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The 6 Best Kitchen Design Trends of 2022

Kitchens have morphed into multipurpose rooms, so homeowners today don’t want generic designs. If your kitchen feels a little drab, it’s time for a refresh. Find the inspiration you need with the six best kitchen design trends of 2022.

1. Personalized Utility

With so many people now working from home, at least part-time, families spend significant amounts of time in their kitchens. As a result, homeowners are craving custom organization. In 2022, kitchens bring both style and function to the home.

So if you’ve been thinking about investing in custom kitchen storage solutions, this is a great time to get started. Here at Edgewood Cabinetry, we offer a plethora of custom kitchen cabinet options, so you’re sure to find a style you love with the personalized utility you need. Add flair and function to your kitchen with options like custom-designed range hoods and vents, wine racks, pull-outs, and lazy Susans.

2. Wine Storage

Demand for wine storage has been high for the past few years, and that trend continues in 2022. Homeowners are adding dedicated space for their wine collections. So whether you just relax with an occasional glass of chardonnay or are a wine connoisseur with an enviable collection of vintage wines, adding wine storage to your kitchen is a trend you’ll want to follow.

And because 2022 is all about making your kitchen work for you, you can decide exactly how much space you want to devote to wine storage. Add a small wine rack in the corner of your kitchen, or go all out with a custom home bar. Kitchen island bars and refrigerated cabinets are excellent ideas for adding wine storage to your kitchen.

3. An Appreciation for Nature

Kitchens that celebrate nature are in style now. So this is an excellent time to consider replacing your stock cabinets with all-wood options. Using natural materials, such as quality wood cabinets invokes a peaceful feeling.

Pair your wood cabinets with other elements from nature, such as wood or bamboo bowls, live plants, cut flowers, and, of course, plenty of natural light.

4. Color

This year, we’re seeing homeowners adding color to their kitchens to bring in some of their own personalities. And again, you can use as much or as little color as you want and still be on trend. Dark, bold colors like oxblood red and navy blue work well to add a strong statement. Or choose a subtler color like sage green for a more tranquil atmosphere.

Try adding color to just your kitchen island or your backsplash to create a pop of color. Want a larger area? Many people choose to add color to their bottom cabinets while leaving the top cabinets and walls neutral. Or go all-in with floor-to ceiling color. Want something in between? Try traditional European style cabinets in Parisian blue to add color and classic charm to your kitchen.

5. Unique Style

With custom cabinets, the sky is the limit, and many homeowners are taking advantage of that flexibility to infuse their own unique personality into their kitchens. Ditch the stock cabinets, and come up with your own unique style.

Try fluted or arched cabinets for a unique design. Or add mesh panels, glass display doors, or ornate elements to create a one-of-a kind kitchen. Want a round kitchen island instead of a rectangle? Go for it! Now is the time to let your imagination run wild, and turn your kitchen dreams into reality.

6. Multi-functionality

Homeowners today use their kitchens for more than just cooking and eating. They want a gathering place where they can enjoy spending time with family and friends, a workspace to tackle tasks when working from home, and a place their children feel comfortable sitting and finishing their homework.

Kitchens in 2022 reflect those desires, with many homeowners opting to add comfortable seating, kitchen islands with an extended countertop for additional seating and work space, or including tech, like televisions, charging stations, and tablet stands. After all, how else are you going to follow along with your favorite new cooking class?

We love that 2022’s kitchen trends are all about making your home perfect for you. If you’re ready to start personalizing your kitchen, reach out, and we’ll be happy to help.

 

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8 Cabinet Hardware Styles to Consider with Your Custom Kitchen

When you design a custom kitchen, you want every element to be perfect. Small details carry more weight than you may think. The right cabinet hardware can make or break your kitchen’s look. Here are eight cabinet hardware styles to consider with your custom kitchen.

1. Traditional Knob and Pull

If you think about the cabinets in most homes, you’ll see a combination of knobs and pulls, typically with knobs on cabinet doors and pulls on the drawers. If you like to keep things traditional, a combination of knobs and pulls could be the right fit for you. Moreover, there’s no reason to discount this style just because it’s common. There are so many different choices of knobs and pulls that you can make this style uniquely your own.

2. Drop Pulls

If you prefer something a little fancier, consider drop pulls. Drop pulls add an ornate touch to your kitchen and pair particularly well with other styles, like knobs and cup pulls. Since drop pulls are meant to lie flat, they work best on drawers. And because furniture-style cabinets are popular right now, drop pulls are an excellent choice.

3. Rustic

Are you planning to have lots of natural woodgrain on display in your kitchen? If so, rustic cabinet hardware could be just the touch you need. Hammered or wrought-iron handles and pulls give your kitchen a rustic feel, reminiscent of a log cabin. They also work well in kitchens that feature stone, marble, and granite elements.

4. Cremone Bolts

You have probably seen cremone bolts on casement windows and French doors, but they’re also a wonderful choice for kitchen cabinets, especially those with glass doors. Cremone bolts add a classic charm to your kitchen and come in many ornate designs. You’ll instantly add a romantic, high-end atmosphere to your kitchen by including cremone bolts on your cabinets.

5. Tubular Metal Pulls

If you prefer a modern, sleek look for your cabinets, tubular metal pulls are the way to go. These long, metal pulls come in a variety of finishes, so you can choose one that complements the color of your cabinets.  For example, brass, silver, and gold pulls work well with many cabinet colors. Or for a bolder look, pair black pulls with white or light-colored cabinets.

6. Cup Pulls

Cup pulls are designed to be grasped from the bottom and come in a variety of designs. This versatile hardware choice is equally as at home in a farmhouse style kitchen as an industrial one. For instance, cup pulls can add a vintage, modern, or rustic feel to your kitchen, depending on your choice of material and design.

7. Tuscan

Do you adore European style? Then, consider Tuscan cabinet pulls. These lovely pulls bring a distinctive European flair to your kitchen. Pair them with raised panel cabinets, and you’ll feel as though you’ve been transported to the French or Italian countryside. At once provincial and elegant, Tuscan-style cabinet pulls are perfect if you want your kitchen to evoke an old-world European charm.

8. Novelty

Novelty cabinet hardware is a wonderful choice if you want to express a particular element of your personality. Although some may be quick to assume novelty hardware must be tacky or garish, quite the opposite is true. Tasteful and stylish novelty cabinet hardware abounds. So whether you want to display your love of the sea with seashell-themed pulls, want your hardware to give a nod to your love of nature with elements like leaves and vines, or want to pay homage to your equestrian lifestyle with subtle sleeping fox knobs, you’re sure to find novelty hardware that brings a unique element to your kitchen.

Remember, we at Edgewood Cabinetry are always happy to help you choose the right hardware to complement your custom cabinets. Contact us today to get started.

 

 

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How To Design A Butlers Pantry

How To Design A Butlers Pantry

A butler’s pantry is the perfect addition to any kitchen. It provides prep room, storage and even more. It’s even a great place to hide bulky countertop appliances for a cleaner main kitchen. While they were once used as a place for the butler to store and clean the china and silver, they’re now bustling areas to help with cooking and entertaining. Designing a butler’s pantry gives you the chance to create the perfect area for your needs. Much like a kitchen, you can customize your pantry any way you want.

Determine Its Purpose

How To Design A Butlers PantryFirst, determine your butler’s pantry’s purpose. Some people use them mainly for storage. This lets them use the area as more of a more organized walk-in pantry with a small prep area.

Others prefer to use the area mainly for prep, which means having plenty of counter space, a sink and warming areas for prepared dishes. Some even add a wet bar for an out of the way place to mix drinks without getting in the way of the cook in the main kitchen.

Add Plenty Of Storage Room

No matter what the purpose of your butler’s pantry, incorporate plenty of storage room. You’ll typically want to store things, such as:

  • Less often used appliances, such as large mixers
  • Alcohol – wine coolers are ideal for a butler’s pantry
  • Extra dishes and fine china
  • Extra food (when doubling as a pantry)
  • Baking equipment

You’ll want to have ample room to store everything for easy access when you’re using the area for prepping meals and entertaining.

Make Room For Prep

Edgewood Cabinetry cabinetsOne of the main purposes of a butler’s pantry is to have extra space for prep. You don’t always have enough room in your kitchen to prepare ingredients, lay out all your necessary dishes and keep prepared dishes warm while everything else finishes.

You’ll want ample counter space for prep. It’s also a good idea to work warming areas and a refrigerated area into your design. A small refrigerator stores things like cold appetizers while keeping your main fridge uncluttered.

Consider Entertaining Elements

Often, a butler’s pantry is used to help with entertaining. You can set out trays and have a wet bar for people to serve themselves or make it easy for you as the host to quickly get what your guests need. The best part is everyone stays out of the kitchen so the cook doesn’t get disturbed and the main course is served up on time.

This is another reason to have plenty of storage. The last thing you want is for your guests to see your butler’s pantry in disarray.

Make Cleanup Easy

Sometimes, it’s easy to get so caught up in everything else that you forget about one important design element – cleanup. The type of countertop and backsplash you use can drastically affect how long it takes to clean your kitchen.

We’ve written several guides on helping you choose the best countertop for your kitchen, including:

You want surfaces that are easy to wipe off. Grout work in the backsplash might look good, but you may want to avoid it in areas where you’ll prep messier foods. You’ll also want to consider adding a sink and small dishwasher. A sink, at the very least, gives you a place to rinse things off and clean your hands.

Try To Complement Your Kitchen

Finally, try to create a complementary design to your kitchen. This creates a seamless look between both areas. Your butler’s pantry should be similar to your kitchen. You’ll likely want to keep the same cabinet design and colors.

While you don’t have to keep them the same, it’s a common trend. You could also go with an exact opposite to make the rooms stand out. If you’ll have more guests in your pantry than kitchen, you’ll want to design with that in mind. You may want a more elegant look versus a more functional look like you’d have in your kitchen.

Every butler’s pantry needs custom cabinets to complete the look. Contact us today to find out how we can help.

Image: Becca Tapert

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Expert Tips For Removing Your Old Kitchen

Expert Tips For Removing Your Old Kitchen

Removing your kitchen isn’t the easiest thing to do, but it’s a satisfying process. Suddenly, your kitchen is a blank canvas for your new dream kitchen. Depending on the extent of your kitchen renovation, you might not need to remove everything. However, you do need to remove things in a certain order. Doing it the way the experts do will help you finish faster, stay safer during the process and avoid damaging anything you still want to keep.

Prep For Removing Your Old Kitchen

Expert Tips For Removing Your Old KitchenBefore removing your old kitchen, you need to do a little prep work. The main things you need to do include:

  • Clean out all cabinets, drawers and appliances (you can keep your refrigerator and freezer going until you’re ready to move out appliances)
  • Get gloves and goggles to protect yourself
  • Get a large dumpster delivered if you’re throwing out cabinets, countertops, flooring, etc.
  • Have your new kitchen almost ready to install, such as having new custom cabinets ready to be installed as soon as you’re finished removing everything
  • Have someone to help you (never do this alone to avoid getting hurt)

Prepping means you won’t have to wait so long between removing the old and getting the new kitchen.

Disconnect Everything

Since you’ll be removing your sink and appliances, you’ll need to disconnect your water, gas (if applicable) and electricity to your kitchen. This prevents leaks and shocks when trying to remove things. Often, wires run behind your kitchen cabinets, so it’s safer to turn off the electricity when you’re trying to take them down. If you know where your wires run and can take down your cabinets safely, you don’t need to turn off your electricity until you’re ready to start removing appliances and light fixtures.

Protect The Floor And Other Rooms

Edgewood Cabinetry home tips kitchen cabinetsIf you’re not changing your floors, use a drop cloth to protect them. Despite your best intentions, you will drop things when removing your old kitchen. Also, try to seal off the area by putting plastic over any entrances to other connecting rooms. This helps contain the mess while you’re working. You may also want to put down a drop cloth if you need to walk through other rooms to take out the things you’re removing.

Take Down Anything You Want To Keep

If you want to keep any light fixtures, cabinet hardware and things hanging on your walls, take them down. It’s easy for things to get broken or lost once you really start removing things. For instance, in trying to remove upper wall cabinets, you can easily break a hanging fixture.

Remove The Sink

Before you remove any cabinets or countertops, you have to remove the sink. Double-check that your water is turned off or you’ll turn your kitchen into a swimming pool. If you want to keep your sink and/or faucet fixture, store them carefully in another room or area to avoid any damage.

Remove Upper Cabinets

The next step is to remove your upper cabinets. Do this before removing your countertops. Removing your old kitchen is a lot easier when you can balance your wall cabinets on your bottom cabinets. To remove cabinets safely, remove the doors, drawers and any other moving parts before taking them down. If you plan on giving the cabinets away, label the parts so the new owner knows how to put everything back together.

Remove Countertops And Backsplashes

Now that you’re done balancing your cabinets on the countertops, it’s time to safely remove the countertops and backsplashes. For longer sections of countertops, you may need help lifting them. If you’re not reusing them or donating them, carefully cut them into small sections.

Remove Cabinets

Finally, remove your bottom cabinets. The process works the same as your upper wall cabinets. Take out any drawers, remove the doors and take out any movable storage solutions.

Remove Appliances

The last step is removing your appliances. Unless they’ll be in the exact same spot, you’ll likely need to remove your appliances. This gives you room to install new cabinets, light fixtures, countertops and more. Turn off the electricity to your kitchen before removing your appliances to avoid getting shocked.

Removing your old kitchen may take a few days. However, your new kitchen is waiting. Start the entire process by letting us build your custom cabinets for your brand new kitchen.

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What To Look For When Designing Your Dream Kitchen

What To Look For When Designing Your Dream Kitchen

Designing your dream kitchen gives you the chance to finally get the look, storage and function you want. But, you’ll probably discover there are quite a few choices to make. Maybe you like several types of design styles. What kind of storage works best? How can you choose between those stunning grey and beige granite countertops? It all comes down to knowing what to look for to not only get your dream kitchen but a kitchen you’ll truly love for years to come.

Try A Transitional Style

What To Look For When Designing Your Dream KitchenIf you’re having a hard time deciding between styles, a transitional style is the best choice to look for. Designing your dream kitchen means choosing something that you’ll want to use for years. A completely modern style might not make you happy a few years later. On the other hand, an older style might get boring quickly.

Kitchen trends come and go, but you probably have certain styles and features you still love no matter what. A transitional style means you merge more traditional themes with modern elements. Transitional styles are the most popular choice for kitchens, but you can definitely customize them to your dream kitchen.

Look For Innovative Storage

Drawers and cabinets aren’t the only storage options for kitchens. When designing your dream kitchen, look for innovative storage ideas customized to your needs. For example, you might have a wine rack in between two upper cabinets. Or, you might use your baseboard area to add a pan drawer. We have quite a few guides to help you see just how many storage options are available:

Opt For Custom Cabinets

When designing your dream kitchen, always look for custom cabinets. Stock cabinets can work, but you’ll always feel like you’re compromising in certain areas. Plus, it’s difficult to fully maximize your space when you’re forced to only use a few specific sizes.

Custom cabinets give you choices. Choose the size, function, organization and much more. You can even choose the materials used. Your kitchen will thank you for going custom and your friends will envy your unique kitchen.

Combine Elements From Various Sources

Edgewood Cabinetry cabinetsWhile you may already have a dream kitchen in mind, take some time to look at other kitchens. Browse through images on Pinterest. Check out friends’ and family’s kitchens. Look at current trends and various styles.

Now for the fun part. Don’t try to just copy someone else’s kitchen. Combine the elements you love into your dream kitchen. A specific color, type of lighting, cabinet style, organization methods and so on can all come from different sources. Together, they create a kitchen you’ll love.

Think About Function And Convenience

Designing your dream kitchen also means deciding on the right layout. You’ll want to look for cabinets and appliances that best fit the layout you want. Think carefully about the function and convenience when designing a layout. You’ll want to design your cabinets to make it easy to reach things as you cook and entertain. The more convenient and functional, the more dream-like it’ll feel every time you walk into your kitchen.

Match Your Home At Least A Little

It’s easy to get carried away, but the last thing you want is to design your dream kitchen and discover it clashes horribly with the rest of your home. While your kitchen doesn’t need to match exactly, it shouldn’t be a shock to the eyes when you walk in. Add design elements that help your kitchen match, at least a little. This is especially true if you have an open kitchen that connects with your dining room and/or living room.

Designing your dream kitchen is fun. Contact us today to find out how we can help create the custom kitchen cabinets of your dreams.

Image: Sidekix Media

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Solutions For Your Kitchen Pantry

Edgewood cabinetry custom cabinetsKitchen pantries have existed for centuries; they are where chefs store their essential items and recipes. The pantry started as a separate room for storage and evolved into a built-in cabinet within the kitchen. Today’s kitchen pantry design revolves around the concept of saving space while maximizing functionality.

Generally, there are two types of kitchen pantries. One type is a walk-in pantry that is a separate room. The second is a built-in pantry. Today’s built-in pantries are the most common, and it is what we usually see in homes.  Here are some types of pantries to consider when designing a custom cabinet for your kitchen.

Pull-out Pantry

Pull-out pantries are designed to utilize the vertical space of the kitchen, reducing its footprint area. It has a mechanism wherein you can pull the entire shelving unit (usually two-sided), allowing complete storage access in one opening. Its ease of storage access will enable you to organize better items, reducing clutter, and making your kitchen tasks more manageable. Various things can be accessed that otherwise would have gotten lost in the corners of standard cabinetry. For those homeowners requiring more storage, especially avid cooks, a pull-out pantry can be designed as a full-height cabinet with thick shelving.

Roll-out Pantry

Roll-out pantries are an oversized drawer. Each row can be independently pulled out, which allows partial storage access in one opening. However, you need to pull each row to access storage completely. For this reason, organizing and retrieving items can become more tedious. Roll-out pantries can be expanded the same way as pull-out pantries; however, each row must be labeled and properly organized to avoid the painstaking task of pulling each row out. Roll-out pantries are a step down in functionality as compared to pull-out pantries, while its storage to footprint area is the same as pull-out pantries.

Standard Cabinet Pantry

Standard cabinet pantries are shelves inside a cabinet. It is designed horizontally and with reduced depth to accommodate storing items and have ease of access. Its design reduces deep corners, which are difficult to reach. To save on wall space, one can opt for a full-height cabinet. Its only downside would be items are not within an arm’s length.

Portable Pantry

A portable pantry is only used in kitchens with tight space. This unit is a small cupboard mounted on wheels. Its mobility is useful in a small kitchen wherein it can be placed anywhere, depending on the need. However, it has limited storage capacity and is suited only for homeowners that rarely cook.

If you are considering remodeling or upgrading your kitchen, consider the needs and preferences when choosing a kitchen pantry. There are numerous choices available. The right choice will significantly improve your kitchen lifestyle and can save you precious time in handling and accessing items.

For more information on designing a custom pantry for your kitchen contact Edgewood Cabinetry at 919-339-7300.

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7 Common Mistakes In Kitchen Design And How To Avoid Them

8 Common Mistakes In Kitchen Design And How To Avoid Them

You want the kitchen of your dreams, but some common mistakes in kitchen design could ruin everything. Don’t let this happen to you.

It’s easy to avoid mistakes and create a kitchen you’ll love to use. Whether it’s large or small, the right design can completely transform the space into something perfect for your needs.

The best part about these common mistakes is they have easy solutions as well. If you get it right the first time, you can go years without remodeling and still have a kitchen you enjoy.

1. Limiting Your Space

It’s far too easy to try and cram too much into too small of a space. This is obviously more of an issue for smaller kitchens. Instead of just trying to fit everything and having no room to move, get creative with the kitchen design. For example, skip a dining room table and have a slide-out table under the counter of a small kitchen island. You get extra storage and counter space with the island. Sit a few chairs near the island or even have foldup chairs nearby. Then, slide out the tabletop, grab the chairs and enjoy.

Use simple hacks to make the most of your space. Suddenly, a smaller kitchen has ample space.

2. Using Cheap Materials

Saving money is great, but not if you have to keep replacing broken kitchen cabinets, sagging shelves and water-logged doors. One of the worst mistakes in kitchen design is sacrificing quality to save a little. There are cost-saving options available. However, custom hardwood cabinets will far outlast cheaper pre-fabricated cabinets, meaning you’ll have a kitchen that lasts decades versus 5-10 years. The same goes for cheap fixtures that fall apart in no time, such as sinks and lighting.

3. Using The Wrong Colors

The wrong colors can make your kitchen look much smaller and dreary. Of course, going with a stark white makes your kitchen seem like it’s unusable. Instead, go with a blend of shades. Using a brighter floor and countertop along with darker cabinets works well and vice versa. The idea is to make your kitchen look welcoming.

4. Opting For Too Much Open Shelving

Open shelving is one of the top mistakes in kitchen design. A little goes a long way, but many people make the mistake of getting carried away. If some look good, why not skip cabinets and stick with open shelving? The problem is your kitchen will quickly look cluttered, things fall off the shelves and it’s difficult to keep everything clean. It’s much better to put most of your dishes and cookware in closed cabinets. Leave open shelving for decorative items or a few items you use all the time.

5. Cabinets/Drawers That Open Into Each Other

Sometimes your kitchen design gets away from you and it’s not until everything is finished that you realize opening doors and drawers is like a strange puzzle. Often times, this happens due to poor measurements or using cheaply built pre-made cabinets that open at weird angles. It also happens when corner cabinets aren’t carefully done and end up not opening without scraping against surrounding cabinets.

6. Restricting Lighting

Your kitchen needs to be one of the most well-lit rooms in your home. It also needs a variety of lighting. However, many kitchen designs make the mistake of restricting lighting. Cabinets may cast large shadows or block light entirely in some areas. Ensure lighting is placed so it lights the entire kitchen. Also, ensure there is ample space for under cabinet lighting around your stove.

7. Not Making It Your Kitchen

Trends are wonderful and give you ideas to update your kitchen, but don’t become a slave to trends or even classics. Incorporate trends if you like them, but don’t just use them to be stylish or for resale value years down the road. Remember, trends change, so you don’t want to be stuck with something that you hate and that’ll be outdated in a few years.

Instead, make your kitchen your own. It’s your space, so make it look like it. Use the colors you like and the design that works best for your needs.

8. Limiting Storage Space

Out of all the mistakes in kitchen design, limiting storage space is the worst. For instance, if you need more space, why only have bottom cabinets? Build cabinets above your counters too. Also, use as much vertical space as possible versus leaving large gaps between the ceiling and cabinets. This is lost storage space. You don’t have to just stick with standard cabinets. Gain more space by having custom cabinets built for your needs, such as more drawers or a tall pantry versus sectioned cabinets in one area. We have some great ideas for making the most of your space.

Kick kitchen design mistakes to the curb and prevent many of them with custom-built kitchen cabinets. Contact Edgewood Cabinetry today to make your dream kitchen come to life.

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Edgewood Cabinetry custom kitchen cabinet

How to Clean and Maintain Your Custom Kitchen Cabinets

Edgewood Cabinetry custom kitchen cabinet

Keeping Your Kitchen Cabinets Clean

When you invest in having expensive, custom kitchen cabinets built and installed in your home, your intention is to have them for many years. Keeping them looking brand new throughout their lifetime is important. Let’s review how you can keep your custom kitchen cabinets in top shape.

Get Down to the Basics

When you’ve spilled something on the kitchen cabinet, it is best to clean it right then and there. Take a lint-free cotton cloth that has been slightly dampened with water and wipe off the mess. If you’ve spilled something oily or greasy, you might need to use a simple solution of mild soap and water to wipe it down. One thing to keep in mind: do not use any harsh chemical-based solutions or detergents to clean the cabinets, this might damage the surface or ruin the finish.

Get Rid of Moisture

Moisture is the sworn enemy of the beautiful finish on your expensive kitchen cabinetry. To prevent damage due to moisture, make sure that you don’t keep any wet towels or rags hanging on the doors of your cabinets.  If you inadvertently spill water on the surface of the cabinet, make sure that you immediately wipe it down, and dry it.  Check for any dripping pipes under the sink and repair them.

Avoid Heat as Much as you Can

High heat in contact with the surface can cause the finish to discolor and the wood to start cracking.  Make it a practice to avoid placing any hot vessels on the surface of the cabinet.

Don’t Use Harsh, Abrasive Cleaners of Any Kind

Don’t use steel wool pads, scouring pads, or any other type of abrasive cleaning product to clean the messes off of your kitchen cabinet. These have a physical impact on the surface and finish of your custom-made kitchen cabinet.  Once marred, it becomes easy for liquid and food to enter into the wood and deteriorate it.

Remember that a wooden product will only last long if it receives maintenance and care. Good maintenance practices, keeping the above points in mind, will ensure that your kitchen cabinets are long-lasting and remain in pristine condition.

It truly doesn’t take as much work as you may think it does, no more than you normally do. Just be mindful of any messes you see and get them cleaned up immediately, and be smart with what you do decide to use as a cleaner. With proper care, your cabinets should keep looking truly fantastic for years to come.

For more tips on caring for your custom kitchen cabinets contact Edgewood Cabinetry at

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Colors That Date A Kitchen

Colors That Date A Kitchen – What To Avoid

Have you ever walked in a kitchen and just thought that it looked old, and not in a trendy vintage way either? If so, the reason could be due to using colors that date a kitchen.

That’s right. The colors you choose to use could be making your kitchen look old, even if it’s newly remodeled.

If you want to avoid this look, there are several colors you might want to think twice about using. This includes on your walls, for appliances and kitchen cabinets.

Anything Temporarily Trendy

Trends come and go, with an emphasis on “go.” Some trends will stand the test of time, but if the latest kitchen remodeling trend is to paint your cabinets fuschia, it’s probably better to skip it. Many colors that a date a kitchen come from trends. As soon as the trend fades away, anyone who sees your kitchen knows exactly how old it is.

That being said, if you absolutely love the trend, even after it’s been over for decades, then keep those colors. After all, it’s your kitchen and if it makes you happy, stick with it.

Stark White

White may not seem like one of the colors that date a kitchen, but it’s actually a color that decreases the value of your home. In fact, experts found it decreased the value of a home by $1,400 because it seemed too difficult to clean.

Of course, this is part of the reason why it dates your kitchen. It goes back to a time when either a parent stayed home and cleaned all day or you had a maid to help out. Now, you want something easier to clean than white. While it can brighten the room, maybe go with an off-white or at least add some type of colorful trim and some wood-tone cabinets to get away from an everything white type of kitchen.

Dark Woods

Dark cherry looks great, but it’s not the best color for your kitchen. Instead of a nice place to cook and eat, it feels more like a dark office. Dark and red-toned woods are best left for furniture, such as a dining room table and chairs, versus all your kitchen cabinets.

If you do want to use darker woods, use them in moderation. Too much makes your entire kitchen look dim and drab.

Pink Hues

Pink hues are definitely among the colors that date a kitchen. In the 1950s, pink dominated when it came to bathrooms, kitchens and even living areas. Sadly, we’re not living in the area of the Pink Ladies anymore. All that pink just makes your kitchen look well over 50 years old.

If you still love pink, you don’t have to give it up. Instead, use it as an accent color. It can be part of a backsplash or a pattern on your walls.

Burnt Umber

If you were around in the 1970s, you may very well have had a burnt umber kitchen. This earthy tone just screams dated and old. Even though retro colors might be reappearing in kitchen appliances, it doesn’t mean your entire kitchen theme needs to use colors from the 60s and 70s. Let’s face it, burnt umber wasn’t even a great color back then.

Tuscan Colors

If you’ve ever dined at an Olive Garden, you know this look. It’s filled with colors that date a kitchen. Odd shades of off-white and cream, darker browns and even hints of green show that your kitchen hasn’t had a makeover in a long time. While you can pull off a Tuscan theme, it’s not easy. In the end, it looks more cheesy than anything else.

Rules To Remember

First of all, remember it’s your kitchen and as long as you’re happy with the style and colors, that’s all that matters. However, if you want to avoid a dated look, there are a few things to keep in mind, such as:

  • Stick with more neutral, natural tones for the overall color
  • Leave bright, bold colors for accents
  • Don’t do anything just because it’s trendy
  • Stick with colors you’ll enjoy for years

Also, try to go with timeless colors, such as lighter shades of brown and gray. Yellow is also a popular color that gives a timeless feel.

Interested in remodeling your kitchen and giving it a fresh, yet timeless look? Start by contacting Edgewood Cabinetry today!

Image: Oleksandr Kurchev

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