CCW’S Holiday Wish List: Kitchen

Yesterday our designers shared what they wanted this holiday season for their living rooms. Today, see what they want in the kitchen!

LLumar Windows

When it’s winter, the sun sets early, the winds are cold. There are days when you just want to be snuggle under a blanket indoors. However, we all still crave natural lighting and lots of it! With LLumar Windows you can keep your home lit naturally and safely. Their products block more than 99% of all UV rays which helps preserve the color of your furnishings, fabrics, curtains and other materials. Also, you’ll save up to 40% on your energy bills while enjoying the outdoor views.

Pumpkin Cranberry Nut Bread

Is there anything better than the smell of fresh baked bread throughout your home? Here’s a tasty recipe from Epicurious that will put any fruitcake to shame. This bread is the perfect combination of flavors for the holidays. It’s even better when you share with your friends and neighbors!

Vintage Kitchen Aid Mixer

Has there ever been a better kitchen appliance for the home? These rare, yet exquisite, vintage mixers from Kitchen Aid are built to last. They’re the perfect tool for baking cookies, cakes and more. With its strong motor and classic beehive glass bowl, this mixer looks great in either an industrial or farmhouse kitchen.

Liebherr SBS 246 Refrigerator

Innovative is the word to describe this refrigerator. Liebherr is recognized worldwide for their refrigeration and freezer technology. From its stainless steel finish to LED lighting, this model sports features that will have you staying in your kitchen more often! Our team loved the built-in wine cooler for storing our favorite Pinots and Chardonnays.You’ll enjoy the Biofresh feature that provides the perfect climate for keeping foods fresher while retaining more of their nutritional value. Food can actually last up to three days longer. What makes this appliance even better is that it is Energy Star efficient!

5 Kitchen Trends for 2013

2012 was another fantastic year for the kitchen! From new materials to less traditional designs, people were wanting something different in the heart of their home. If you’re considering a kitchen renovation for 2013, be sure to take note of these popular design trends.

Open-Plan Kitchen

The unity of cooking and living flourishes in the New Year as more homeowners are opting for a seamless transition between rooms. This trend makes entertaining crowds a breeze, as guests float between the kitchen and living/family room.

Glass

High gloss abounds, from cabinets to appliances, but nowhere is this more striking than in the rise of back-painted glass backsplashes. It’s easy-to-clean and the reflective surface adds a beautiful polish to the space. Instead of a single glass sheet, glass mosaic tiles offer an option for an impressive design.

Modern Appliances

Today, we are beginning to live more like the Jetsons than the Jones’s thanks to smartphones and tablets. The kitchen is more mobile than ever and can be controlled through multiple devices. Expect to find more professional style appliances in the home. Go-to designs will be professional gas ranges and induction cooktops that will make any neighbor green with envy.

Transitional Style

According to the National Kitchen And Bath Association, the “traditional” kitchen design was dethroned by the “transitional” style in 2012. The kitchen is moving in a more modern direction, but still contains many elements of traditional style. Think more simplified lines, chandelier lights and big, open spaces made for entertaining.

Plain or Colorful

Appliances: expect to see more colorful options from kitchen manufacturers in the New Year, but don’t say farewell to stainless and paneled options just yet!

Happy Thanksgiving

It feels like yesterday I was roasting last year’s turkey and cannot believe the holiday season is here again. This Thanksgiving, we hope you enjoy spending time with those you love and building memories that you will never forget. I have a hunch that many memories this season will take place in the kitchen.

From everyone here at CCW, we wish you a Happy Thanksgiving.

-Laura

4 Winter Paint Colors

In the home, colors play an important role by adding personality, depth and beauty. This winter, forget about drab colors and freshen up your favorite rooms with these energetic colors.

Lavender

When you paint a room lavender, you introduce an added layer of depth. The rich hue reflects light well and provides a cheerful note to your space that you are sure to enjoy.

Turquoise

For a chic look in your home, turquoise adds an intensity you’ll love. It’s a color that is ultra saturated giving any room a modern architectural feel.

Soothing Green

By painting the walls a soft green, you mimic the wonderful feel of nature. A fascinating color, green is both warm and cool at the same time. Unlike many other colors, this shade isn’t grayed down, so it feels more yellow during the day. At night when the sun goes down, it becomes more blue.

White

Cheer up any home with a basic, clean shade of white. The color has the ability to lift a dark room and revitalize its energy by reflecting light all around, much like a prism.

Why Choose Custom Cabinets

When it comes to home renovations, the big debate is not which refrigerator to buy. The hot topic question is whether or not to hire a designer for the cabinetry. No matter how big or small your renovation may be, custom cabinetry can play a starring role.

Planning

By hiring an interior designer, you can avoid costly mistakes while increasing the overall value of your home. Store bought cabinets will deteriorate over time compared to the extraordinary durability of custom cabinets. Also, our kitchen designers have a trained eye that will maximize the beauty and efficiency of your space.

Wow Factor

Every kitchen should be designed to impress. Designers are trained to think outside of the box and see an overall picture that clients often cannot. When it comes to cabinetry, custom and semi-custom provide a myriad of options and details. These will not be available at the big box stores. By working with a kitchen designer, your space will look more unique and pulled together.

Your Home’s Value

If your home is for sale, you certainly don’t want it to sit on the market forever. By hiring a kitchen designer, you can increase the value of your home by upgrading your kitchen, which in turn should accelerate the sale process. A kitchen upgrade could have as much as a 70% return on investment!

Organizing Your Kitchen

A kitchen is only as functional as it is organized. If your cabinets and drawers feel cluttered, take a look at these tips to reorganize the the heart of your home.

Kitchen Regions

With a variety of unique design options, you can choose to install custom zones for easier organization. For your glassware and stemware, there is the drinks drawer. You can always opt for an appliance garage to store the toaster and blender. If you’re an enthusiastic baker, you can even install a baking bar for oven mitts, cookie sheets and loaf pans.

Inventory

If you can’t identify the proper use for a piece of equipment or gadget, it’s time to give it away. If you rarely use an item throughout the year, stow it in an out-of-the-way cabinet or storage area. Get rid of duplicate items. It’s also a good idea to carefully examine your kitchen once a year to identify things that you don’t need. Give them away! This is also a great opportunity to see what equipment you would like in your home and make your wish list.

Storage Containers

Be sure to invest in different sizes of storage containers with multiple uses. Go for pieces that nest inside one another which take up less room.

Everything Has Its Place

Pots and pans are best kept near the range or cooktop, mixing bowls close to the countertop you use for food preparation, and plates, glasses and flatware by the dishwasher or sink. If you decide to have an open display (either on open shelves or in clear glass cabinets), be ready for the extra work. You’ll need extra time to make sure you are keeping everything smudge and dust free.

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

A Design Upgrade for the Classic White Kitchen

It was June 2011 when the Elarios walked into our CCW showroom. One was a professional photographer and the other a floral designer. They met with our designer Ray and said they wanted a “classic white kitchen.” Those three little words have been mentioned by so many people over the years that Ray has lost count. However, as a few months passed, the Elarios began to expand their vision and Ray saw that they were looking for something quite dynamic.

Ray visited their home and everyone agreed that the kitchen needed a cleaner palette that would reflect the light and the seasons through the expansive windows overlooking the stunning property. Keeping things light and airy, maple wood cabinets with a Nordic white finish were installed. The recessed doors added to the clean beauty of the design that manages to avoid distraction.

For the kitchen island, four solid wood turned legs and wainscot panels anchored the space and provided plenty of seating for a host of sous chefs!

Because the couple had a love for cooking and entertaining, we knew that Sub-Zero would offer superb and functional appliances for their kitchen. The Sub-Zero bottom freezer refrigerator, Sub-Zero under counter drawer refrigerator and the Wolf range with char grill and ventilation hood were beautiful additions!

No kitchen is complete without the details! Ray recommended a subway tile backsplash and exposed stainless steel that would elegantly reflect the changing light throughout the day. Lastly, 15 mullion glass doors were included to complete this modern kitchen.

Ray, as I watched you design this kitchen, I knew you were creating something special! You took a basic request for a classic white kitchen and turned the project into an exciting and fresh space. Bravo!

-Laura

Wood-Mode: Decorative Accents and Mouldings For the Kitchen

When it comes to a kitchen renovation, it’s not only the cabinetry and appliances that make a kitchen complete. Designers often use decorative accents or mouldings throughout a space for an overall air of sophistication. They may even be used within a defined space to create a special focal point around a kitchen island, cooking grotto or display area. I just love it when I see Wood-Mode cabinets adorned with hand-crafted embellishments, such as cabinetry legs and feet, trims, mouldings, corbels and more. These accents are always made of quality hardwoods and finished to match your cabinets perfectly.

Let your kitchen tell your personal story, and explore Wood-Mode’s collection of elegant accents that make for an excellent finishing touch.

Corbels

Carved Corbel Pilaster Columns

Classic Arch Drawer Turned Post

Classic Arch Drawer Pilaster Column Carved Overlays

Carved Mouldings

Wainscot Panels Herringbone Venneer Inserts & Lattice Inserts

Carved Mouldings Wainscot Panels

Louis Philippe Drawer Turned Post

Acanthus Carved Corbels

Bun Foot

Cabriole Leg

Flared Legs

Louis Philippe Drawerhead

Queen Anne Leg

Shaker Foot

-Laura

Vintage Farmhouse

The Hinrichsens, a family of four and a pet dog named Cleo, were in need of a kitchen renovation. The kitchen in their old farmhouse had become a bit claustrophobic and was far too modern for their vintage home. The previous remodel had been completed 10-15 years prior. With experience in historical preservation and a love of antique style homes, Anna was thrilled to work with the family to design their dream kitchen.

When renovating older homes, you have to work within a certain frame of dimensions. In this particular project, the ceilings were very low at 88”H and the structural beams on the ceiling were 6”H. This would mean that the wall cabinets could only be 28”H. We decided to create an “unfitted” kitchen with three different door styles and finishes. The island and the refrigerator area would each look like pieces of furniture that were added to the kitchen over time. The island looks like an old loved and used Shaker table, while the refrigerator and pantry look like an old built-in closet or cupboard. For the main kitchen wall and base cabinets, Anna recommended a soft white washed finish called Vintage Country Linen to make the space feel larger and more airy. The inset cabinetry door style, Madison Raised, was selected to match the detail of the wainscot panel already underneath each window. Each piece of hardware – from the exposed barrel hinges, to the cup pulls that look like they had once been painted but time and use had worn most of it off, to the HL hinges and entry door handles on the refrigerator – were carefully selected to help recreate a vintage look in the kitchen, with a blend of American country that the Hinrichsens desired.

Since the ceiling height came to 88″, it would be difficult to find an integrated built-in refrigerator that accepts custom door panels. Fortunately, we discovered the French door Liebherr refrigerator. The pantry was matched to the refrigerator exactly, which meant a custom overall height, special sized drawers, and an oversized upper door. We used a custom 6”W beadboard on the side of the unit which would have been common on an old built-in cabinet from the 1800s. We then repeated the 6”W beadboard on the backsplash of the L-shaped kitchen to add continuity.

The clients knew that they needed a large family-sized microwave in the kitchen, so it became a challenge to find a location that would make sense functionally and aesthetically in the space. The solution was to create a hutch next to the new windows. The microwave was located in the center of the kitchen so it could be easily accessed, and mounted at the perfect height to be easily used.

To complete the vintage look, Anna included many details that would compliment the kitchen. She noticed the original ceiling beams had a small bead on the bottom of each side of the beam and used that as the main repeated detail throughout the kitchen. It was incorporated around the frame of each inset door and drawer, the bead board backsplash, and the bead along the bottom of the crown moulding mounting board at the tops of the wall cabinets. The main kitchen counters were topped with a gorgeous waxed soapstone highlighted by the large white farm sink and the cross handled gooseneck faucet.

Lastly, every kitchen needs a stunning focal point…in this kitchen, a large walnut edge grain butcherblock island countertop! The worn edges of the distressed black island cabinets pick up on the rich wood color, making the table style island the centerpiece that a farmhouse kitchen deserves.

Anna, this may be one of my favorite kitchens you have designed. The level of craftsmanship, detail and creativity in this renovation is just spectacular! Go Anna!

-Laura