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Explore These 10 Creative Ways to Brighten Your Kitchen

Your kitchen is one of the most-used rooms in your home. So it should be a welcoming place you enjoy spending time in. But too often, kitchens are dull, dim, and drab. Fortunately, it’s easy to bring in a little light. Explore these 10 creative ways to brighten your kitchen.

1. Include a Mirror

One of the easiest ways to brighten your kitchen is to include a mirror. Mirrors reflect light, so strategically placing one near a window instantly brightens your kitchen. Plus, it gives the illusion of a larger space, too. Just remember to choose a stylish mirror that goes well with your kitchen’s decor.

2. Use Natural Lighting

The more natural light you can let into your kitchen, the better. So take advantage of all the windows and skylights you have. If possible, leave windows bare to enjoy maximum light exposure. But if you aren’t comfortable with bare windows, open your curtains or blinds as often as possible to let the light in.

3. Install Pendant Lights

If your kitchen seems too dim, there’s an easy fix. Install pendant lights. These low-hanging lights are the perfect way to brighten your kitchen. Since they are physically closer to you than recessed or overhead lighting, they give your kitchen the appearance of being brighter.

4. Change Your Lightbulbs

One simple way to brighten your kitchen is to change your lightbulbs. It’s important to be sure you use the right bulbs for your fixtures. That’s because exceeding the allowable wattage is dangerous. However, changing your lightbulbs to the maximum wattage your fixtures accommodate quickly brightens your kitchen.

5. Light the Space Under Your Cabinets

All too often, homeowners overlook the space under their cabinets. But lighting up that space instantly brightens your kitchen. And that’s especially true if your countertops and appliances are reflective. So purchase some under-cabinet lights. Or opt for custom kitchen cabinets with built-in lighting. You’ll love the difference it makes!

6. Get a New Backsplash

Your backsplash has a bigger effect on your kitchen’s appearance than you may think. A dark backsplash adds to the dim effect in your kitchen, while a light or colorful backsplash brightens it. Alternatively, choose a metallic backsplash that reflects light to brighten your kitchen even more. Silver is an excellent choice.

7. Add Some Color

A few pops of color can work wonders to brighten your kitchen. And best of all, you can be as creative as you like! Set out a few colorful canisters, choose bright light fixtures, or place lovely flowers in a brightly colored vase. Even a fruit bowl filled with a variety of fruits can add much-needed color to your kitchen.

8. Give a Nod to Nature

Adding natural elements to your kitchen is a simple, yet beautiful way to brighten the room. Place a few potted plants in the corners, add light wooden or wicker accents, and make use of glass vases that reflect the light. Other natural elements like stones, seashells, and water features also brighten your kitchen if they fit in with your decor.

9. Bring in a Bright Kitchen Island

Sometimes, all your kitchen needs to brighten it is a bold statement piece. And what better way is there to brighten your kitchen than by adding a bold new custom kitchen island? When you opt for a custom kitchen island, you get to choose the exact color you want. And with tons of available add-ons and accessories, you get the bonus of having additional storage and workspace in your kitchen. In fact, your new kitchen island might just become your favorite part of the kitchen!

10. Go Lighter

As beautiful as dark cabinets are, they don’t always work when you want a super bright, airy kitchen. So consider swapping out your old cabinets for lighter ones. Choose painted cabinets in light colors, like white or pastels. Or opt for light-colored woods like pine, maple, or ash instead.

Would you like to brighten your kitchen with custom kitchen cabinets or a custom kitchen island? We can help! Contact us today to share your ideas. Let’s make your bright dream kitchen a reality!

 

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Breathe New Life Into Your Kitchen with These 7 Simple DIY Tips

Changing the look of your kitchen is easier than you might think. If your kitchen is in need of a refresh, you don’t have to wait until you can do a full  remodel. Breathe new life into your kitchen with these seven simple DIY tips.

1. Add a Fresh Coat of Paint

Painting your kitchen is one of the easiest ways to give it a fresh look. Furthermore, it can be accomplished in a single weekend! Choose light colors to brighten your space. Or go for a two-tone look, with a dark color on the bottom and light on top.

2. Choose a New Backsplash

Adding a new backsplash will instantly refresh your kitchen. Bright colors and patterns will add a focal point and pop of color to an otherwise monotone kitchen. In contrast, if your kitchen already has a lot going on, choosing a more muted backsplash will lend a calmer vibe to the room. HGTV has some great ideas here.

3. Organize Your Counters

Clearing counter space will help your kitchen feel larger and more relaxing. Accordingly, you’ll want to store anything you’re not using out of sight. If you must store items on the counter, choose functional storage containers that are also decorative. Colorful canisters, decorative bottles for oil and vinegar, fun or sophisticated fruit bowls, and stylish bread boxes are all great choices to clear counter space while adding personality to your kitchen.

4. Bring the Outside In

Including plants or other natural elements in your kitchen is a wonderful way to increase the ambiance, to say nothing of the indoor air quality! There are plenty of plants that thrive in the kitchen, even if you’re not a master gardener. Good Housekeeping has an excellent list of hardy plants here.

Adding cut flowers is another excellent option. Alternatively, in the fall and winter, you can opt for decorative touches like dried corn, pumpkins, berries, and pinecones.

5. Put a Rug Down

Rugs have the ability to instantly transform the look of any room, and that includes your kitchen. If your kitchen has a neutral color scheme, a brightly-colored rug could be just the pick-up you need to lend a cheerful note to the room. Additionally, keeping a selection of rugs around allows you to refresh your room as often as you want simply by switching them up!

Remember that you should always choose rugs that have a rubber backing for use in the kitchen. Since most kitchens have smooth floors, a rubber backing is essential to prevent accidental slips and falls.

6. Change Your Window Treatments

Hanging new window treatments is one of the simplest ways to breathe new life into your kitchen. Sheer curtains add a light, flowy touch to your kitchen, while heavier fabrics like burlap can be perfect to offset dark colors, like navy. Or opt for blinds to add a clean look. Keep in mind that patterned window treatments may make small windows look even smaller, so save those for large windows instead.

7. Reconsider Your Lighting

Having the right lighting can make or break your kitchen. Consider adding a new light fixture to make a dramatic difference in the look and feel of your kitchen. Alternatively, just experimenting with different bulbs can give your kitchen a fresh new look. Keep in mind that counters look best with bright lighting, so something as simple as strips of stick-on lighting underneath your cabinets can really brighten up your room.

Breathing new life into your kitchen doesn’t have to break the bank or require an extensive time commitment. Try the above tips to quickly and easily refresh your kitchen.

While simple DIY projects can go a long way toward breathing new life into your kitchen, sometimes you need a professional touch. If you’re ready to remodel your kitchen with customized cabinets and kitchen solutions, check out just a few of the ways you can get the customized style and storage you need here.

Need help? Contact us today, and we’ll be happy to walk you through our options and design process.

Image: Pexels

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Change Your Kitchen Style!

It’s summer, and you feel like your kitchen needs an update.

Want to change your kitchen style?  How can you transform your kitchen easily?  With some inspiring ideas.

Backsplash

Freshen your kitchen with a new backsplash.  There are countless styles of tile, like these beautiful honeycomb tiles, or this amazing take on subway tiles in gray.

You don’t have to be tied to tile, though. Tin makes an unusual and timeless statement, and mirror will make your kitchen look much bigger!

Cabinet Style

Feeling ho-hum about your cabinets?  You can get new cabinet fronts and avoid the whole tearing-everything-out remodel scene.  Available in so many styles, one is sure to fit the look you’re shooting for.  Whether your kitchen is country or classic, modern or retro, there is sure to be a new style of cabinet front that will make your kitchen sing.

Hardware

Changing out the hardware on your cabinetry can change the look of your kitchen in an instant. Black hardware on white cabinets gives a sleek modern look, while bronze gives a warm feel on dark cabinetry.

Decor

What you place around your kitchen also has an immediate effect on the feeling and style.  You can get copper accessories like cookie jars, a paper towel holder, even a toaster and stand mixer for a bright lift.

A new area rug with some sizzling colors and jazzy patterns will make your kitchen come alive for summer, and is easy to switch out come fall.  You’ll change the whole look of your kitchen in one easy step!

Would you like more ideas on how to update your kitchen’s style?  Contact us and we will be glad to speak with you.  There is so much you can do quickly and easily to bring your kitchen back to life!

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cast metal art kitchen backsplash-edgewood cabinetry

Using Cast Metal Art in Your Kitchen Backsplash Design

Looking for a way to jazz up your kitchen backsplash?

While there are lots of beautiful ceramic tiles you can use, have you thought about using cast metal as well?  Cast metal, used in your backsplash, creates a kitchen unique to you.

Tiles–

Add in with your remodel when you choose your tiles.

You can bring nature indoors with 8″x8″ leaf tiles.  Cast in aluminum and finished in antique copper, these tiles will add an old world charm.  Available in ginkgo, oak, aspen and more, you can get a variety and space them out along your backsplash for a really different touch.

For those wanting to get their feet wet but not go so large, there are metal accent tiles that will compliment the tile of your choice.  They will add sparkle and design while being understated.

Wall Accents–

Perfect for the kitchen that needs something big to give it ‘wow’.  Leave space clear when designing your kitchen.

You can try a topper over your stove like this Grapevine French Country Old Tuscan style original piece.  Adding old world charm to your kitchen was never so easy!

Are you daring?  Try a Birds and Branches medallion over your stove.

Trivets–

Adding cast iron trivets to your walls as decor is a fast and easy way to reinforce the style of your kitchen.

There are several cast iron trivets available with a sense of whimsy. A cat, a teapot, a fish and a rooster are all available, as are several more.  Are you a boating fan?  There’s a trivet for that!

For a bit of tongue-in-cheek humor, add vintage cast iron trivets to your wall.  With amusing sayings, these trivets will make guests smile.

Cast metal is not a material we go to automatically when thinking of kitchen design.  However, there are many ways it can be used to beautify your space.  Ready to change up your kitchen and add a fresh look?  Contact us for more ideas for your kitchen and how you can achieve the style you want.

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Add Pop to Your Kitchen Backsplash to Reflect Your Personality

You spend a lot of time in your kitchen.  Shouldn’t it reflect some of your character?

Have you considered adding pop to your kitchen backsplash by using something unusual?  If you want to venture just a little into something different, consider the vast array of tiles available. Tile mosaics are available in much more than square or subway tiles.  From cubes to circles, fans to ovoids, tiles aren’t just tiles anymore.  But what if you’re a little more adventurous?

If you have light cabinets, you might consider wood for your backsplash!  Horizontal planks pull a modern kitchen back to the outdoors, and you won’t believe how beautiful it looks against those stainless steel appliances.

An option with more versatility is wallpaper.  Infinitely customizable to fit your kitchen, wallpaper is available that is more sturdy and made to take the punishment it will see in a kitchen environment.

For a super edgy look, metal wins hands down.

There are so many options for metal backsplashes, you may have a hard time deciding!  You can go with a corrugated metal, which looks surprisingly beautiful in a country setting, or you can try a steel penny tile that will stun everyone with its modern twist.  Meantime, a tin tile backsplash adds character to a retro kitchen in a new way.

Want to go really different?  How about a blackboard backsplash (say that 5 times fast!) so you can have a new look whenever you want, or just make notes?  Or go artsy and put in a mosaic using whatever makes you happy in the kitchen from plates to tiles to glass.  Or you can try a mosaic inspired by a particular artist like Klimt, Monet, or Van Gogh (think Starry Night).

Not ready to go that permanent in your change?

You can still give your kitchen a lift by painting the backsplash, then hanging art in the space you have.  That way, when your mood changes, so can your kitchen!

There are so many ways to give your kitchen a touch of personality that is unique to you.  If you have questions about your kitchen, or we can help you figure out what you need to make your kitchen work better for you, contact us.

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backsplash material-edgewood cabinetry

A quick kitchen facelift is as simple as choosing the right backsplash material

Discretionary dollars are hard to come by these days. The millennials are paying off student loans, the generation x’ers are paying ever – increasing college tuitions for their offspring, while often dealing with ill or aging parents and the baby boomers are silently marching into retirement and learning to live on a fixed income.

If custom cabinetry and high – end appliances are not in the budget now, think about adding a backsplash. This design element is a relatively simple and cost – effective quick fix that makes a huge visual impact.

While open concept kitchens offer vast counter space and work areas on islands and peninsulas, the wall space, typically, is minimal. In the overall scheme of re – design, backsplashes take up very little real estate. Working with a small area allows the homeowner to buy a minimal amount of high dollar materials to achieve a maximum “wow” factor.

For a backsplash, the look today is anything goes.

• Stone, marble, brick and granite can all be utilized on a wall. These materials contrast well with solid color counters, and add a touch of elegance.
• Metallic materials, like copper, stainless steel and even tin flashing add that sparkle and pair well with the industrial look that is trending today.
• Using colored back – lit glass gives an ultra-modern slant to any space, and is an excellent way to introduce a “pop of color”.
• Sustainable products, such as cork or bamboo are increasing in popularity.

When choosing the backsplash material for your project let your creativity and imagination run rampant. Inter – space hand painted artistic ceramic or porcelain tiles with the classic, and ever popular, white subway tile for a one of a kind statement. For a truly unique look,cover the wall area with fabric or photographs, and have a custom glass panel mounted over the wall.

The possibilities are endless. Contact us and let our design experts show you the way to a beautiful, and affordable, new space.

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Customize Your Backsplash With Accessories

So, you’ve decided to remodel your kitchen to give it a more modern, traditional, or just different, style. It will be important to ensure that all elements of the space, from the floors, countertops, cabinets, and appliances, work together to create a functional and beautiful kitchen. Often an afterthought in the kitchen remodeling process, the backsplash can lend a sense of elegance and chic style to the space. You might ask, and the answer is simple: a backsplash is a panel behind the sink, stove, and counters, that protects the wall from splashes. The backsplash is usually left the same color as the rest of the walls in the kitchen, but there are so many design options available that the backsplash should never be neglected. Below are some examples of backsplash designs and backsplash accessories.
Designs: The traditional material for a backsplash is tile. Tile is versatile, with stone, ceramic, and glass options, you can choose multiple colors and types to create your own patterns. Some other ideas could be wallpaper, cork, acrylic, stainless steel, or paint.
Accessories: Add storage space to your backsplash with items such as a cookbook holder, a towel bar, spice rack, utensil storage, or a paper towel holder.
If you’re in the Clayton, NC, area, and you want to remodel your kitchen, Edgewood Cabinetry wants to help. With more than 30 years of experience in the business, the design process coupled with superb craftsmanship will get you the perfect kitchen, with custom backsplashes, cabinetry, and backsplash accessories. For more information, contact us.

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