How To Decorate With Textures

Texture is everything and can play a vital role in how you layer the look and feel of a space in your home. Just remember that moderation is key. Knowing where to start is important, but so is knowing when to stop.

Decide a Look

Hewn wooden ceiling beams are accented by a weathered-wood farm table.

Do you want a cozy look and feel? Then select woods, plush fabrics, woven surfaces and natural fabrics for the floors and surfaces to add texture to a room. However if a streamlined look is what you want, then introduce lacquer, plastics, metals and glass. Just remember that balance is key. The best rooms have a perfect mix of both.

Introduce Nature

Thick, twisty tree branch and vase filled with freshly cut winding twigs.

Nature can play an interesting role in the home. It’s the perfect place to draw inspiration. Try using shells, stones, horns, feathers, and the unexpected, like cotton blossoms and birch branches, as decorative objects.

Make it an Accent

Leather Ceiling Tiles

Replace your accent colors with textures and surfaces. Texture can be used in place of color in a monochromatic scheme. And don’t forget the walls. Whether you include high-gloss paints, shell, leather wall tiles or Venetian plaster… walls are a great surface to play up texture.

Adjust the Lights

Relaxing Den

Your lighting scheme is just as crucial as the textural surfaces you add. Be aware of the materials and objects that reflect light or create visually interesting shadows.

4 Simple Bathroom Updates

As homeowners begin to look into a renovation, they may decide a complete makeover isn’t necessary. Or maybe they would like to update just particular feature to enhance a room’s look. For the bathroom, if a renovation isn’t on the table, consider these 4 simple updates to recreate your space.

Update Your Floors

Add value and style to your bathroom floors. Porcelain, ceramic and natural stone continue to be super popular with homeowners and designers. Also you’ll get the most added value with an almost dollar for dollar investment.

Exchange Your Shower Head

Should you sell your home, even the simplest detail plays a role. Therefore, minor updates shouldn’t be avoided. By switching out your shower head, you can turn your shower into an oasis. Consider a rain head for its dollar for dollar return on investment.

Install New Lighting

Lighting makes a huge impact in a room creating the ambience you desire. Instead of glaring, blinding lightbulbs above the sink, install task lighting. These lights can be recessed into the ceiling, or even select a pendant or sconce fixture to help illuminate the mirror. Track lighting also continues to be a wonderful option, providing lights to sit along a track on the ceiling or wall. You can adjust their position to shine wherever you want.

Switch Out Your Sink

With so many tasks taking place around the sink, why not update it for a look that appeals to the eye? Not only can sinks be fun, but also they can introduce luxury into your bathroom. Simple details like a new shiny chrome faucet and porcelain handles can add a lot of value to your home. Integrated sinks, in which there are no edges or hangovers from the countertop to the sink, continue to be a homeowner’s favorite. Also, vessel sinks are a creative way to bring life and uniqueness into the space.

Design Durability and Bathroom Beauty

The balance between durability and efficiency with comfort and beauty is the ultimate goal of bathroom design. Homeowners are looking for a reliable space to withstand time and use, which is, at the same time, the safe haven they need to escape everyday life. In years past the options were minimal, however, today there are tons of choices when designing the ultimate multi-functional bathroom.

Bathroom designers and suppliers are producing more diverse products. The industry is constantly improving and refining the manufacturing processes and materials without forgoing style. Every fixture has endured some change for the modern bathroom. Wooden bathroom furniture can now withstand the steam-filled rigors of daily life. By pre-treating the furniture with a moisture resistant coating, you enhance the performance and durability of the product. Manufacturers have been using higher quality materials, such as acrylic and resin, for tubs and showers that retain heat. These products are also easier to clean and are stain/scratch resistant. Lastly, improved technology provides better control of water temperature flow rate for faucets and shower heads.

With 60% of water usage taking place in the bathroom, it’s important for manufacturers to discover ways to reduce the home’s impact on the environment, and also your utility bill. To reduce water consumption, dual flush toilets and ceramic disc technology hare two great developments. Also cabinet manufacturers, including Wood-Mode, have become industry leaders in developing greener products and processes for the home.

The modern bathroom isn’t financially out of reach as you may think. You can certainly find the special products you desire to design a space without forgoing reliability and durability.

When A Kitchen Is No Longer A Kitchen

With a new year already underway, I’m excited to announce that our Chief Cabinet Officer Evan Levey will be guest writing for our blog. Evan is a phenomenal guy whose knowledge about design and functionality in the kitchen, especially cabinetry, makes him a real go-to resource here at CCW. I hope you enjoy his first article today. You can expect his articles to appear quarterly, so be on the lookout for them. I know I will be!

Laura

Happy New Year!

I hope everyone had a great holiday season. As things became mercifully still over the final weeks of the year, I began reflecting on what the number one trend in kitchen design is today. My conclusion agrees with many experts who are writing on the topic in publications ranging from Architectural Digest to the Wall Street Journal. The number one trend is the kitchen is no longer just the kitchen and is taking up more square footage in the home than ever before.

The kitchen today plays a host of functions from a place to prepare meals to an entertaining space, from a spot to work on homework to an extension of the living room. Our clients have been working with our designers on ways to integrate their lifestyle into the room that they love. In a recent project, a client wanted an island where he could be cooking and guests could be enjoying wine and hors d’oeuvres. The trick was to maintain a clear distinction between the cook and the guest sides of the island while at the same time making everyone feel they are together. As the kitchen becomes more and more a “living” space, paneling appliances, seating areas and entertainment nooks are becoming even more popular.

The size of the kitchen continues to grow and is taking up more square footage of the first floor than ever before. Additionally, our designers are coming up with more and more creative ways to design an open floor plan, where the kitchen appears to melt into surrounding rooms but maintains its unique identity.

Finally, although the kitchen is playing a host of roles, its primary function is still connected to food and the kitchens we design need to be ready for all different types of chefs. Whether someone enjoys preparing gourmet meals for friends, simple comfort food family dinners or warming up Chinese take-out, the kitchen needs to be properly designed and equipped.

Please be in touch with any projects you are considering. We would love to make a difference in your home.

All the best for a happy and healthy New Year,

Evan
Columbia CabinetWorks

Saratoga Showcase of Homes 2012

Mark your calendar because the Saratoga Showcase of Homes returns this September! The showcase celebrates and recognizes Saratoga County’s most exceptional homes built by the finest builders in the Capital Region.

Now in its 17th year, the event will display the latest in building techniques and products for the home. Homeowners can also explore beautiful, high-quality furnishings and fixtures from the area’s top interior designers.

There will be three consecutive weekends to join the showcase tours: September 15th-16th, 22nd-23rd & 29th-30th. The showcase home tour hours are 11:00 AM – 5:00 PM. Also, be sure not to miss the exciting Chefs “Saratoga Style” at participating showcase homes. These delectable evenings will take place September 14th and 21st!

To purchase your tickets, visit the Saratoga Showcase of Homes website. All proceeds from the event will benefit Rebuilding Together Saratoga and Habitat for Humanity of Northern Saratoga, Warren and Washington Counties. Be sure to grab your tickets and visit the showcase home on 61 Granite Street to explore the kitchen CCW designed with Witt Construction!
- Laura

Your Cookware Guide to a Better Kitchen

Being a good cook takes more than just delicious recipes. Homeowners need to be certain they have the right equipment. I personally enjoy using nonstick pots and pans in my home, and would recommend Calphalon or Anolon types. Before you make your final decision, take a look at the numerous cookware products many stores offer.

Copper

Copper is a very luxurious kitchen product that heats quickly and evenly. Before you consider this elegant cookware, be aware that copper may be hard to handle and is high-maintenance. Frequent polishing is needed to keep it looking pristine, and regular use will eventually cause the tin lining to wear through, leaving you susceptible to copper poisoning. To avoid that, the worn pan will have to be re-tinned by a craftsman.

Nonstick

Nonstick pans are easy to clean, but will be damaged when used over heat that is too high. Overheating may also release toxins. I highly recommend not to clean these with abrasives You should also avoid metal utensils, which can scratch.

Cast Iron

Whether the cookware is enameled or not, iron warms slowly but distributes heat evenly. I love how cast iron lasts forever. But keep in mind that it’s quite heavy and that non-enamaled pieces need to be regularly “seasoned” with cooking oil to control rust and provide a nonstick cooking surface.

Aluminum

Aluminum heats well and resists corrosion. The material is also lightweight. If you choose to go with aluminum, make sure you buy pots and pans with a protective anodized coating. Uncoated aluminum reacts with acidic ingredients, such as tomatoes and peppers, which will pit the metal that may seep aluminum into your food.

Clad Stainless

Clad stainless steel is a layer of heat-conducting copper or aluminum coated with stainless steel. It’s one of the easiest cookware materials to care for. Another plus is that many manufacturers now make dishwasher-safe pieces.

Carbon Steel

Carbon steel, which is often used for woks, heats very quickly. Unlike cast iron, it needs to be seasoned to reduce sticking.

Enameled Steel

Enameled steel is lighter than enameled cast iron, however, it is not ovenproof. The material is also easy to clean, resistant to sticking, and heats quickly and evenly.

-Laura

Kitchen Renovations: Prioritizing What Matters to You

Let me just start off by saying thank you to everyone who visited CCW at the Great Northeast Home Show last weekend. As always, it’s a pleasure to meet homeowners and learn how they want to redesign their kitchens to fit their lifestyles and personalities.

During the Great Northeast Home Show, we enjoyed having our chief cabinet officer, Evan Levey, present a seminar on kitchen renovations. Evan is passionate about kitchen design and planning, and shared with homeowners the importance of identifying the components of a renovation, asking yourself a bunch of questions about each component and then prioritizing which components are most important to you. This will ultimately help you choose the trades best suited to work with you on your project. Overall, we were glad to hear that people found our seminar to be informative, and welcome you to read Evan’s presentation to gain insight into a successful renovation.

Kitchen Renovations: Prioritizing What Matters to You 

View more PowerPoint from Columbia CabinetWorks

If you’re in the Albany area, I welcome you to visit our main showroom on Route 4 in North Greenbush, and see how we can help you create your dream kitchen.

-Laura

Great Northeast Home Show 2012 Seminar

With the Great Northeast Home Show just one week away, we’re excited to announce that our very own chief cabinet officer, Evan Levey, will be presenting a seminar on kitchen renovations Saturday, February 11th at 12 PM. Evan will be discussing how to outline components of a kitchen renovation from timeline to budget, from environmental concerns to functionality. Attendees will gain an understanding on how the priority of these components play into critical decisions a homeowner needs to make throughout the renovation process.

We hope you all will attend CCW’s seminar on February 11, at 12PM, at the Empire State Plaza in Albany, NY.

Looking forward to seeing you at the Home Show!

Evan Levey’s Bio

-Laura

Want to Save $5000 off Your Home Renovation?

With the Great Northeast Home Show soon approaching, we decided to run a Home Show Special to celebrate. Visit us at the Times Union Center during the Great Northeast Home Show from February 10-12, 2012 to enter to win $5000 off your cabinetry order. You can also enter to win by signing up on our website…simple fill in the “Contact Us” section through the link below:

ENTER TO WIN

This Home Show Special will continue through February 29, 2012. Good luck!

Looking forward to seeing you at the Home Show!

-Laura

Should You Paint the Kitchen Cabinets?

Recently, our chief cabinet officer, Evan Levey, was advising some homeowners about a kitchen renovation. The homeowners felt the cost of new cabinetry was out of their budget and chose to look into other options. They were curious about painting their somewhat dated and tired wood cabinets. Evan advised them that, although it is a quick fix, painting your kitchen cabinets will not look right and can show more smudges and fingerprints than other finishes. The process involves a lot of work and expense to prep and paint the cabinets for a small result, especially if you hire a professional who must strip your cabinetry. Some homeowners opt to do the project themselves, but you run a risk of over-sanding or accidentally damaging your cabinets.

Evan and I both agree that painting your cabinets, whether by spray or brush, is a bad idea. And while paint can improve the look of your cabinets, it cannot hide all faults. Also, the paint will begin to chip over time and can lead to more upkeep than the average homeowner expects. One of the biggest reasons to not paint your cabinetry is that it can be a turn off for potential buyers. If you are trying to resell your home, it can diminish the overall value in the speed of a brush stroke.

If your cabinets are structurally sound and not to displeasing to the eye, we would recommend new countertop. Remember, once the countertop has been installed, you won’t want to change the cabinets anytime soon, so be sure they are structurally sound. You could also change the hardware on the cabinets. With a variety of wonderful countertop and hardware options, you can give your a kitchen an effective and beautiful makeover.

-Laura