the most of a small kitchen. Also use sliding doors to help your small kitchen feel less congested. Consider lining only one wall with cabinets. This should provide enough storage while keeping the rest of the room open and uncluttered. If you have a dark wood floor, use light colored cabinets and counter-tops to avoid the kitchen looking too dreary. Choose cabinets that have a red tint to add color to the room while still giving it a natural feel. Contrast glass cabinet doors with solid black cabinets to make a bold statement. White cabinets will reflect natural light and brighten up the space but be sure to spice up bland white cabinets by adding texture. For more storage in your kitchen, install shallow cabinets or modify the inside of the cabinet doors to stash thin items like condiments and paper products. If you plan on entertaining guests, wrap your cabinets around a corner and have the lower set double as a bar. Plan ahead for easy access by installing a cabinet directly above the dishwasher to make it...
by Cornerstone Cabinet Company | Jan 2, 2025 | Architects, Contractors, Homeowners, Interior Designers, Uncategorized
We’ve talked before about the Great White Kitchen and how white stands the test of time. Whether you opt for white or choose another color, the fact is - color not only enhances the beauty of your kitchen…it makes it safer to use. Here’s why. The percentage of our population with eyesight challenges is probably much higher than most of us realize. Think about this - you don’t have to be blind or have cataracts to be sight challenged. Anyone with glasses, contacts…even corrective procedures like Lasik can leave you with less than perfect vision. This is where color comes in. Color creates contrast. Done properly, color separates objects which help you move around your kitchen with ease. We talked about how lighting adds ambiance along with safety. The same principle applies to color. It distinguishes where floors end and walls begin. It outlines doors and delineates how far cabinets stand out. Good color blocking minimizes the potential to bump into objects when you’re in a hurry to get food on the table! Whether you have perfect vision or even minimal vision correction, paying attention to the nuances of color makes time in the kitchen more enjoyable for everyone who uses it. If you’re not sure how to use white (or whatever color you choose), consider a color consultation with a professional designer. You’ll be amazed at how any color used wisely brings out the best in your...
by Cornerstone Cabinet Company | Jan 1, 2025 | Homeowners, Interior Designers
“Design is a constantly evolving thing. Not only does that keep things fresh (and keep stores in business,) but it also evolves as needs change. The kitchen used to be an industrial part of the house, where you would tuck away to do the hard work of cooking. But as the decades passed, it morphed into a communal space where family and guests can gather around and connect while dinner is being made. This has completely changed the look of the room, morphing it from a small, closed space in the back of the house to a large, open area in the heart of the home. But that doesn’t mean it has stopped evolving. The things that were important to us in 2024 are changing as 2025 quickly approaches, and because of that, certain trends are waning to accommodate new needs. To figure out what those trends are, we asked interior designers to share what is beginning to feel passé, and what is replacing them. “ Click here to continue...
by Cornerstone Cabinet Company | Dec 19, 2024 | Homeowners, Interior Designers, Uncategorized
The kitchen is where family and friends gather for food and fun so it’s always got to look its best. Stop endless dusting, scrubbing and wiping kitchen surfaces and remodel smart instead! Kitchens are both wet zones and high-traffic areas so proper flooring material is key. Ceramic and porcelain tile have moisture resistance that is superior to natural stone or wood. They also rarely scratch or stain. Quartz countertops are the most durable and you can clean them with common household products. A sturdy, lower cost countertop option is laminate. Flat-panel cabinets are easiest to clean, but if they look too modern for your taste, shaker-style cabinets are a good compromise. Dark stained cabinets show fingerprints and dust, and white cabinets show absolutely everything else, so a medium stained finish is the best choice for effortless style. Otherwise, consider satin-painted cabinetry, which is still very resilient. Opt for a rollout pantry to put groceries away quickly without fumbling around in deep cabinets. Its shelves are easier to reach for both organizing and cleaning. Brushed nickel or dark bronze hardware hides water spots and fingerprints well. Stainless steel sinks may develop a chalky residue around the drain due to hard water and they can also scratch, but overall, stainless steel appliances require the lowest maintenance. Use garage door cabinets to hide away appliances or to cover any area that may get cluttered. Consider a glass backsplash because although they are more likely to show grease and food splatters than ceramic and natural stone, they can be easily wiped down due to the smooth surface. Flat sheets of glass eliminate grout...
by Cornerstone Cabinet Company | Dec 18, 2024 | Homeowners, Interior Designers
“Kitchen cabinetry has come a long way, having evolved from cupboard-like pieces of furniture in unfitted kitchens to rooms flush with rows of built-in upper and lower cabinets. Sure, open shelving re-entered the chat in the early aughts and hasn’t left, but most people rely on some type of kitchen cabinets to store everything from snacks and dried goods to cookware and dinnerware. And the look of kitchen cabinetry has undergone quite the transformation, too. From the simplest slabs to ornate glass insert designs and beyond, more options than ever are available today. One cabinet trend that has my attention, though, is Micro-Shaker, or Slim Shaker, cabinetry.” Click here to continue...
