Appliance Bugaboo

I find that communicating to my kitchen clients some key facts as they make selections for all items that will go in their new kitchen will surely make the process easier for them and for me. One category that tends to give us some trouble needs more discussion as the kitchen design takes shape. Appliances can be a real dilemma. We rely on our appliance expert. (Her name is Andrea at Appliance Connection: (703) 492-7283) We do need to know which appliances you choose for your new kitchen, and in fact spend a good bit of time getting various specifications and exact dimensions to ensure we allow enough clearance for our cabinetry. We also advise as best as we can how the appliances you choose will integrate, fit, and look when set in place in your brand new kitchen. This is tough to do perfectly on paper or with words. 

Paint, Highlighting & Brushing

High end custom cabinetry lines have been offering a brushed finish for years, but now some semi-custom cabinet lines are starting to offer the unique finish. Shiloh Cabinetry is one of those lines. And even better than just offering the finish, they offer it as a standard, no upcharge option.

The Brushing Technique is the newest addition to Shiloh's lineup of specialty finishes. The brushing is hand applied for an antiqued appearance. It is available in Polar White, Soft White, Eggshell or Ivory, with Cafe or Slate Highlight. Due to the hand-applied process, significant variation is common.

Read more to see the available colors.

Soapstone

Money Magazine declared Soapstone #1 in value when compared to Granite, Solid Surface, Concrete, Butcher Block and Ceramic Tile.

We have had a Soapstone countertop in our showroom for years and it still gets a lot of attention. People have a lot of questions about its durability and cost. Below are a few pros and cons of Soapstone just in case you are considering it for your kitchen. If you would like a closer look please feel free to stop by our showroom.

SoapStone is a soft stone found in Finland, Brazil and in the heart of Virginia's Blue Ridge Mountains. Below are some of the pros and cons of choosing this surface for your kitchen.

Pros:
• Its naturally nonporous (stain resistant)
• No fussy, vulnerable sealants; scratches can be sanded and oiled away.
• Prices out similar to granite

Cons:
• You can get any color you want, so long as it's green or dark gray.

Tales from a Kitchen Designer (Part 3)

It’s amazing what can happen in a week. Last Friday the cabinets arrived, and boy did they. We had boxes everywhere. In the kitchen, dining room, living room, sun room. I almost put some in our boys rooms, but they wouldn’t be happy with that. I was able to get the kitchen painted prior to the cabinet delivery, and then again after they arrived. The color that was agreed upon turned out to be a little too blue for my wife. She was looking for a greener color and what was on the wall was not that. After a last minute review of the color chips we had, a new color was selected and by the end of the weekend, my painting was done, (at least everywhere cabinets touched), and a few of the cabinets were unboxed, and staged to be installed. My wife happily helped do a little of that, just so she could get a glimpse of her new cabinets.

Tales from a Kitchen Designer (Photos)

View photos of my kitchen remodel currently in progress. The most recent photos are at the top of the page.

Tales from a Kitchen Designer (Part 2)

Well, Valentines Day came early to our house. Last week our contractor called and asked if he could start our project sooner than we had planned. Originally he was to start on Monday, Feb 14th. That would allow us a week to clean and pack after the baby shower my wife was hosting. After talking to her, we decided why prolong the inevitable, so we decided that Monday Feb 7th would be D-Day. as soon as the party was over Saturday night, we frantically started packing up our kitchen. While plates, dishes and breakables were carefully wrapped and boxed, the kid’s plastic plates and Tupperware went flying.