Kitchen Views is committed to providing great customer service while protecting our clients and ourselves during the COVID-19 pandemic. Using teleconferencing by computer, our designers can meet with clients virtually and present kitchen designs to review together. If the designer is in one of our showrooms, rather than working from home, they also wear protective masks and gloves. When the time comes to select materials in our showroom, clients come by appointment to one of our thoroughly clean showrooms with proper social distancing.
Kitchen Views designer, Bob Russo, in our Newton showroom wears protective mask and gloves while having a teleconference with a client
Kitchen Views’ Designer Blog is dedicated to offering you the best advice on kitchen remodeling and additional cabinetry uses from our design experts here at Kitchen Views. From contemporary to traditional cabinetry, countertops, decorative hardware and more, our designers will even come to you. We serve the Greater Boston area and all of New England.
Kitchen Views is a kitchen & bath design company with eight unique design showrooms; located at five National Lumber locations in Massachusetts, at National Building Products in Warwick RI, National Building Products in East Hartford CT and at Oxford Lumber in Oxford CT.
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Home design mixing styles smoothly to integrate new kitchen cabinetry | Photo credit: Pexels
Reason 1: Your style is fantastic! However, it may not be just right for the eventual resale of your home if you ever plan on moving. No buyer wants to walk into a 1920’s craftsman and see a mid-century modern kitchen. Don’t worry though, you CAN incorporate elements of texture, color, wood, etc. that YOU LOVE that will still say, “Hey, this is my space!” but also go with the home’s style. A good designer will listen to you and blend your style with your home’s style.
Reason 2: Codes. A good designer will know clearances you should have all around the kitchen for today’s code requirements. Of course, you should always check with your local building inspector if you’ll be pulling a permit, which in most cases it’s good idea. Each town has its own set of specific requirements though. You might think it’s okay to copy your old layout or something looks good on paper, but it’s not up to today’s code. The designer will catch things that can help you avoid having to reorder cabinets.
Have you ever entered a solarium full of plants and felt your body relax? Do you enjoy spending time outdoors? There is actually an innate human instinct to connect to nature — it’s called biophilia. Some people may feel it more strongly; many people may have been so cut off from nature by their manmade environment that they don’t realize the difference it would make to their physical and mental well-being to have natural elements present in their daily life.
As we’ve all had to make adjustments to our daily lives because of the pandemic, some people have been altering their home environments to be healthier for their physical well-being. The natural result is that such changes are also better for mental well-being.
Growing herbs in the kitchen has been gaining popularity with cooks who will use them.
A kitchen remodel is so much more than selecting a style and color for cabinetry. Because selecting those things is fun and inspiring, most homeowners begin there – saving pictures they like of styles and colors. The strong desire to make a change is important because it will take time to achieve the finished result. It’s also helpful for the designer to know your preferences, along with your budget, so they can guide you through the deeper choices that arise from there.
As an integrated part of a house, changes made – even if it is one separate room – impact the entire house in ways you may have not expected. Everything from building code requirements and permits, electrical capacity, and heating/cooling systems need to be addressed by experts. This is why a DIY remodel is not a wise idea. It is so important to work with an experienced designer who knows all about remodeling a home. Whole house style is important to consider, so the new kitchen will feel like it was always meant to be part of the whole. Unless of course you plan to start remodeling an entire house with the kitchen as the first part. Even then, you should have the whole house style in mind for the final outcome.
The Kitchen Views Design Team knows that true beauty goes deep below the surface. This featured kitchen is a beautiful place to entertain as well as prepare meals. The hidden beauty of a well-designed kitchen is found in functioning smoothly. Work smarter, not harder is the ideal. Daily tasks are made easier by strategic storage placement of the necessary items, and clever storage accessories increase ease of finding what is needed quickly and efficiently.
Cabinetry Storage Accessories
At first glance, it looks like decorative fluted millwork is installed on each side of the Viking oven shown (above left). Take a closer look and you’ll find a decorative knob at the top of the panel, where shown above (right) it is used to pull out a clever storage accessory to keep cutting boards and cookie sheets tucked away until needed. Close at hand, but hidden from sight. Not only does this design look nice, it stores these items for ease of use, so one doesn’t have to lean deep into a cabinet to retrieve anything.
Pull-outs are designed in many shapes and sizes to organize all kinds of items so they can be readily retrieved and stored when needed, ideal for storing all kinds of ingredients, with special accessories to hold spices, oils, and larger utensils. Large pull-outs provide easy access to small appliances and more. Not shown here, but seen in some of our showrooms, pantry cabinets have large roll-out shelves for storing everything from dry goods to seldom used small appliances.
Drawer accessories now go far beyond silverware holders and add more convenience to your kitchen while hiding below the surface — from inserts for popular coffee pods to electric charging stations —these clever ideas streamline both storage and easy access. This defines the luxury of a well-organized living space. Click here to see a video from Schrock about their tiered cutlery divider.
Island Storage for Specific Tasks
Baking has special needs, such as a large work area and a good quality mixer. An island provides all the countertop space needed and plenty of storage for bowls, baking pans, and a plethora of ingredients. A top quality mixer is a heavy appliance, but it doesn’t need to be a chore to bring out when needed.
Kitchen Views designer, Ed Nunes, shares his thoughtful approach: “No need to carry your 30lb KitchenAid® Stand Mixer around ever again, simply release the spring-loaded shelf and lift the appliance to counter height (show above). Baking accessories are easily stored in a pull-out shelf at the bottom of the same cabinet. An electrical outlet should be fitted inside the cabinet, so the mixer always remains plugged in.”
A large, well-appointed island serves multiple purposes. This kitchen has an under counter microwave oven drawer (shown open above right) that keeps this handy appliance out of sight while being easy to use. Preparations are made on the island countertop, lowered into the microwave oven drawer for cooking, then lifted out and placed on the countertop.
Drawers hold oven mitts and utensils. Heavy mixing bowls and other cooking accessories are stored next to the microwave oven on roll-out shelves (shown above left). A dishwasher can be placed within the island or directly behind it near the sink so it’s close at hand to place used dishes, mixing bowls, etc. inside for fast clean up. Imagine how that kind of workspace planning can make your kitchen tasks simpler.
Storage for Clean Up Work
Waste containers are essential but preferred to be out of sight. That makes this cabinet storage accessory one of the most popular. Whether holding one large container, or a pair for collecting waste and recyclable items, they are easily accessed when needed — typically installed near the sink or preparation area — then put quickly out of sight when the task is completed.
Pet Friendly Kitchen Storage
Pet lovers will enjoy this clever setup designed to store treats and food stylishly. Seen above, the drawer has a window to give a glimpse of the treats and the storage area below cleverly hides pet food and bowls until mealtimes.
For anyone who simply wants to improve the function of their existing kitchen, you’ll be happy to know that many new storage accessories can be installed in existing cabinets and are available in a variety of sizes. Have you ever before seen these solutions for a blind corner cabinet? Click here to see a video from Schrock to see how this pull-out works. You can make previously difficult to reach areas useful with modern accessories like these examples.
Cabinetry Storage for Every Need
These are just a handful of examples offered for today’s cabinetry. Many other options are readily available for just about any application, even bathroom vanities have special storage options available now. So, it is important for you to discuss your needs and wants during the design process.
An experienced designer will know the range of organizational accessories that can be placed inside cabinetry for every room in your home. You can rely on the Kitchen Views Design Team to exceed your expectations of how your new cabinetry will improve your everyday tasks.
Fall in New England is a wonderful time to sell your home. The weather is comfortable and home buyers are interested in getting settled into a new home before the winter. If your home is on the market, today’s Kitchen Views’ blog is for you. Once you’ve found a realtor and learned what you can hope to get for a selling price, now it’s time to make your house someone else’s home. This means making repairs, mowing the lawn, and cleaning. It’s an ongoing process, but one that can help you get more out of your investment.
Preparation Is Crucial
Cleaning a home for real estate showings is not the same as your “everyday” clean. To improve your chances of having a spotless property on showing day, you have to prepare early. The HomeLight blog, which notes that you may add $2000 to the value of your home by deep cleaning, suggests starting with getting rid of clutter. Eliminate any unnecessary items in the home, including excess furniture, family photos, trinkets, and other personal belongings. This also gives you a head start on packing to move.
Now you want to turn your attention toward staging. Staging is simply the process of designing your space so that it looks most attractive. Look at online listings for homes in your area and see how other sellers have staged their houses to look spacious. Your furniture will be the focal point of each room. Make a point to clean it well or hire a specialist to remove stubborn stains. You can use sites, like Angi, and search, “upholstery cleaning near me,” to find a well-reviewed service provider. A special note here: get referrals from at least three companies and steer clear of those that use the same products, chemicals, and tools on all types of material.
To ensure that you can get your home ready at the drop of a hat, deep clean first. Deep clean the entire home, which should include shampooing the carpets, wiping down surfaces, and, if necessary, painting walls that are simply too dirty to clean up. National Lumber has paint experts to help you find the right paint and supplies for any project.
Gathering Your Supplies
Once your home is deep cleaned, it will be much easier to prepare when your realtor calls for a last-minute showing. Since staying ready for buyers requires a plan too, here are tips to help you get your home show-ready at a moment’s notice when the realtor calls. First, you’ll need supplies. At minimum, you’ll want to have:
Microfiber cleaning cloth. These are great for cleaning wooden surfaces, such as cabinets, tables, and even windowsills. Buy microfiber cleaning cloths in different colors for different uses. You’ll also want lemon-scented cleaning spray.
Swiffer mop. Often rated as one of the best mops for convenience, the Swiffer WetJet (or similar mop with cleaning solution attached) lets you sweep and mop at once, and you won’t need a bucket and water.
Toilet brush. Toilets can get dingy quickly, and having a toilet brush next to the loo means that you can polish the porcelain in an instant. Keep your ugly toilet brush and plunger out of sight by stashing it in a vase or behind a decorative trash can. A quick sprinkle of Comet or other abrasive bathroom cleaner will get the job done faster.
Other Cleaning Supplies. Paper towels, fabric freshener, trashbags, and window cleaner should all be readily available.
15 Minutes to Get Ready
Your realtor just called, and you only have a few minutes to get your house ready. Each of these steps will make it easier and more convenient to clean up when your realtor calls for a last-minute showing. Here are the most crucial jobs to tackle:
Make the beds. You can make a bed in less than two minutes. Start by clearing the bed completely, leaving only the fitted sheet. Tuck the flat sheet under the corners. Ideally, you have a comforter and matching pillows that you can simply lay neatly on the bed.
Fill the dishwasher. Dishes in the sink are a huge turn off for buyers. Move these to the dishwasher. Before you start a cycle, follow the Condé Nast Bon Appétit blog’s advice and load the dishwasher the right way. Sparkling clean dishes inside will show buyers that this appliance works beautifully.
Sweep, mop, and vacuum. Run the vacuum cleaner, broom, and wet mop over the most important rooms of your home. This includes the entrance, living room, kitchen, bathrooms, and master bedroom.
Take out the trash as you head out the door.
Now that you have a plan and the right supplies on hand, you can be confident of making potential homebuyers eager to imagine themselves living in this welcoming house.
Once you’re searching for your next home, keep in mind that Kitchen Views can help you create your dream kitchen if the property is right, but the kitchen needs refreshing.
Having an open house when you’re selling your home is a tried and true way to spark interest in your property. It not only allows potential buyers to take a quick look, but it also gives you a chance to enjoy feedback from visitors, including buyers and real estate agents. Fortunately, staging your home on your own to appeal to the masses does not have to be expensive, and you can do it no matter how much clutter has accumulated.
Get to Know Your Clutter Personality
Preparing to move is your motivation but getting to know your clutter personality helps with your home’s organization, which will help you decide what’s important to take to your new home. You might believe that every little object will come in handy someday or have grand plans to organize — just maybe not right now. Once you know why you keep things, it will be that much easier to let go.
Get Rid of One Thing Every Day
Aesop said it best: Slow and steady always wins. If you’re not on a short deadline to sell your current home, you don’t need try to tackle your clutter in a single day. Instead, find one thing you don’t need and say sayonara before the clock strikes midnight. Perhaps you have a cabinet or drawer that you seldom touch. If you haven’t needed something in there for over a year, you probably won’t miss it. Get a box or bag for items that can be donated and when it gets full, take it to a donation drop-off.
If it’s a sentimental item that no one else in the world will want, throw it away. If you want to have a visual reminder that doesn’t take up physical space, take a digital picture of it and then throw it away.
Pick a Category
Especially when you must declutter more quickly for an open house, taking one category of items at a time can help you get done faster. If you have kids, something you may have too many of is books. Books are treasures and a perfect category to pass along for others to enjoy. Kids Need to Read is a great place to donate books. Good Will or other thrift shops take books, and helps another young family build their own home library. You can also contact your local library or school system.
Get Good at Hiding Things
You can’t get rid of everything — that means that you will need to hide the belongings you wish to keep. Consider investing in an affordable, cute toy box for the kids’ rooms and under-bed storage for everywhere else. These new storage ideas will also help keep your new home more orderly.
Pay close attention to the kitchen, since that is one room your buyers won’t ignore. Buyers will look in the cabinets, drawers, and closets. Check expiration dates and throw out expired canned goods, etc. Giveaway good items that you have too many of or never use. For what remains, tidy up so the cabinets and drawers don’t look cluttered. Masterbrand Cabinets offers advice on how to install a Lazy Susan, which is an inexpensive and functional addition to even a small cabinet space.
Look at Other Listings
All is fair in love, war, and the real estate market. Nothing is stopping you from doing your own research by reviewing local home prices and visiting open houses in the area. Search for similar listings to see what homes are in your general price range and which have open houses in the weeks and months before yours goes live. Visit three or four properties to see how different sellers depersonalize and declutter their homes.
These visits can be a great way to find design and staging inspiration during. Alternatively, you can work with a pro to make the best out of your space. A quick online search will help you find local freelancer interior designers’ portfolios, reviews, costs, etc. Consider looking at on online job boards for a freelance interior designer for a more cost-effective and flexible virtual option (search terms “interior designer home staging”).
Clean, Clean, Clean
Before your showing, doing a deep clean will leave your home smelling fresh and looking pristine. Purchase essential, inexpensive cleaning supplies and clean everything from floor to ceiling — though you may want to splurge on a professional to scrub your carpet. Apply elbow grease as much as you’re able, going above and beyond day-to-day cleaning. The point is to eliminate offensive odors from pets or cigarettes. Make sure to keep your cabinetry’s exterior clean, as well — best foot forward and all that.
Make Your Home Someone Else’s
If you have lived in your home for any amount of time, it’s likely tailored specifically to you and your family. Everything from the furniture to the paint colors appeals to your lifestyle and personal tastes. But when you want to get the most money out of your investment, you have to look at it as an asset — a property you are making ready for another family. Consider removing family photos, trophies, and other personal touches before the open house.
You will also need to thin out the closet to showcase available storage space. The ultimate goal is to make the proverbial canvas clean and organized enough so buyers can imagine their belongings in the home.
Remember, a clean and organized home almost certainly means a broader pool of interested buyers followed by a faster closing. You don’t have to invest in a cleaning service or pay for storage fees, but you will need to downsize your lifestyle. If nothing else, consider this: Packing away personal items you plan to take with you declutters and saves you time later. Also, the more you give away, the less it will cost to move when the day comes.
Looking Forward
When looking for your next home, remember that location and size are the priorities. It doesn’t need to be perfect yet. That’s part of the enjoyment of a new house, you transform it into your home. If you want to change the paint colors, inside or outside, National Lumber and Babel’s have the Benjamin Moore paints and supplies you need. If you don’t like the kitchen, or need more built-in storage, the Kitchen Views design team is ready and willing to help you with renovations that will make this new house your perfect home.
Comfort The word comfort does not seem to fit what most people think of when planning a remodeling project. But in fact, the Kitchen Views Team will make you feel comfortable with the process, or as we say – help you enjoy the design journey.
Whether a kitchen or bath remodel, or adding built-in storage to your home, the early stages of planning your project can be overwhelming. Time and time again I hear stories from customers about their previous discouraging experiences before arriving at our showroom hoping to find real help.
Starting a remodel is never easy, but it is something that our experienced designers can help you enjoy as we move through the processtogether. Experience has taught us how to face the inevitable challenges of a remodeling project and find the solutions needed.
Style
Designing on trend is easy for a designer since it is within their comfort zone, but it is not necessarily what you want. The designer you are working with should be able to design specifically for you within the style that makes you happy and what will go well with your home, not just what is currently trendy.
Understanding
The importance of having a designer listen to you is paramount – it is the key to a successful outcome. It does not matter how beautiful your kitchen remodel is once it is completed if it does not function in the way that you need. When it comes to weighing your wants and needs in a kitchen, it is important for your designer to understand you as an individual, then dig into your wish list and decipher what is truly important to YOU. How often do you cook? Do you bake? Do you entertain large groups of people? Or do you prefer a small casual dining space? Are there any special physical considerations needed – such as being left-handed, or needing to sit while you work? Are universal design elements important to you or members of your family?
Storage
Early in the process, when discussing the layout, you need to talk to your designer about what you need to store in the available space. Are you storing tall pots and pans, do you keep a lot of spices, how many dish sets do you have, and what are you cooking, or baking? These answers tell the designer which appliances, work areas, and supply storage are needed.
Traffic Another key component to designing a kitchen that functions well is to look at the traffic flow through the space. In other words, who is going to be in your kitchen? Do you have young children, do you have a lot of company over, or do you throw a lot of parties? Answering these questions will help the designer make the layout serve your needs. Appropriate placement of workstations, walkways and seating rely on your needs and expectations .
Chemistry
If you do not feel happy with how your designer is communicating with you, or the ideas they are presenting, speak up. Clear communication is vital to a successful outcome. Do not be afraid to ask for a new designer or go elsewhere. It is better to feel understood and confident with your designer than to struggle through the process feeling misunderstood. Sometimes a fresh set of eyes, new ideas and different opinions will help you move forward confidently with your remodel.
Which brings us back to Comfort
Even though the remodeling process is detail-oriented, and sometimes a challenge as your normal routine is disrupted during construction, it should not be overwhelming. Your designer should always make you feel comfortable with taking the next step. If at any point something is making you feel uncomfortable or unhappy, and you are questioning any part of the process or progress of your project, take a moment to pause and ask questions. Standing in the middle of a space under construction is a new experience for most homeowners. A skilled designer should be able to explain their planned outcome for the design in detail, the reasons for the pace of the work, while also being able to take your constructive criticism and if necessary tweak their design into something that makes you comfortable. The designer’s goal is to exceed your expectations with a beautiful result that you will enjoy for years to come.
Now that most of us are spending more time at home, have you been noticing things you’d like to improve?
Rather than escape into binge watching shows and other such distractions, there are positive things to think about now that you’re not rushing around as usual. Think about a better future, where you don’t take “normal” things for granted, where you enjoy time with loved ones, and “stop to smell the roses” instead of running past them.
Perhaps you’ve been thinking about how you’d like to simplify your surroundings, to be more peaceful. Or, with your family spending more time at home, maybe you realize your kitchen needs help to work better. Maybe you need more storage solutions to keep your countertops clear and easy to clean? Our designers have solutions for beautifully designed, better functioning kitchens, mudrooms, and more.
Helping people improve their lives is at the center of what our designers do every day. Our talented team is eager to help you get the process started by phone, email, and by using many tools that are available online such as Facetime. You could begin by visiting KitchenViews.com. Check out our “Getting Started” section and browse through our designers’ portfolios. Then look through our various social media sites for inspiration.
You’ll discover our designers have the solutions you need with their experienced insight and beautiful products to improve your living space so it works better for your needs.
When it’s time for a face-to-face meeting to select cabinetry and countertop materials, we’re making our showrooms the best place to meet. By scheduling appointments to minimize the number of people in our showrooms at any one time, and having all surfaces are conscientiously cleaned, you can relax and enjoy your time out of the house.
It’s all about you, making your design journey enjoyable, and your home a happy place to spend time.
While looking forward to the end of this public health crisis, we hope that each one of you see and embrace the good things in your lives.
So, you have a brand-new white kitchen and you splatter some pasta sauce on your cabinetry. What now? Do you grab a bleach wipe? Do you spray it down with all-purpose cleaner and wipe it off with a kitchen towel? Do you let it sit on there until you are done cooking and then spray a water-vinegar solution on the cabinets and then wipe with a sponge?
If you do any of these things, you are going to damage your cabinetry finish immediately and the damage will get worse over time. As a seasoned kitchen designer, I am appalled to find that many homeowners are being sold new cabinetry without being properly educated on the care and maintenance of their purchase. I am here to give you some tips on what to do (and not to do!) with regards to cleaning your cabinetry.
Most spills can be cleaned up with a dry or slightly damp microfiber cloth. What could be easier? These versatile cleaning clothes are available everywhere in many colors. You could have some designated for the cabinetry, another color for other kitchen uses, a different color for the bathroom, and still another color for general dusting around the house.
Regularly dust off your cabinetry with a dry microfiber cloth. Most cabinet grime doesn’t appear overnight but is the result of buildup of dust and food particles over time. Removing this dust and debris before it has a chance to settle into the grooves of your cabinets will help prevent staining and mitigate the need for heavy duty cleaning.
Keep your cabinets dry. Almost 70% of new cabinets sold now have a painted finish. Those doors are made up of wood and medium density fiberboard. If water is allowed to sit on the cabinets for a period of time, it will inevitably penetrate the finish into the wood underneath and cause bubbling, cracking, or peeling of the painted finish. This is particularly important to pay attention to on your sink cabinet and your trash cabinet, as those get the most exposure to water and wet items. When you are done washing dishes, make it a habit to just wipe down the front of your cabinet with a clean microfiber cloth to keep that painted finish looking nice as long as possible.
If a deeper cleaning is needed, use only a clean damp microfiber cloth to wipe the cabinets and then dry them off really well with a second microfiber cloth. Kitchen towels and sponges that you use for many things are not good to clean the cabinets with since they typically have soap residue or cooking grease on them. Beware a sponge with textured material intended for scrubbing because it could remove any protective coating your cabinets have on them.
Don’t use any type of cleaning agent on your cabinets, such as furniture polish, soap, dishwashing liquid, so called cabinet cleaners, bleach or ammonia-based wipes, all-purpose cleaners, beeswax, or anything that has not been specifically approved by the cabinetry manufacturer. Cleaning agents have chemical compounds that can change the color of your cabinets and make them more prone to blistering or peeling.
Don’t leave a spill to linger. If you spill or splatter tomato sauce, wine, coffee, fruit juice, or condiments wipe it up immediately. Acid-based foods in particular can corrode your cabinet finish quickly!
Don’t neglect to use your range hood. When you are cooking, it is very important to turn on your range hood to remove food, spice, and oil particles from the air, so they do not settle on the surrounding cabinets.
Prevention is the absolute best way to keep your cabinetry clean. It’s easy to clean up any spills or splatters when they happen with a handy supply of microfiber cloths. This good habit also saves you time in the long run as it protects your cabinets from damage.
PRO TIP: Ask your designer to order you an extra touch up kit, so you can apply it to any cabinet scratches or dings that occur with normal use and keep that new kitchen looking beautiful for a long time.
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