Kitchen Design: Open Shelving – A Visual Guide

by Filed Under: Kitchen Design, Kitchen storage 4 Comments

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Designers love open shelving, but will it work in your kitchen? Let’s look at some of the pros and cons of open storage. First off, why do designers love open shelving so much? The esthetics: open storage adds interest; it creates a focal point. It looks different, and we love different! Here are some great examples of where, how, and why to use open shelves: Open storage breaks up a monotonous run of cabinets: Shelving creates a focal point where otherwise you might not have one: The look of open storage can help transition from one living space to another, or … [Read more...]

Kitchen Design: The 2016 Top Cabinet Choice

by Filed Under: Kitchen Colors, Kitchen Design, white cabinets 2015 top pick, white kitchens 3 Comments

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White kitchen cabinets: Classic. Timeless. Versatile. It is easy to see why homeowners are drawn to this enduring favorite. Houzz together with Kitchen & Bath Design News recently published a study showing that white cabinets are chosen 49% of the time. Almost half of us are doing white kitchens! Here in Chicagoland there are a number of factors my clients mention that influence this decision: v  We are doing a huge amount of wood floors, often in mid and dark tones. To avoid the whole issue of matching the wood stain of the cabinets to the color of the flooring, we choose … [Read more...]

Kitchen Design: To Crown or not to Crown

by Filed Under: crown molding, Kitchen Design, molding guide 1 Comment

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Deciding whether to use crown molding on your kitchen cabinets Since the ancient Greeks, crown molding has been the finishing touch, that final decorative layer added to a room. www.marblestone-intl.com The Greeks gave us the graceful profiles and rules of proportion that we still use today when we are creating this traditional, elegant and polished look.   cnbhomes.com  When paired with a highly detailed, traditional cabinet, crown molding is elaborate and detailed, often consisting of several stacked pieces. In a traditional design we love … [Read more...]

Cabinets 101: Product Safety

by Filed Under: Cabinet guide, Cabinets 101, formaldehyde, product safety Leave a Comment

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How safe are the materials in your kitchen cabinets? Your expectations are: when you purchase a product it will be manufactured to pass the health and safety standards set for that type of product.  If anywhere along the manufacturing process someone breaches this trust, people can get hurt.   You, the consumer, are the end of the line. See the show at  http://bit.ly/18hlikH Recently, CBS on its 60 Minutes show did an expose on overseas factories using formaldehyde in wood products (in this case flooring), in quantities that far exceeds US safety standards.  These US … [Read more...]

Kitchen Remodeling: Installing Cabinets

by Filed Under: cabinet install, Cabinets 101, install, Kitchen Design, professional installers 4 Comments

proconstructionguide.com

You did it! You’ve put together the perfect kitchen design, the perfect door style, and the perfect wood species - perfect everything.  You have everything ready to go.  The only thing that you are missing is someone to install your new kitchen cabinets. You now have two options:  Do it yourself or hire someone.    Let’s explore why you would install your kitchen cabinets yourself: You’re a professional craftsman and you have the skills. All the little lines on a tape measure do not confuse or confound you. You already have all the proper tools.  If you do not have the correct tools, … [Read more...]

Kitchen Design: A Microwave Guide

by Filed Under: built-in microwaves, Kitchen Appliances, Kitchen Design, Microwaves 4 Comments

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Where oh where will the microwave go? Today’s kitchens are bigger, brighter and more open than ever before. Windows are large, often taking up a majority of available wall space. Kitchens are designed around a focal point, and great attention is given to the appearance of this area. Often this focal point is the cooktop or range wall. The cooking area is centrally located, and offers a great opportunity for decorative tile or stone. It is designed to be symmetrical, and the availability of decorative accessories is huge. And we love those decorative range hoods –the sleek modern … [Read more...]

Kitchen Design: Contemporary in the Suburbs

by Filed Under: contemporary cabinets, Contemporary Kitchen, Design Inspiration, Kitchen Design 3 Comments

Contemporary LaGrange Highlands Kitchen 1

Can I do a contemporary kitchen in the middle of suburbia? “Contemporary is the watchword for North American kitchen design, according to the 2015 Kitchen & Bath Design Trends report from the National Kitchen & Bath (NKBA).” Are all these kitchens in urban loft-style homes? No, actually they are your neighbors. “The rise of contemporary and transitional kitchen designs have been swift. Both styles have increased in specifications by more than 15 percentage points in just four years.” –NKBA We are doing sleek, modern kitchens in all styles of homes. This clean, linear … [Read more...]

Cabinets 101: A Guide to Cabinet Types

by Filed Under: Cabinet guide, Cabinets 101, Kitchen Design 15 Comments

cabinet types

Cabinets 101: Modular vs. Semi-Custom vs. Custom Cabinets When you are cabinet shopping, navigating all the available options can be overwhelming. Your neighbor did custom cabinets – do you need to? Your sister only spent $6,000 on her whole kitchen – is this an option for you? Here is how I explain it! Cabinets are manufactured in one of three basic modes: Modular ($), Semi-Custom ($$), and Custom ($$$). The choice you make for your own project will probably be based on a few factors:  your budget, the style you like, the color or finish you want, and the interior options you are … [Read more...]

Kitchen Design: Let there be Light!

by Filed Under: Design Inspiration, Kitchen Design, kitchen lighting, lighting guide, lights 3 Comments

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By Sue LeVee, Kitchen Designer In a previous article I talked about accent lighting, a subject that I am a bit obsessive about: http://bit.ly/1r7cwuP This time I want to discuss all 3 types of kitchen lighting – there is hardly a kitchen remodel that doesn’t involve adding lighting. I guess we used to cook in the dark! A well designed kitchen will incorporate 3 types of lighting: Ambient, Task, and Accent.   Ambient Lighting: This is the general, overall light in the room. Typically it is provided by a central overhead fixture that casts a glow throughout the kitchen. However, … [Read more...]

Cabinets 101: Framed vs. Frameless Cabinets

by Filed Under: Cabinet guide, Cabinets 101, Kitchen Design 5 Comments

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A guide to kitchen cabinet construction When a client begins a kitchen project, one of the first choices we discuss is the cabinetry. Most of us will only purchase a new kitchen a few times in our entire lives, and yet it is a major purchase, and we need to make educated choices. This is where ‘Cabinets 101’ comes in - basic information that a consumer should consider. Here is a great place to start when learning about cabinets: In the world of cabinets there are 2 main branches: Framed and Frameless. This refers to the two different ways that cabinets are constructed. Rather … [Read more...]