Ryan Smith

Without question, the kitchen is the most important room in the house. It used to merely be the room where we prepared meals but now it has become the social hub of our home and probably the most used room.

Because of its importance, it’s no surprise that kitchen remodeling is one of the biggest industries in design. And everyone wants their kitchen remodel to have the most popular styles.

Here are some 2018 kitchen trends that you would be wise to include in your remodel.

Bold Colors

In 2018 we can expect to see bold, vibrant colors. Every year Pantone LLC puts together a group of colors that are expected to be used in fashion, interior design, and many other industries.

And this year’s colors are loud and vivacious. For example, the 2018 Pantone Color of the Year is Ultra Violet or Pantone 18-3838. You will be seeing this fun shade of purple in many industries throughout the year.

These vibrant colors can be found in many places in the kitchen. An emerging 2018 design trend is colored cabinets, but color is also being included in your appliances as well as the fixtures and fittings.

Mixed Metal Finishes Throughout history there have been many decades where only one or two metal finish have been popular. For example, brass was a popular metal finish in the 1990’s or copper and gold finishes were popular in the 1960s’ mid-century modern designs.

In contrast, 2018 kitchen remodels are including multiple metal finishes

Natural Materials

With the increasing popularity of the “go green” movement, it’s no surprise that there is also an increased movement for including natural materials into your kitchen remodel.

Wood is one of our best renewable resources for kitchens and can be used in lots of ways including wood flooring, natural finished wood cabinets, and even butcher-block countertops. Other examples of natural materials include stone countertops and brick or stone backsplashes.

Quartz Counters

Quartz is an emerging trend for kitchen countertops in 2019. Quartz is a manufactured stone but can be just as beautiful as your natural granites and marbles.

In fact, because it is a man-made material, the range of colors can be a lot more varied than what is found in natural stones. Other reasons quartz is a good choice for countertops are its superior durability and stain resistance.

Eccentric Tile Choices

Due to its durability and moisture resistance, tile has been the dominant flooring and backsplash materials in kitchen and bathrooms throughout history, and that trend isn’t about to change. But you won’t find the simple 12″ x 12′ square floor tiles or the basic white subway tile in your kitchen today.

Cast Iron Sinks

At one time, most sinks were made of an enamel-coated cast iron, and many people still prefer them today. Those who decide on cast iron choose it for its pretty appearance, as the enamel can be colored.

Today, many cast iron sinks are made with recycled iron, so the environmentally conscious consumer might prefer them too. However, the enamel can scratch and chip over time, especially if a person tends to not be careful about throwing things in the sink, and eventually those small imperfections can start to rust.

Stainless Steel Sinks

Stainless steel is popular in sink choices right now because it is one of the only sinks that can be under-mounted. These sinks are easy to clean, take a beating, and rust or stains can usually be scrubbed out.

Some people find them noisy when washing dishes, but if that’s a concern talk to the contractor about a model that offers sound absorption. At one time people didn’t enjoy the commercial look of a stainless steel sink, but with stainless steel appliances in style, many people no longer mind its appearance.

Cabinets and Open Shelving

The traditional kitchen remodel often calls for a heavy use of cabinets and with the right use of color and materials, that may be your best option. If you want cabinets but you’d still like an airy feel, consider glass-fronted cabinets that will not sacrifice traditional storage for a lighter seeming room.

For a more contemporary aesthetic, frosted glass has a cleanly modem look while not showing off everything stacked inside the door.

Open shelving is an alternative to the cabinet heavy kitchen design and increasingly popular in kitchens today.

A combination of cabinetry and floating shelves above the backsplash is a contemporary alternative to the traditionally designed kitchen that creates a feeling of extra space and openness.

Pantry Options

The pantry question is another option to consider in designing your new kitchen. If you have a large budget, you may want to renovate an existing pantry with new small storage solutions such as pull-out shelving, shelved doors, and drawer additions.

If your household demands it and your budget allows it, consider the addition of a luxurious walk-in pantry to suit storage needs. On the smaller end, corner cabinets and shelving built into cabinet doors for dry goods and spice storage can solve a lot of organizational problems.

Kitchen Work Triangle

Most of the tasks you complete in your kitchen involve three things: the refrigerator, the sink, and the stove top. Many of the tasks also involve walking from one to another during the course of preparing meals or cleaning out the refrigerator.

If you want to have an efficient kitchen, make sure your design includes a clear walkway between the three points. This forms the kitchen work triangle.
The devil is in the details when it comes to the kitchen work triangle.

The major points can’t be too close to each other; the different work zones will start to take over each other’s counter space. If two people are working in the kitchen at the same time, then tight quarters could easily lead to frustration. Ideally, each triangle leg should be four to nine feet in length.

If you’re incorporating an island to your kitchen design, make sure it stays out of the triangle.

Implement These Trends

Home renovation programs show you all the different ways to can make your kitchen shine. A new, sleek backsplash can add a pop of color. New granite or quartz countertops add value and make your kitchen instantly more luxurious.

Adding a kitchen island can give you more counter space and open up the kitchen for more conversation. But all of these glamorous design changes are founded on tried and true design principles.

So if you’re giving your kitchen more than a surface-level facelift and rearranging everything, contact us.

Updating a kitchen can be costly and time-consuming, sometimes you want something new in your kitchen, bathroom, or other area of your home. The kitchen tends to get left out when it comes to updates because there’s not much room for change without tearing out appliances, countertops, and cabinets.

Replacing cabinet handles is one way to get around this. Whether your cabinets have old hardware from previous owners or you’re just tired of hardware you installed previously, replacing the hardware isn’t too tough. All you need is a drill, measuring tape and new hardware.

If you need a refresher or you’re replacing cabinet hardware for the first time, we’re here to help. Keep reading to learn more about how to change out cabinet handles or pulls so that you can finally add a little flair to your kitchen.

Replacing Cabinet Handles

Replacing cabinet handles is an easy enough job for the DIYer. Depending on the size of your space or how many cabinets you have will depend on how long it takes you to complete the project. With the right tools, you should be able to complete a typical project within one day.

You may need a step ladder in addition to the other tools we mentioned above. Even for lower hanging cabinets, a step ladder can give you a better angle when removing and re-hanging the cabinet doors.

Remove Cabinet Doors

You can start your project by removing just a couple of cabinet doors at once. Removing more than three doors can get complicated and it’s easy to forget which doors go where once they’ve been removed.

Using your step ladder, climb up to eye level with the hinges and remove the screws from the base of the cabinet, not the door itself. This will make it easier to re-hang the cabinet doors later.

Lay the doors out in a line if you’ve removed multiples and begin removing the existing hardware.

Remove Existing Hardware

You can use your drill or a simple screwdriver to remove the existing hardware from the cabinet doors. Be careful not to strip any screws so that you don’t get stuck with cabinet door with a screw stuck in it, or worse, a gaping hole for drilling it out.

Make sure to set the removed hardware aside from the doors so as not to mix it up with the new hardware that you will be replacing.

Fill Screw Holes

If you have exposed wood cabinet doors then you’ll probably want to pick up a few different shades of wood putty. You can mix the various shades to find a color that matches your cabinet wood best.

If your cabinet doors are painted, you’ll just need to use some basic wood putty to fill the holes left over from the removed hardware.

Using your finger or the corner of a putty knife, tap wood putty into the exposed drill hole. Smooth it over with the putty knife and allow to dry according to the directions on the wood putty container.

Camouflage Screw Holes

Once the wood putty is dry, you can either paint the cabinet door to match the existing paint color or camouflage the filled hole with wood pens or stain markers. Also, try to put the new hardware in a conspicuous spot on the door so that the covered hole is not as noticeable.

Picking Out New Hardware for Cabinets

There are a lot of different styles of kitchen cabinet hardware to choose from depending on your taste and function. Consider how you use your cabinet doors and try to find handles or pulls that will work cohesively in your space. You can also use your cabinet handles to make a statement in your kitchen.

Try contemporary hardware in a farmhouse kitchen or exotic pulls in a basic, small, outdated kitchen. Make it fun and interesting but not too gaudy.

Installing New Hardware for Kitchen Cabinets

Once your wood putty and paint has dried, you can install the new hardware. If you are replacing handles or pulls with similar dimensions to those that you took off, you may be able to use the same holes. If not, you’ll need to drill new holes.

Aesthetics

Before you replace every handle in your kitchen, try replacing one and see how you like it for your kitchen. It may look appealing in the store only to be something completely different from your decor. You want your handles and pulls to mimic your personality, not clash with it.

Measurements

You can find hardware installation kits at your local hardware store to help with the measurements for your cabinet doors and hardware. Otherwise, you can make your own template using a scrap piece of wood. Just drill holes that match your cabinet hardware to use as a marker for your cabinet doors.

Final Thoughts On Replacing Cabinet Handles

Replacing your cabinet handles doesn’t have to be a scary process. Just make sure you set aside plenty of time for the project as it is one that requires such. You’ll want to be patient while you remove the cabinet doors and hardware as well as allowing the wood putty to dry.

You should take care with the drill when creating new holes for the new hardware so that you don’t scratch or dent the cabinet. Drill holes should be just smaller than the screw you will use to install the hardware for a tight fit.

Once you’ve finished the project, you’ll enjoy a fresh looking kitchen or bathroom that required little effort and didn’t break the bank.

When you’re ready to replace the hardware in your home, feel free to contact us. We also have cabinets if you want a more updated look.

The average cost to renovate an upscale kitchen costs around $80,000 with the average kitchen coming in around $30,000 . For some, it’s worth doing a complete rehaul in their kitchen.

Sometimes the look or materials are so dated that it’s necessary to start from scratch.    If your kitchen just needs a little extra something to make it more modern, then updating your kitchen cabinets makes the most sense, but choosing which style isn’t so easy.    You’ll have to consider your budget, style, and needs.

To help you out, here are six ideas for your next kitchen renovation.

1. Try Stainless Steel To Complete Your Modern Kitchen

Stainless steel has become so popular that designers now consider it a neutral tone. It also blends well with other colors and provides a sleek, modern look.

Imagine how polished, sleek, and high-end your entire kitchen will look if you add accents of stainless steel to your modern kitchen as well as your appliances.

Of course, there are a few ups and downs when choosing stainless steel. Obviously, those with children may not appreciate how easily fingerprints show up or how easily stainless steel gets scratched.   However, some stainless steel fabrications claim a high resistance to both of these problems.  The perks are that steel also easy to clean and extremely sanitary.

Stainless steel is also durable (not counting the scratches).

For those who love the look but not the cost, try looking for other options of MDF cabinets that are layered with steel over the top.

2. Lacquer Is A Great Look For Modern Kitchen Cabinets

Lacquer transforms kitchen cabinets because they are rich in color, shiny, and bright. That’s because the manufacturing process applies several coats of lacquer, along with polishing and waxing.

Good quality lacquer finishes are durable and scratch-resistant. However, it can chip which may not be the perfect choice for those with young children.

If chipping isn’t a concern then you’ll open yourself up to a wide array of colors that are available in lacquer. Just beware that if you plan to maintain that wonderfully glossy sheen, you’ll have to clean your kitchen cabinets properly.

Fortunately, there are plenty of products to choose from that easily clean lacquer. Just make sure you buy a product specifically made to clean lacquer as certain chemicals will eat away at the finish.

3. Replace Cabinets With Floating Shelves

A modern kitchen is usually envisioned with clean lines. But a modern kitchen is also designed to make life easier.   One way to do that is by ripping out the old kitchen cabinets and installing floating shelves instead.

Floating shelves offer the ability to easily see and grab everything you own in your kitchen. Many people enjoy the look of floating shelves for the upper cabinets while keeping their lower cabinet doors for the bottom half of the kitchen.

This way, you get a sleek, clean look above while being able to store large, bulky, and unsightly appliances below away from sight.

The downside to choosing floating shelves as your modern kitchen cabinets is that unless you’re highly organized, chances are your kitchen will look cluttered.

The upside is that wooden floating shelves will create a beautiful, contemporary look in your kitchen.

4. Choosing All White Versus Color

When choosing kitchen cabinets, choosing a color is often the most difficult decision to make. Once you choose, you’re stuck with it for a long time or you can just stick with all white.

Why White Works

Imagine glistening white cabinets that when reflected in the sunlight make your kitchen shine.   White is a neutral color. It matches with everything.   White also is easy to clean and still manages to pull off a clean look even when there’s clutter.   You can achieve a great white look using paint, glossy lacquer, veneer, or melamine. And it works with any budget.

Why Color Works

Choosing the right color can make your kitchen pop. You can even use colors along with your contemporary decor.   Warm your kitchen up or cool it down by choosing the right color theme. Use bright cobalt blue to make your kitchen cheery.   Cherry red lacquer provides a sleek, modern look.

Get imaginative by only using color on some of the cabinets. Either way, color makes a big statement on modern kitchen cabinets.

5. Create A Warm Look With Veneer

Veneer cabinet doors can add warmth and depth to any kitchen.   Veener kitchen cabinets are a great choice for those looking to incorporate natural products and a natural look into their home.   Veneer has long been popular in Europe and is now only beginning to gain in popularity in the US.   There are differing qualities of veneer cabinets. For best results, find a highly-skilled, reputable dealer.

If veneers are done poorly, the edging or banding that holds the veneer in place peels or the laminate starts to peel or chip.   Buying from a reputable dealer ensures you’ll enjoy these beautiful kitchen cabinets for decades.

6. Use Stained Wood For A Modern Look

Sometimes a little can go a long way when it comes to kitchen cabinets. Perhaps all white is too much for you.   Yet, so is committing to colored cabinets. Thankfully, there’s a solution to meet your needs.   Try staining wooden cabinets with a bit of color. You’ll achieve a beautiful and unique contemporary design.

A touch of color allows the historical grain of the wood to take center stage. Suddenly, the texture of the wood is what catches your eye rather than the style or the color of the cabinetry.    Incorporating a stained style allows you to mix nature with the modern life. Solid wood slab doors can be tinted to match any color you desire.

Beware that certain wood grains are knotty. If you don’t like the look of wood knots, discuss this with your cabinet maker before the work starts.   Staining the wood will only highlight the knots even further.

Start Planning Your Remodel Today

There’s no time like the present to get started on remodeling your kitchen, and we can help.  Whether it’s helping you choose a color, a style, or which cabinets will work best, we’re here for you.  We offer free help with kitchen and bathroom design.

Tell us more about your project by clicking here.

Is your kitchen badly in need of a redesign?   Then you should first consider new kitchen cabinets. After all, they’re the biggest part of your kitchen.   Changing your cabinets will change the entire feel of the room.   But with so many different cabinet materials, it can be tough to decide which one is right for your kitchen.

What Are the Best Cabinet Materials for Your Kitchen?

There are many factors to consider – including durability, maintenance, cost, and appearance.   So we’ll take a look at the different options available to you.

1. Wood

Most cabinets are made from hardwoods.   Sometimes they are made from solid hardwood. But other times, the hardwoods are applied as a veneer over a substrate to reduce costs.   In either case, it is vital that the wood is finished on all sides before being installed. Wood warps easily as its moisture content changes and you want to prevent any possibility of warping.

There are many different types of wood from which to choose:

Red or White Oak

Strong and durable, red oak is also relatively inexpensive.   With pronounced grain patterns, it’s one of the most frequently used woods for traditional cabinets. Red oak is available in a wide range of styles and finishes and can be used for stock, semi-custom, and custom-made cabinets.   White oak is as durable as red oak, but a bit stronger. It has a more subtle grain pattern and is often quarter-sawn for custom cabinetry. It’s also more expensive.

Ash

Ash if a good choice for a more contemporary look. Especially when it is given a clear or natural finish.   It’s similar in strength and durability to oak, but is lighter in color and has straight-grain patterns. Its generally not available as a stock option and its availability is limited in semi-custom lines.   Ash is most often seen only in custom work.

Cherry

If you’re looking for a beautiful wood that is both durable and has great visual appeal, then cherry is your best bet. Plus, cherry can potentially darken and improve over time.   Cherry offers a luxury wood appearance that can be likened to mahogany or ebony, without the exorbitant price tag. It does still fall in the medium-to-high range of cost though.   As an added bonus, cherry cabinets are also considered one of the six trends for the best kitchen cabinets in 2018.

Maple

Less dense and slightly more expensive than oak, hard maple is a fine-grain and light-color wood.   Similar to ash, it takes on a more contemporary style when given a clear or natural finish. Though darker stains are also attractive.   Maple is a popular choice for semi-custom and custom cabinets.

Birch

Slightly darker than maple, birch is a durable, versatile fine-grain wood that takes finishes well.   In fact, birch can be stained to achieve a pretty believable cherry or maple wood appearance.   But since it’s also prone to some irregular coloring, birch is relatively inexpensive. It’s a good choice in both stock and semi-custom lines.

Knotty or White Pine

Pine is the top choice for the traditional “country” kitchen. And there are two subspecies from which to choose.   With its trademark visible knots and extensive markings, knotty pine has a truly rustic, down-home appeal. And designers say it’s making a comeback.   But white pine also maintains a rustic look, without all of the markings. It offers up a feel that’s a little simpler and lighter. And it’s also easier to blend with other design elements.   Regardless of which one you choose, it must be noted that pine is a very soft wood. So you’ll need to be okay with some potential dents and scratches, which happen easily with pine.

Wood Veneer

If you really want wood but you have a tight budget, wood veneer cabinets are an affordable solution.   With wood veneers, pieces of real hardwood that are adhered to a less expensive material, such as plywood or some other wood composite.   Wood veneers can be customized, stained, and are as versatile as regular wood.   But because the wood is in thinner strips, these cabinets tend to change color over time. They’re also easily scratched.

2. Bamboo

Though often considered wood, bamboo is actually a grass. So we’re giving it its own category.   Over the years, bamboo has become a common material for high-end “wood” flooring. But now it’s proving to be an extremely sturdy and high-quality offering for cabinets as well.   Bamboo is very strong and resistant to denting or chipping. Yet it has a lustrous appearance.   In terms of cabinets, it’s generally available in either flat/slab or Shaker-style forms. And it’s on the higher-end in terms of cost.   While you could conceivably custom order it in any design or style, this is only a realistic plan if money is absolutely no object because it would cost a premium.

3. Laminate

Veering away from wood, wood veneer, and wood-like cabinets for a moment, laminate kitchen cabinets are another wallet-friendly option. Pre-fabricated will run the cheapest, though semi-custom and custom cabinets are available for a bit more.   Laminate kitchen cabinets are incredibly easy to clean. And they’re almost as durable as most wood species cabinets.   But if a laminate cabinet gets chipped, you’re looking at a difficult repair that could require the total replacement of the door or frame.   Another potential problem is the glue that holds the layers of laminate material together can become loose over time, causing the laminate to start peeling.   So with laminate, you have to weigh out whether the savings are worth the potential trouble.

4. Stainless Steel

Cabinets don’t come any more durable than those made from stainless steel. They’ll never warp or crack.   Stainless steel kitchen cabinets can also easily combine with other more natural materials like wood to create some interesting contrast.   With their cool and shiny sheen, they’re the perfect solution for a very modern kitchen with a sleek industrial look.   However even designers agree that it’s easy to have too much stainless steel in a kitchen.

Are You Ready to Tackle Your Kitchen Redesign?

We hope that you now have a better understanding of all the different cabinet materials available to you.   If you’re not quite ready to start tearing down the old cabinets, that’s okay, choosing the right cabinet takes time.

So take a look at our huge selection of cabinets and finishes to get some inspiration. You might just find that perfect cabinet!