Category: Kitchen Improvement

ASHLAND, AL — Wellborn Cabinet Inc. has announced the groundbreaking for a major expansion of the company’s cabinet manufacturing facility here.

The $15-million expansion will add more than 175,000 sq. ft. to the 60-year-old company’s cabinet manufacturing factory, impacting more than a dozen facets of the company’s operations, Wellborn officials said. The expansion is expected to result in the creation of more than 200 jobs, the Ashland, AL-based company added.

“With the help of our local, state and federal officials, along with our local schools, we’ve been blessed with the ability to undertake this expansion and have the opportunity to add these jobs,” said Wellborn Cabinet CEO Paul Wellborn. “We’re especially thankful for all of our dedicated employees, who have helped make all of this possible.”

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WASHINGTON, DC — The Federal Housing Finance Agency has announced an increase in conforming loan limits (CLLs) for mortgages to be acquired by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac (the Enterprises) in 2022.

In most of the U.S., the 2022 CLL for one-unit properties will be $647,200, an increase of $98,950 from $548,250 in 2021, according to the FHFA.

The Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008 requires that the baseline CLL for the Enterprises be adjusted annually to reflect changes in the average U.S. home price. According to the latest FHFA House Price Index (HPI), house prices increased 18.05%, on average, between the third quarters of 2020 and 2021. Due to rising home values, the baseline CLL in 2022 in all but four U.S. counties or county equivalents will increase by the same percentage, the FHFA said.

“These increases are an important step to ensure that government-backed mortgages keep pace with the sharp rise in home prices over the past year,” said Robert Dietz, chief economist for the National Association of Home Builders. “Supply-side challenges, including building material bottlenecks and lot and labor shortages, will continue to place upward pressure on construction costs and home prices in 2022.”

For additional information, visit https://www.fhfa.gov/CLLs.

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NEW YORK — Confindustria Ceramica (the Italian Association of Ceramics) and the Italian Trade Agency have announced that the 2022 Ceramics of Italy Tile Competition is open for entries.

The annual awards program celebrates the exceptional work of top North American architects, designers, and students who use Italian ceramic and porcelain tile in their projects “to create innovative solutions that demonstrate an understanding of the material’s practical, aesthetic, and sustainable benefits,” competition sponsors said.

An international jury of design experts will select winners and honorable mentions in four built project categories, including new construction and residential, as well as a winner in the student category. Architects and designers based in the U.S. or Canada and students currently enrolled in a North American college or university are invited to submit their work through January 7, 2022.

Winners and honorable mentions will be notified in February and announced during the next edition of Coverings, the largest international tile and stone exhibition in North America, scheduled to take place in Las Vegas April 5-8, 2022. Winners will be invited to attend the show and present their projects in front of an audience of design and trade media, manufacturers, and tile industry professionals, sponsors said, In addition to a cash prize of $1,500, the four built project category winners will receive a five-day CEU trip to attend Cersaie, the world’s largest exhibition of ceramic tile and bathroom furnishings, set for Sept. 26-30, 2022 in Bologna, Italy.

Competition guidelines, submission forms and additional information can be found on the Ceramics of Italy Tile Competition website, www.tilecompetition.com.

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RESTON, VA — Major domestic kitchen cabinet/vanity manufacturers continued to report “healthy” sales through October, according to the latest in a series of monthly surveys conducted by the Kitchen Cabinet Manufacturers Association.

The KCMA’s latest “Trend of Business Survey,” released today, reflected a year-to-date sales increase among participating cabinet manufacturers of 14.7% through October, compared to the same ten-month period in 2020. Custom cabinet sales through the first 10 months of 2021 were reported up 20.1% over the same period the previous year, while semi-custom sales rose 11.5% and sales of stock cabinets gained 16.0%, the Reston, VA-based KCMA said.

Manufacturers reported an increase in overall cabinet sales of 6.7% for October 2021 compared to the same month in 2020, with custom sales up 10.4%, stock sales up 11.2% and semi-custom sales posting a 0.6% decline, the KCMA added.

The post Cabinet, Vanity Sales Termed ‘Healthy’ Through October appeared first on Kitchen & Bath Design News.

Before

The homeowners, a couple with a toddler, wanted to transform the master bath in their 1950s San Jose home into a soothing spa-like retreat, but the existing space presented quite the challenge – at only 36.5 square feet, the master bath was disproportionately small and cramped.

After

Designer Ratna Mehetre of Hans Spaces LLC incorporated an adjacent hallway linen closet and a small master bedroom closet in order to expand the bathroom’s footprint. The goal of the gut renovation was to create a space that would not only be luxurious, but toddler-proof as well. A new freestanding soaking tub was incorporated into the space, sealed to the wall on one side for safety, along with a custom-built walk-in glass shower with angled custom doors. A vanity was selected that would provide the look of a floating vanity with the added stability of a free-standing vanity. The space is accessible via a pocket door, and there are floor drains outside the shower for easy cleaning. Reflective and cool finishes were selected for the wall and floors in order to create an illusion of additional spaciousness, while a large round rattan mirror provides a feeling of depth.

After Photos: Steven Matthew Solidarios

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ORLANDO, FL — Returning to an in-person format, the Kitchen & Bath Industry Show is scheduled to be held February 8-10, 2022 at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, FL. Part of Design and Construction Week, KBIS will once again be co-located with the International Builders’ Show.

KBIS and IBS, hosted by the National Kitchen & Bath Association and the National Association of Home Builders, respectively, are expected to feature over 800,000 net square feet of exhibit space and showcase more than 1,000 design and construction brands.

SHOW HIGHLIGHTS

The combined KBIS and IBS events will offer diverse programming, both on and off the show floor, along with a range of new products, technology, demonstrations and networking opportunities.

Some of this year’s highlights include:

The Kitchen & Bath Design + Industry Awards/Opening Party, dubbed “Night of Elegance,” is scheduled for Monday, Feb. 7 from 6:30 p.m. to 11 p.m. at the Rosen Centre.DCW’s Opening Ceremonies, which will take place from 8 a.m. to 9 a.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 8, will feature keynote speaker Earvin “Magic” Johnson.Wednesday, Feb. 9 opens with the NKBA State of the Association, scheduled for 8:30 a.m. to 10:15 a.m. The presentation will be followed with the State of the Industry keynote address by Ginny Clarke, Holistic Leadership Strategist and Former Director of Executive Recruiting at Google.The second day of KBIS closes with The Bash at Mango’s Tropical Cafe, from 8:30 p.m. to 1:30 a.m., hosted by the NKBA.EDUCATION & ACTIVITIES

The much-sought-out Voices from the Industry Conference will once again provide educational sessions and workshops, many offering continuing education units (CEUs). Over 80 hour-long informational sessions will offer attendees the chance to hear presentations from industry peers aligned to one of six tracks: Grow Your Business, Kitchen & Bath Specialty Training, Design, Management, Building/Remodeling and Customer Service. Several of the presentations will be hybrid, meaning the sessions can also be accessed online.

Education and information will also be provided through a variety of channels at the show, including:

KBISNeXT Stage, which will showcase the industry’s latest trends and insights shared by leading kitchen and bath experts. Programming includes DesignBites and a series of panel discussions on hot industry topics.

Wellness Pavilion, an area that showcases new and exciting wellness products and education covering themes such as biophilia, technology, lighting and more.

Discovery District, a portion of the South Hall devoted to emerging and international brands. At its center is the Discovery District Lounge, a place to sit, relax, recharge and network.

DCW Outdoor Living Pavilion, South Hall’s segment devoted to new products for grilling, entertaining and living well in a home’s outdoor space.

The ICFF Pavilion brings together brands that feature authentic design, contemporary design and high-end manufacturing. The area is focused on kitchen- and bath-

specific brands including fixtures, hardware, basins, tubs and vanities, as well as furniture, seating, flooring, lighting, materials and accessories.

NKBA Global Connect has an ongoing mission to expand KBIS and NKBA’s international impact, and it will offer curated International Delegation tours, an inaugural Pavilion in South Hall and the launch of the official German Pavilion at KBIS.

Design Milk X Modenus Talks Lounge, a collaboration between Design Milk and Modenus Media, is returning to KBIS for a fifth year and will be located in South Hall near the ICFF Pavilion. For 2022, #dmmtalks will focus on presentations and conversations around design business, emerging designers and artisans as well as networking breakfasts, luncheons and cocktail hours.

DesignBites “speed dating for brands” program returns, showcasing the latest product innovations. Situated on the KBISNeXT Stage, the presentation gives exhibitors the opportunity to share their newest products and programs in a three-minute presentation.

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CHICAGO — LX Hausys America Inc. unveiled new brand identities for its  HIMACS Solid Surface and Viatera Quartz Surface brands, and a new brand identity for its resilient floorcovering line of products, HFLOR, at the recently held NeoCon. The new brand identities reflect the company’s name change this summer from LG Hausys America to LX Hausys America.

The new name is a result of the company’s position within the recently established LX Holdings Corp. The holding company is a globally diversified organization recently spun off from LG Group, the South Korean multinational conglomerate best known for its advanced consumer electronics.

Concurrent with the name change, the company introduced a new logo. It pays homage to the company’s roots, looks to the future and embodies the organization’s management philosophy: “Link to a sustainable future.” Of significance, the “X” within the LX Hausys logo is intersected with an ascending diagonal line, which is a visual representation of the company accelerating into the future, notes the firm.

An ascending diagonal line is now found within each brand logo. This subtle design treatment creates a unified look between the company and its three brands, the company continues. It also ensures the company’s mission for creating a more sustainable future is consistently visually represented across its portfolio of brands.

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AUSTIN, TX — The Decorative Plumbing and Hardware Association has named its 2021 DPHA Professional of the Year Award Winners, the Bethesda, MD-based trade association announced.

The winners, who were cited at the DPHA’s recent 20th Anniversary Conference and Product Showcase in Austin, include:

Customer Service Department of the Year: Waterstone Faucets, Murrieta, CA.Manufacturing Professional of the Year: Bruce Reidel, Mountain Plumbing, Irving, TX.Representative Agency of the Year: Excel Marketing, Boise City, ID.Representative Professional of the Year: Kory Nelson, Premier Decorative Group, San Ramon, CA.Showroom Professional of the Year: Joshua Moss, Advance Plumbing Company, Detroit, MI.Showroom of the Year: Ultra Design Center, Denver, CO.

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Hicksville, NY —Sometimes, some of the best projects start with a complex story. Such was the case with this recent renovation, which involved a tear down and rebuild of the Northport, NY home sited on the shores of Long Island Sound.

The homeowner and builder (Jato Builders) had visited several firms looking for a collaborative kitchen designer who could help bring to fruition the client’s vision for an elegant residence with a coastal design vibe.

“She’s very particular and she just wasn’t making a connection with anyone,” recalls Ellen Lopez, CMKBD/founder/principal designer, EL Design Studio, in Hicksville, NY. “That’s when I received a phone call from a friend and fellow designer who asked if I would be interested in the project. The homeowner came to my studio and we hit it off immediately.”

Focus on the Waterfront

One of the challenges in finding the right designer was finding someone who could navigate the challenges associated with the relatively large space and the homeowner’s wishes. Specifically, she wanted a kitchen that was unique – i.e., nothing ‘cookie cutter’ – with a functional layout. She also wanted a focus on the waterfront and elegant materials and finishes – including those that would play off of the reflective and shimmery chandelier she had already selected to float above the adjacent eating area.

Lopez’s client wanted a design that included elegant materials and finishes – including those that would play off of the reflective and shimmery chandelier she had already selected to float above the adjacent eating area. The breathtaking vista of the Long Island Sound played a significant role in the kitchen’s design.

“The whole design concept actually started with the light fixture,” she says. “We wanted to keep everything elegant to live up to it, yet keep it toned down a bit so it wouldn’t be overpowering.”

The breathtaking vista of the Long Island Sound also played a significant role in the design.

“The view is the focal point,” she relates, adding that the home’s location is very peaceful and serene. “We didn’t want to detract from it.”

To accommodate, a wall of windows and patio doors with transoms and arched mullions stretch the length of the kitchen and into the adjacent dining room. The color palette and material selection also pay homage to the view.

“We wanted to bring the North Shore of Long Island’s color palette into the house, which we achieved with a variety of materials and wood tones,” Lopez explains. The resulting mix of soft, natural tones is accentuated with a perfect balance of accent colors to provide definition and detail.

For example, Cambria Skara Brae quartz countertops and accent walls, which are tucked behind wooden floating shelves, feature dramatic earth-toned veins set against a bone white background that draw the eye around the room and capture the ebb and flow of the water beyond the windows. Its light and dark tones are repeated in the custom EL Design Studio cabinetry, which is accented with Rocky Mountain Hardware and walnut interiors. The former color tone is represented by the perimeter cabinets and the latter is echoed in the island, which is sheathed in a custom finish that reflects the colors and textures of rocks and pebbles outside. To visually minimize its large dimension, Lopez topped the island with a combination of quartz and custom-figured maple. The wood, from Grothouse, is stained dark and rich to add elegance, depth and strength.

“In a sense, the combination of materials tricks the eye,” she states, adding that elevating the wood eases the transition between the surfaces and gives the wood an impressive and stately appearance. “I didn’t want just one giant piece of stone. Instead, the mix of materials, and the light versus dark, is more interesting and inviting.”

Lopez incorporated plenty of seating, a prep sink and the Thermador range into the island. Hovering above, the ventilation hood – built collectively by Birchcraft Kitchens and Grothouse – also includes antiqued mirrors that reflect the water.

The Importance of Work Flow

Because Lopez’s client loves to cook, creating a functional layout was critical…and challenging, given the fact that she had an extensive appliance wish list that included two wall ovens and a 36″ range, two dishwashers, a microwave drawer and a built-in coffee machine. Plus, she wanted a walk-in pantry with entry provided from within the kitchen.

Lopez accented the pantry door with antiqued mirrors to add interest. Plus, the mirror offers a reflection of the water. Inside, the designer included several unexpected details, including glass/wire mesh upper cabinets, open shelves and a wood countertop.

“It took three iterations to find the perfect layout that established a good work flow in an aesthetically pleasing space,” she indicates.

With one wall dedicated to the view, and therefore unavailable for wall or tall cabinetry, the designer focused on creating rhythm and flow with a small work triangle consisting of the Kohler Whitehaven Cashmere farmhouse sink and Thermador range and refrigerator. Tucked within is the Miele coffee machine and a Thermador microwave drawer.

A separate Thermador column freezer is a few steps away on the opposite side of the arched entrance into the great room. Turning the corner, Lopez placed two additional ovens. Across from another arched entrance, this time into the formal dining room, she included a television, countertop with additional storage and the entrance into the hidden pantry, which sits behind the wall. To add interest, Lopez accented the door with antiqued mirrors.

“I created the entry to look like a tall cabinet, rather than a door,” she explains. “Plus, the mirror offers a reflection of the water so everyone, including those seated at the nearby banquette with their backs to the window, can see the view.”

Inside the pantry, Lopez included several unexpected details, including glass/wire mesh upper cabinets, open shelves and another Grothouse wood countertop.

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The last 18 months have been incredibly tough for everyone. As the pandemic took hold, we have all had to spend more time at home. For a lot of homeowners, this has highlighted the need for a bit of a revamp through the property, and renovating the kitchen is one of the most common requirements.

However, upgrading your kitchen is a big task, and as demand has increased, it has meant many contractors are now incredibly busy. This demand has also created a shortage of raw materials, which means remodeling your kitchen in northern Virginia can be a costly project.

This shortage has meant building materials and kitchen appliances are costing higher than normal. This means homeowners could now be looking at anywhere from $50,000 to $150,000, depending on the size and materials used. The majority of this cost will likely be split between cabinets and appliances.

Work with a proven contractor

While it can be a big investment, one of the biggest regrets homeowners have is not spending enough money on their new kitchen. With interest rates so low, taking out a loan could ensure you get the kitchen of your dreams. However, working with a respected kitchen installer in northern Virginia, like our team here at Explore Kitchens, can also help you to save money.

A professional contractor will not only be able to guarantee the very best installation and materials but also the most affordable prices. Working with wholesalers ensures they are able to get the best prices and products, while their designers will help you to maximize your space. However, with so many companies on the market, finding the right contractor can be tough.

When finding a contractor, the first thing that you should do is to thoroughly review their referrals. This can be done by speaking with existing customers or friends and family who might have used them or by reading independent online reviews. Where possible, you should also see their work in person, either at a former client’s home or in a showroom.

Another top tip when finding a contractor is to make sure you feel comfortable with them. They will be spending time in your house, so you want to ensure you are happy to be around them. You should also be wary of any contractor who is too eager, with demand at an all-time high, someone who is available immediately should be seen as a red flag.

Top tips for renovating your kitchen

If you are looking to transform your kitchen, then you want to ensure that you are creating as stylish of a room as possible. To help you, we have taken a closer look at the hottest trends for your kitchen:

Countertops

When it comes to renovating your kitchen, your countertops should be one of your first considerations. One of the best materials to use is quartzite, which is a beautiful natural stone that offers similar styling to marble with the durability and resistance of granite.

Quartz or Dekton are another great choice for countertops. Not only are they affordable, but they are also highly functional and low maintenance. If you do decide to go for a natural stone countertop, then make sure you review the full slab, and not just a sample, to ensure you understand the complete pattern.

Flooring

Another major factor of your kitchen interior is the flooring. Wide-plank white oak is one of the most popular choices at the moment, thanks to its durability and aesthetic appeal. While this style of flooring looks fantastic, the high demand is seeing prices rise, so if you are more budget-conscious, then consider waterproof vinyl planks as these are far cheaper.

Kitchen appliances

No kitchen would be complete without the latest appliances. There are many different manufacturers on the market, covering every possible price range. Speaking with your contractor will help you to ensure that you are able to get the perfect solution for your budget and your design.

Appliances are a major part of your interior, so they should be chosen before the design is finalized. When selecting your appliances, you should consider the space you have available and also the requirements you need in your kitchen.

Cabinets

Cabinets are not only a functional addition to any kitchen, but they are also a great styling solution. For those looking for an affordable solution, then laminate cabinets are a popular choice, and technology has come on significantly in recent years, making sure they are highly durable and aesthetically pleasing.

Another very popular addition is the use of frameless cabinets, which can help to increase storage space by up to ten percent. While floating cabinets are a stylish choice, they do require more maintenance when cleaning and can look cluttered.

Working with an experienced kitchen installer will ensure you are able to find the perfect cabinets for your needs, style, and budget. Good cabinet design requires in-depth expertise, and it is the minute details that help to bring the entire interior together.

Layout

Of course, one of the most significant aspects of renovating your kitchen is the space you have available. You want to ensure that room meets your requirements and gives you the freedom to cook and entertain friends and family.

Whether it is choosing a kitchen island, a breakfast bar, or multiple storage areas, make sure you discuss your requirements with your designed to ensure your kitchen meets your needs.

Design

Finally, when choosing the design of your kitchen, it can be very tempting to follow what you see online. However, these fast trends might look great now but can quickly become outdated. That is why you should always engage a professional designer, as they will be able to create the perfect and timeless style.

Looking to renovate your kitchen?

If you are looking to renovate your kitchen during the pandemic, then Explore Kitchens is here to help you. Working across northern Virginia, including McLean, Fairfax County, Arlington County, and beyond, our experienced team can help you to create your dream kitchen.

Utilizing innovative design and the highest quality materials, we guarantee the very best kitchen installation services possible. Want to find out more? Get in touch with our team today!

Read More:  

Why We Can’t Recommend Porcelain Countertops

Decisions You Should Make Before Calling a Kitchen and Bath Contractor

Cabinetry 101: Everything You Need To Know About Transforming Your Kitchen or Bathroom

How Thick Should Your Granite Countertops be?

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