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Painting your kitchen cabinets is a wonderful way to add character to your home.

However, cabinets in such a high-traffic area are more likely to take a beating from exposure to cooking messes, heat, moisture, and other hazards that can damage paint and compromise the beauty of your cabinets.

Properly caring for your cabinets will considerably prolong their lifespan, keep them looking attractive, and save you time and money by preventing unnecessary repairs and restoration costs.

Do’s

  • Clean spills from cabinets as soon as they happen. Removing food or liquid splashes from the cabinet’s surface when they are still fresh will stop stains in their tracks.

  • Cabinets that surround the stove top are susceptible to damage from cooking grease and smoke. Regularly wiping down these areas is beneficial to keep them from slowly developing discoloration over time.

  • While cleaning try not to saturate cabinets. Over-wetting can potentially warp the surface. Instead, clean small areas at a time with a soft, damp cloth. Work in a circular motion, drying with another soft cloth afterward

Don’ts

  • Avoid harsh cleaning materials. They can actually be more counterproductive than beneficial, actually contributing to the damage of your painted cabinets. Some examples include abrasive scrubbers like steel wool, ammonia-based detergents, and citrus-like cleaners that can be highly acidic. Test products on the backside of cabinets before applying them to visible areas.

  • Don’t get in over your head when your cabinets do require repairs. Fixing dents and dings on painted cabinets can be difficult, especially with no prior experience. Knowing when to recruit a professional will be a better guarantee to keep your cabinets looking beautiful.

For more information on how you can protect your cabinet investment and maintain their aesthetic quality contact us today.

gray vs white shaker cabinets-edgewood custom cabinetry-clayton nc

Kitchen design trends, on average, tend to last 10 years before declining in popularity, but a white kitchen remains timeless.

No worries here when selecting white cabinetry, but what about gray?

Lately, gray cabinets seem to be as popular as white.

Gray is everywhere! The color has been a favorite of designers for quite some time. In fact, the 2011 cover of the Houzz catalog is all done in gray. Gray is an upscale and very elegant color that exudes sophistication. It is an extremely versatile neutral that lends itself to the old world, traditional, and contemporary designs.

White is a straightforward color, but all grays are not created equal. The red, yellow and blue undertones in the many, many, many (yes, at least 50) shades of gray really do impact the “feel” of the color.

Any kitchen space will look stunning in white, but the tone of gray you select for cabinetry is definitely more space specific. In smaller rooms or those with few windows, dark gray cabinets will absorb the light. This would be the time to go with a lighter shade, to add some brightness to the kitchen. If you are leaning toward gray cabinets, and not sure whether you need a warm, or cool shade, contact us. We can let you borrow some finish samples to test in your space.

A renovation is expensive. When it comes to investing in a remodeling project, it is wise to choose a palette that has longevity and will keep your kitchen looking up to date for many years.  Gray is everywhere right now, but what about 10 years from now? Is gray a new white? We think, maybe so.