Glass Creek Inc.

Kitchen Cabinets, Bathroom Remodeling, Kitchen Floor Plans

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Hot Remodeling Tips For 2008

03/04/2009

Colors    Cabinets    Countertops    Sinks and Faucets    Hardware    Bathroom Accessibility

Colors - This year it is all about green.  The Marie Antoinette rich jewel colors of the last several years are over.  The slow down in the economy is promoting feelings of austerity, and a need for comfort and security in the home.  Thus, look to the earth tones and greens for common areas in the home, such as, the kitchen and living room.  The young children's rooms still need to be fun with the popsicle and candy colors.  Sunny yellows and comfortable sage are still good choices for the master suite.  And for goodness sakes stop using Swiss coffee.

October update - Increasing in popularity this fall is blue.

Cabinets - Styling and warmth on the outside; convenience and function on the inside.  Soft closing door and drawer hardware is a must for any new kitchen, ending door slams and utensil crashes.  Pullouts and rollouts are a great way to store and access those larger pots and pans.  To accommodate the bulky Costco items there is nothing better than a pullout pantry, or a pantry loaded with rollouts.  And drawers still rein king for ergonomic access instead of large door cabinets.  Then of course, there is the required deep lazy susan in the blind corner and the recycling trash pullouts.

Hot door styles are the wide stile and rail shaker look; or a classical raised panel profile for timeless elegance.  Bucking the popular trend with the rustic look, stay away from the heavily grained and character species, such as, hickory, alder, birch, pine, and oak.  Unless it is a vacation home, then definitely use the local wood species.  The beautiful grain of cherry or clear maple underneath a semi transparent stain can not be beat. Medium light to medium brown stain colors (shifting more green than red with just a touch of black pigment) is a good choice.  The slight grey cast from the black pigment yields the coffee, espresso or mink looks.  A burnt umber or raw sienna glaze can give credit to detailed door styles while adding some warmth.  Black and chocolate should be used sparingly as accents.  If it has to be white, a cream or amaretto with a glaze is a good choice.  Decora Cabinets new Honeycomb on maple would be wonderful in a sunlight starved kitchen or bath.

Countertops - Heavy veining, and large grains or crystals are the way to go this year.  Fortunately relinquished to antiquity are the fine speckled and solid colors.  Cambria has been doing a good job with rich looking large grained engineered stones, while Corian has started knocking off the heavy veined look of Mystera.  Engineered stone, solid surfaces, or natural stones are all winners for beautiful useable countertops.  Countertop materials of last resort would be tile or laminate. though, for budget home office or laundry room the granite looking laminate colors could be worth a look.

Sinks and Faucets - Under mount all the way for sinks. With a dark countertop the acrylic quartz sinks in black are a better choice than brushed stainless.   Highly polished stainless and gloss black porcelain are beautiful, however, life is too short to live with the upkeep.  White porcelain is always a safe bet in a bath or with a light colored kitchen countertop.  Faucets in matte finishes such as, antique copper, rust colored, or black are a great choice, and can complement cabinet and bath hardware.  Moen has been coming on strong with higher end product offerings with stylish finishes for an economical choice.

Hardware - Warmth and comfort from the familiar is being evoked in the latest trends for metal finishes. The aged and weathered look of rusted iron, and tarnished copper, are great finishes for hardware around the home. Natural oxidation comes from exposure to the elements over time and evokes longevity in our rapidly changing lives.

In times of economic uncertainty it is comforting to surround oneself with warm familiar furnishing. And nothing does it better than the aged natural look of metal.

Bathroom Accessibility - Future proof a new bathroom remodel by incorporating grab bars around the bathtub, shower, and toilet.  (Moen makes some designer grab bars which match their faucets.)  Install a high rise toilet, a hand held shower head, and a seat in the roll in shower.  And do not forget to widen the doorway.

We service Fullerton, Brea, Placentia, Yorba Linda, Anaheim Hills, La Habra, Hacienda Heights, Diamond Bar, Irvine, Chino Hills, Buena Park, Walnut, Villa Park, and other North Orange County, CA cities.

2454 E. Fender Avenue, Suite A, Fullerton, California 92831 CA Lic. # 741889