National Kitchen and Bath Month

Did you know that October is National Kitchen and Bath Month? The National Kitchen & Bath Association (NKBA) started this program in 1982 to raise awareness of the kitchen and bath industry.

As real estate agents will tell you, remodeling your kitchen or bathroom earns the greatest return on your investment when it comes time to sell. Home buyers are favorably or unfavorably impressed by the condition of these rooms and they can make a big difference in how quickly a house sells--or perhaps if it sells at all. Even if you aren't planning to sell soon, don't you deserve the pleasure of working in a great remodeled kitchen?

Take a good look at your kitchen (or bathroom) and think about what you like about it and what you don't. What needs improvement? What looks outdated or worn? Are there appliances that don't work as they should--or are not energy efficient? If prospective buyers were to look at it today, would they like what they see? Make a list and discuss your ideas with a kitchen and bath specialist. They will inform you of the latest trends and tell you how to plan your project to get the most from your remodeling budget.

New Bath Accessories

When you next visit our showroom, be sure to take a look at the new display of bath accessories by Top Knobs. We have installed this next to our full bath display.

They have introduced six new groups of accessories suitable for traditional, transitional or contemporary looks. Each group has choices of cabinet hardware and other accessories such as towel bars, towel rings, tissue holders, and robe hooks. The Edwardian group even offers a choice of backplate options. Each group is available in a selection of finishes as well. All the popular finishes--brushed satin nickel, polished nickel, oil rubbed bronze, antique pewter, chrome--are available (depending on style), and some new ones as well. Tuscan Bronze is dark with a coppery rubbed-through look; and Brushed Bronze is a soft warm tone with a satiny finish.

These are great looks for finishing your bath in style!

Schrock's Huge Product Launch

Schrock Cabinetry continues to make substantial additions and changes to their product lineup. Their recent launch was one of the biggest ever!

One of the biggest changes is that Schrock has combined its Value styles into the Trademark group to give more options to the Value doors. Now colors that were only available in Trademark are available on a wider selection of door styles.

I love the beautiful new colors Schrock has introduced! These are colors inspired by nature and work well in combination with other colors. There's Honeysuckle, a soft painted yellow finish; Tidal Mist, a pale dusty blue; Portobello, a sophisticated neutral painted finish; Oasis, a blue-green painted finish; and Havana, a warm earthy brown stain. The "Heirloom" technique can be added to any of these colors for a worn, antique look.

Have 8' ceilings? As you know, usually when ceilings are 96" high, the cabinets rise to 90" and you are left with either 6" of open space above the cabinets or 6" of soffit board and crown. Well, Schrock has added a new 93" overall cabinet height so that only 3" is left to fill at the top. This maximizes storage space and still leaves room for crown molding to finish off the look.

Speaking of finishing touches--new legs, corbels and furniture feet give you more options than ever to create the look you want--whether contemporary, Arts and Crafts or traditional!

Schrock is well-known for its SmartSolutions™ storage features. New additions include a pantry storage unit with pots and pans pullout, an "X" shaped wine storage cabinet, a base "magic corner" swingout, and a full height trash can unit for larger trash cans.

Visit CSI's showroom soon to learn more about the flexibility and choices you have with Schrock for your new kitchen!

Take It Outside

Our sales and design staff visited the HADCO showroom last night for an update on new products. HADCO is our distributor for Viking, Asko, FiveStar, Scotsman, U-Line, Zephyr, Faber and Alfresco appliances and Franke plumbing products.

We always love to visit with the very knowledgeable and informative Carl and Lisa; and Chef Jared always prepares a scrumptious dinner for us (Caesar salad, marinated shrimp, grilled tenderloin, scallops, asparagus, potato tart, creme brulee--yes, they treat us well! All prepared in their live kitchen theatre with Viking appliances).

What excited us the most were the fantastic options for creating an outdoor kitchen! Viking, and HADCO's recently added Alfresco line, offer everything you need to make your outdoor cooking season an enjoyable success.

Viking offers a complete line of outdoor meal preparation and entertaining appliances--grills, cookers, outdoor ovens, smokers, outdoor rangetops, side burners, warming drawers, outdoor hoods, refreshment centers, outdoor refrigerators and wine cellars, beverage dispensers, and more! And stainless steel cabinets or carts to house them all in.

Alfresco is another great comprehensive line of outdoor kitchen appliances with everything you need to create the outdoor entertainment and cooking center of your dreams!

Carl and Lisa showed us three types of premade housing components for setting up an outdoor kitchen--with stainless steel units, with prefinished islands including granite tops, and with unfinished shell islands that you can customize with your own finishes--brick, stone or other material. The units are specifically designed to fit Viking and Alfresco outdoor appliances.

It's going to be summer before you know it! Plan now to add an outdoor kitchen to your patio or terrace for all your outdoor grilling and entertaining fun!

Granite vs. Quartz

Are you thinking about getting new countertops and are confused about whether you should choose granite or quartz (engineered stone)? Well, there are distinct differences and pros and cons for each one.

Granite is a natural stone and thus is valued for the color, beauty, individuality and variety of its patterns and markings. It is also appreciated for its hardness, heat resistance and durability. The main drawback is its porosity, so it must be sealed when installed and periodically to protect against staining and grease absorption. This is easy for homeowners to apply themselves. To prevent staining, wipe up spills quickly, especially acids like citrus juices and wine. If staining does occur, there are simple poultices and pastes that can usually draw out the stain. For daily care, use mild soap and water followed by thorough drying.

Quartz countertops are man-made from quartz stone particles and resins under high pressure. They are actually harder than granite, heat resistant and non-porous, so they need no sealing. And because they are non-porous, there are less places for bacteria to hide. Probably, their main drawback is their uniformity, but some consider that consistency a plus.

Personally, I prefer the variations in natural stone, but I love quartz for contemporary kitchen designs, and I think it is great for families with small children.

Whichever you choose, granite or quartz, you will be getting a very long lasting, beautiful and durable countertop material that will increase the value of your home.

Another Brilliant Transformation

BEFORE

AFTER

Mike and Stacy had several goals in mind when they decided to remodel their kitchen last year. They wanted to open the space to the adjacent family room for ease of entertaining, they wanted to update the look and functionality with a clean, streamlined appearance and new appliances, and they wanted to increase the storage space.

The challenge was how to gain more space. The solution was to open the kitchen to the family room by removing the laundry in between and relocating it. The result was room enough to include an island with sink, dishwasher and seating.

By removing the soffit, taller wall cabinets could be installed to add to the storage capacity. A small raised bar separates the kitchen from family room with a bar sink and ice maker. Deep cove moulding was installed above the cabinets to the ceiling. Cherry cabinets by Schrock in a deep chocolate stain were selected in a simple Craftsman style and contrasted with lighter Silestone countertops in Ivory Coast. Stainless appliances from Bosch and Miele were chosen for their quality and features.

The homeowners are very pleased with the results. “After a previous nightmare experience with remodeling, CSI was truly a professional experience. They provided me with a timeline and budget and stuck to both,” says Mike, “They made living through a renovation as convenient as possible. All of their workers were courteous and respectful.”