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kitchen layout-edgewood cabinetry

Five Things to Remember when Measuring your Kitchen

If you’re in the planning stages of a kitchen remodel you probably already know that the first step in concocting a new design is to accurately measure your kitchen.

What you may not know is exactly how to do that! Here are five measuring tips to remember that will help to ensure accuracy and your complete satisfaction with the final product.

1) Pick the right tools:  It doesn’t take anything fancy to measure a kitchen but you do need to make sure you have accurate measuring tools including: a straight edge ruler and yardstick, lockable tape measure and, if you plan to use it, graph paper.

2) Break it down: Before you begin measuring draw a rough draft of your kitchen. Include the obvious details like windows, doors and walls but don’t forget to look for less obvious things like heating or cooling units and exposed or hidden pipes. Note everything on your chart and leave space by each item to record the measurements!

3) Follow a logical pattern: As with any home improvement project it’s best to have a plan. When measuring, follow a logical pattern so you don’t miss anything – many experts recommend following a simple clockwise pattern but do what seems best for your thought process and the unique layout of your kitchen. Most importantly? Consistency. Once you pick a system stick to it so you don’t miss anything.

4) Don’t forget the details: One of the key things that is often overlooked is the trim around windows and doorways – make sure to include it in your measurements and to keep a careful eye out for unusual measuring details like varying ceiling heights and recessed flooring in your kitchen.

5) Check your work: When you’re done measuring take the time to carefully check your work. Though it may seem repetitive at the time catching errors early on will save you headaches in the long run!

Contact us to see our complete inventory of stunning, wood cabinet doors and drawer fronts. We look forward to helping you complete your dream kitchen!

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Kitchen layout-edgewood cabinetry

Is a Kitchen Designer Necessary? Working on a Layout and Other Configurations

If you’ve been planning a new kitchen design this winter, perhaps you’ve heard one particular myth you should reconsider: Is a kitchen designer necessary?

The answer to that is a definite “yes” since there’s so much more to a kitchen design than just randomly building cabinets and placing appliances. When it comes to layout and important configurations related to plumbing and electrical issues, you’re going to need serious thought put in.
It’s something we can help you with here at Edgewood Cabinetry. But how complex can it really get? We’ll work it out for you on paper before we do the work so you’ll know exactly what your design will look like.

Dealing with Layout

Layout is going to be more important than you think due to the structure of existing cabinetry and the shape of your kitchen. All kitchens have different shapes with complex corners, wall spaces, and floor dimensions. Placing new cabinetry in relation to other items in the kitchen you’ll be keeping the same needs proper measurement and almost a sense of Feng Shui (without being literal).
Everything needs to make sense structurally or you could have certain items in places that turn out to be obstructive later. Some cabinetry might be placed in an area that gets in the way while you’re preparing food. This might even include a kitchen island not placed in the best spot.
We’ll work with you to make layout a top priority so everything is placed for ergonomic comfort and efficiency.

Plumbing and Electrical Configurations

Layout always goes together with these, because placement of specific items in the kitchen might conflict depending on plumbing configurations, as well as electrical. These have to be assessed before anything is done, even if it means rewiring to place electrical outlets where you want them. A new kitchen sink, cabinetry, and placement of appliances need careful analysis so you’ll know whether anything conflicts. We want to make sure we’re both on the same page about what you want before construction begins.
Contact us here at Edgewood Cabinetry so we can plan your kitchen layout and work out any issues beforehand. Start off the new year right with a new kitchen that’s planned intelligently so you can enjoy it for a generation.

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edgewood custom cabinetry

Five Qualities of a Successful Gourmet Kitchen

At heart, are you a master chef? Is cooking one of your serious passions, and do you have high standards for the food you make and eat?

If you’re devoted to high-quality food and take pleasure in its preparation and consumption, you might want to look into designing a gourmet kitchen for your home.

The following are five qualities of a successful gourmet kitchen:

1) Easy-to-clean surfaces

If you’re using your kitchen frequently to make delicious food, it would need to have surfaces that are difficult to damage and easy to clean. For example, a hardwood floor would need to be sealed to protect against spills. Granite is a popular choice for counters, not least because they look elegant, but quartz is even hardier and more resistant to damage. You would want to have a beautiful and sturdy backsplash on the wall behind the stove; maybe it would be made of stainless steel or plate glass.

2) Professional appliances

If you’re doing heavy-duty cooking, for example, you may want a double oven and also a warming drawer; your range should also be top-notch and possibly come with extra features such as a grilling surface. In addition to your central fridge and freezer, you may opt to have a smaller refrigerator drawer built into the cabinetry, where you can store wine or other items that need to be kept cool.

Regardless of what you decide on, functionality is the primary objective; your appliances need to work well and help you produce excellent results. After you’ve decided on the appliances you need, you would then have to figure out how to make them fit in beautifully with the overall look of your kitchen.

3) Sensible Layout

You want the overall layout of your kitchen to make sense and suit your needs. For example, let’s say you love to bake. You might want to have one of your counters a little bit lower to use as a place for kneading and rolling dough.

You would also want to have certain appliances grouped together so you wouldn’t have to keep trotting back-and-forth across the kitchen, possibly spilling things along the way, during a critical stage in your cooking.

Dividing up your kitchen into different areas, including having an area devoted to food prep, makes sense. For instance, consider installing an island. Not only could it be used for extra storage space and also food preparation; it also serves as a place for your family, friends and other admirers to sit around and savor what you’re making (and help out, if you want them to).

4) Impeccable organization

You want the organization of all of your appliances, utensils, and ingredients to be impeccable. In the middle of cooking, you should know where everything is and be able to access it easily.

Especially if your kitchen is on the smaller side, you’ll need to get creative about maximizing the use of your space. But even for larger kitchens, efficient cabinetry and drawers are essential. When planning your kitchen, think about where you would want to put everything. Would you want a built-in spice rack, maybe one that rolls out from the wall and can be tucked out of sight when it isn’t in use? Where and how would you organize your knives? Consider what kinds of objects you’d want to keep out of reach of children, while still being within your reach.

5) Personal style

If you’re going to be in your kitchen a lot, you want to enjoy your time there. The kitchen is your personal domain. You’re the chef. It needs to look the way you want it to look. So consider, for example, what kinds of moldings you want on your cabinetry. Think about what color scheme you favor. You can also be eclectic, seamlessly combining different styles; you can have a kitchen that has a gentle, traditional look overall, but with some cutting-edge appliances or stainless steel fixtures that show you mean serious business.

Don’t hesitate to contact us to further discuss creating a gourmet kitchen. Investing in a gourmet kitchen can give you years of personal enjoyment and memorable culinary creations, along with the possibility of increasing the value of your home.

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