Our Blog Abington, PA

Good lighting makes a new kitchen more enjoyable, and bad lighting does just the opposite. Lighting can make or break how a new kitchen looks, feels and functions. It is equally as important as cabinets, countertops, appliances and other fixtures.

Effective lighting illuminates a space in layers using different components and strategies to paint the final picture. You can buy a functional $70 faucet in a home center, but most likely that faucet will not add much to the beauty of the kitchen. A similar analogy holds true for lighting. Simply placing flush-mounted fixtures in the ceiling of the center of the kitchen can provide functional light, but recessed ceiling lighting may do little to beautify the space, create a mood or evoke a favorable emotional response.

A recent analysis of kitchen trends by one of the largest manufacturers of kitchen cabinets in North America offers some interesting insights to help you plan your kitchen remodel.

Pull-out waste and recycling bin cabinets were the top-rated storage solution in a recent Houzz.com survey of homeowners undertaking a kitchen renovation. This does not surprise us because of the heavy lifting recycling and garbage bins perform in a well-designed kitchen. Many of our customers prefer pull-out options to floor standing alternatives for the following reasons:

A large wooden cutting board is a kitchen essential. Here’s why. Almost everything that must be prepared for a meal starts at a cutting board. The first consideration is safety. That’s why you want a wooden cutting board that is at least 14 inches wide by 20 inches long. The bigger the better, because you want to have plenty of room on your work surface. When space is cramped, the likelihood of knife injuries increases dramatically, because you often have to adjust the slicing motion or hold your hands in an awkward way, writes food expert Becky Kristal in The Washington Post. Another reason for a large board is to keep

Small details can create extraordinary value in the design of a new kitchen or bath. When we meet with homeowners we want to know how they currently use their kitchen. We want to know if they entertain frequently, host family gatherings or cook regularly. We learn the style of furnishings, accessories, flooring and wall covers throughout the home to determine clients’ preferences. We gather as much information as we can to help us exceed our clients’ expectations.

When we design a kitchen we divide the space into areas for food preparation, clean up, and if there is sufficient room, dining. Many of our clients want an island. They are great for food preparation, can double as a dining table and often serve as the focal point of

Cabinet hardware is the jewelry of the kitchen. It helps you make a unique design statement and create the look and feel that you desire. Hardware placement should not be an afterthought. When we design new spaces for our clients, we always review hardware placement to assure that the finished product makes them smile every time they enter the room.

The most common placement option is to center hardware in the middle of the drawer front. Centering provides a pleasing and symmetrical aesthetic, but its functionality may not be optimal especially on bottom drawers. Many of our designs feature a mix of styles where we specify slab fronts for the top drawers and more decorative styles for lower drawers. The look is a less formal style and one that is

Studies indicate that homeowners spend up to 50% of their time in the kitchen in front of the sink. Today’s kitchen sink has become a multitask center. The kitchen sink is used for washing and rinsing dishes, cleaning vegetables, soaking pots and pans, bathing the baby, dying hair, getting hot water from the instant hot and just plain hand washing. The list goes on and on.

Most of our customers come to the showroom thinking they know exactly what they want in their kitchen sink. Generally it’s whatever they’ve had in the past because it’s the sink they are comfortable with. Once our customers see the options available they can become overwhelmed. It’s our job to educate our customers so they can make

Kitchen design typically begins with cabinet selection. There are an almost unlimited number of options, and there is unique nomenclature that manufacturers and designers use. Here’s a guide to some of most popular cabinet terminology.

Cabinet Construction

Framed Cabinets

Framed cabinets have rails and stiles that form the face frame at the front of the cabinet box. The frame is attached to the door front giving the cabinet extra strength and dimension. Common door types found on framed