Posts Tagged ‘Kitchen Design’
Posted by: Merillat Marketing on 11/28/2011 | Permalinks | Trackbacks
White kitchens are popular again, and why not? They look fresh and are easy to keep clean. They’re the perfect backdrop for colorful dinnerware or linens. And they’re easy to update anytime a new decorating idea takes your fancy.
The key to keeping a white kitchen vibrant and not boring is to pay attention to texture and color variation in your design. Here are a few tips:
1. White is a range, not a color.
There are hundreds of shades of white, from cool to warm. Don’t go for the exact same white on your walls, cabinets, and ceiling. Instead, select coordinating whites for added depth.
2. Focus on texture.
If your cabinets have a smooth finish, use a rustic white tile for the backsplash. If your white cabinets have more of a vintage look, play them up with sleek subway tiles. Many of Merillat’s door styles are available in Dove White and Vintage Dove White finishes, both of which are perfect for an all-white kitchen.
3. Warm it up.
Warm up all that white with a ceramic tile floor in gray, or tiles that mimic wood flooring (real wood is not recommended for kitchens and bathrooms because of the potential for water damage). Hang wooden or bamboo blinds or shades. Install a pair of floating shelves or an island end cap in a contrasting wood finish.
4. Bring in spot color.
Add pops of color with a stand mixer, vibrant cachepots with kitchen implements, window valances, rugs, dishtowels and art. Pile a bowl with apples or other seasonal fruit as a centerpiece for your island or peninsula. Put a colorful collection of dishes on display in a plate rack or cabinets with glass inserts.
Visit a certified kitchen designer to get more ideas for how to build or remodel a beautiful white kitchen!
Tags: cabinets, Door Styles, Kitchen Design, Kitchen Trends, merillat cabinets, merillat kitchen, Merillat White, White Kitchen, White Kitchen Cabinets
Posted by: Merillat Marketing on 11/21/2011 | Permalinks | Trackbacks
When it comes to kitchen planning and design, a big question is whether you want to include an island or peninsula. An island or peninsula can dramatically increase the storage space and work surface in your kitchen, but it also takes up some of the available square footage. So how do you decide what’s best for your new kitchen?
1. Understand the differences between an island and a peninsula.
An island is a freestanding workspace that is not connected to a wall, and usually sits near the center of the space. It breaks up a kitchen into work zones and offers storage, extra countertop space, and a cozy place to gather around the cook. A peninsula offers the versatility and space management of an island, but takes up less floor space because it is connected to a wall at one end.
Both islands and peninsulas can be large scale or small scale, can be installed with sinks and cooktops, and can be used for everything from rolling out pie crust and peeling vegetables to paying bills and eating breakfast.
2. Use online planning tools to visualize your options.
Merillat offers a number of planning tools designed to help you design your space. Our Work Triangle and Kitchen Layouts pages will help you think through your potential layout options in relation to the cooking, cleaning and food storage “work triangle.” Our Island and Peninsula section includes inspirational photos showing variations on size, design style, and storage options. Our Start Your Floor Plan tool creates a sketch of your dimensions and layout that you can print. And our Step-by-Step Kitchen Planner saves all your favorite door styles and hardware, plus your input about your cooking style, whether you have pets in the kitchen and more, so you can print out a scrapbook of preferences and favorites to take to a designer.
3. Consult with a certified kitchen designer.
After you have done the research above, set up a consultation with a certified kitchen designer who can walk you through the decision process. A designer has the training to help you measure your space, make recommendations based on desires and your square footage, and help you design a space that’s both beautiful and functional.
Leave a comment and let us know if you found these tools useful in planning your dream kitchen!
Tags: cabinets, island and peninsula design, kitchen cabinets, Kitchen Design, kitchen floor plan, kitchen island, kitchen layout, kitchen peninsula, kitchen tools, kitchen triangle, Online planning tools
Posted by: Merillat Marketing on 11/08/2011 | Permalinks | Trackbacks
6 Steps for Organizing Your Pantry for the Holidays
Turkey. Cornbread stuffing. Pumpkin pie. Thanksgiving will soon be upon us, ushering in the holiday cooking season. Which means that now is the time to get your kitchen—and especially your pantry—organized! An hour spent before the cooking flurry begins will save you many more in the weeks ahead. Follow these steps for a clean and well-organized pantry.
- Clear the countertop closest to your pantry area of any small appliances or other items.
- Remove the contents of your pantry cabinets and stack everything on the countertop.
- Gently wipe down the cabinet doors first and then the insides of the cabinets. Use a damp cloth with mild soap or a cleaning product designed for wood furniture. Dry with a clean towel or rag. (See a previous blog post for more information about how to clean your Merillat cabinets.)
- Reorganize the space by thinking about how often you reach for each item. Designate one area or shelf for baking supplies and another for soups and vegetables. A corner cabinet with Lazy Susan may be a good place for cereal and breakfast items. If space is at a premium, install a spice rack on the inside of a door. Group together any items you use only for holidays, like Christmas cookie sprinkles or cupcake liners.
- Assess each pantry staple as you move it to its new home. Check expiration dates on spices and canned goods and toss anything old. Empty any half-full bags of pasta or flour into a canister to consolidate space and to keep them from spilling.
- Make a shopping list of any supplies that are low or out, especially those items you’ll need for your holiday recipes. Be sure to leave room for these items in your newly organized pantry so they can be put away as soon as you return from shopping.
All that’s left to do is wipe down the countertop and take out the garbage. Your pantry is ready to tackle any cooking the holidays bring!
Just for fun: what’s an item found in your pantry only during the holidays? Leave a comment and let us know.
Tags: kitchen cabinets, Kitchen Design, kitchen storage, merillat
Posted by: Mark Johnson FAIA, Director of Architect Relations and Education, Merillat Cabinetry on 06/09/2011 | Permalinks | Trackbacks
Merillat®, along with Masco Cabinetry brands KraftMaid®, QualityCabinets™ and DeNova™, recently completed the GenShift™ 2011: Lifestages Redefining the Kitchen study to help design professionals better understand how the collision of social, economic and generational influences impact consumer design needs. Functional and efficient kitchen design can be challenging and the results of this industry study, along with our product knowledge, helps us better serve our customers’ needs.
The survey, conducted online by Harris Interactive®, polled 1,027 U.S. adult homeowners aged 18-65 years old about their generational influences and needs in a home.
We discovered some interesting things about homeowners across the country:
- Pets are a priority. 22% of homeowners aged 18-65 felt that a place for feeding pets is a top-three kitchen extra, compared with only 10% who felt they needed a space for wine storage.
- Remodeling may be the way to go. While 63% of Baby Boomer homeowners, aged 45-65, plan to stay in their current home over the next five to 10 years, 75% don’t feel that their current kitchen is universally designed to meet their needs.
- People are staying put. Gen X homeowners, aged 35-44, are staying put and nearly half (49%) think they will spend up to a decade in their current residence.
- The youngest generation is thinking ahead. 40% of Gen Y homeowners, aged 18-34, embrace the concept of multigenerational living and expect their parents will live with them in the future.
With this study as a guide, Merillat is continuing to help customers consider the best options for to meet their current and future needs in the kitchen.
Tags: DeNova, Gen Y, GenShift, GenShift Kitchen, Harris Interactive, kitchen, kitchen cabinets, Kitchen Design, KraftMaid, Masco, merillat, QualityCabinets
Posted by: Merillat Marketing on 06/01/2011 | Permalinks | Trackbacks
Is your current kitchen out of date? Not in tune with the needs of your household? Design a kitchen that works like a dream — and you could win it! From now until August 1, 2011, Merillat is teaming up with our favorite chef Curtis Stone for the Works Like a Dream kitchen $30,000 makeover contest.
Entering is fun and easy; here’s what you have to do:
- Go to Merillat.com and upload a photo of your current kitchen.
- Write a brief essay telling us why you need a kitchen makeover.
- Let Curtis Stone walk you through our Step-by-Step Kitchen Planner to design your Works Like a Dream kitchen!
Once you’ve completed the three steps, you’ll be entered for a chance to win one of these prizes:
- Grand Prize: $30,000 kitchen makeover, $1,500 in Curtis Stone products and a $3,000 Open House party to show everyone your new kitchen.
- First Prize: Two winners will get a $5,000 credit toward the purchase of Merillat cabinetry.
- Second Prize: Five winners will get $500 in Curtis Stone products.
Merillat is passionate about helping homeowners find a kitchen design that’s right for them. And by encouraging interaction with the Step-by-Step Kitchen Planner we hope more and more homeowners will learn the most appropriate kitchen styles, products and features for their specific lifestyle.
So what are you waiting for? Give us the chance to make your dream kitchen a reality – ENTER NOW!
Tags: cabinets, Contest, curtis stone, kitchen, kitchen cabinets, Kitchen Design, kitchen makeover, merillat cabinetry, merillat cabinets, Step by Step Kitchen Planner, works like a dream kitchen
Posted by: Merillat Marketing on 05/31/2011 | Permalinks | Trackbacks
A kitchen is only as great as its design; therefore, a great kitchen requires a great designer. At Merillat, we’re creating rooms with intelligent design and remarkable quality. We recently asked current selected Merillat designers, at our first Designer’s Connection Symposium, to share their innovative ideas by showing us rooms they’ve created.
Sarah Reep speaks at the Dealer Symposium
As part of that experience, Merillat designers discussed new design techniques that allow homeowners to see the intelligent and functional design of their new space. Participating designers also explored the many ways a kitchen can be designed to fit the everyday personality and way of life of clients.
With the help of a functional and innovative designer using Merillat cabinetry, you can design dream rooms for the real world. Merillat designers truly are great designers, but don’t take our word for it, meet our designers for yourself on our Facebook page and see how they’re making dream designs come to life!
Tags: cabinetry, cabinets, Designer, Kitchen Design, merillat, merillat cabinetry, merillat cabinets
Posted by: Merillat Marketing on 09/08/2010 | Permalinks | Trackbacks
Traditional Design Style
Identifying your design style is an important first step in any kitchen remodel or new construction. Are you drawn to sleek modern design, or a relaxed and rustic country aesthetic? Are your tastes more eclectic than traditional? Or maybe you prefer some combination of these looks.
Another consideration is the style of the other rooms in your home, and whether you want your kitchen design to stand apart from or blend seamlessly with adjacent rooms. Some design experts say your style should be consistent throughout your home, while others believe the kitchen is a great place to make a statement.
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Tags: contemporary, contemporary kitchen, country, country aesthetic, country design style, design style, eclectic, eclectic design style, Ideafolio, inspiration gallery, kitchen, Kitchen Design, kitchen remodel, merillat, merillat cabinets, modern, modern design, modern design style, traditional, traditional design style
Posted by: Susan Prater, Director of Marketing Services on 08/12/2010 | Permalinks | Trackbacks
Now you can whip up your dream kitchen in less time than it takes to make dinner with our intuitive new Step-by-Step Kitchen Planner. This user-friendly online tool will guide you through a customized planning process to help you find the most appropriate styles, products and features for your lifestyle.
Guided by chef Curtis Stone, you’ll be asked a series of questions that will help you determine your specialized needs and preferences, covering everything from kitchen layout to paint palettes. Once you’ve completed the customized planning process, you’ll be able to review your kitchen choices in a virtual rendering and a mood board that can be printed at home and shared with your local Merillat dealer.
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Tags: curtis stone, design style, door style, dream kitchen, Ideafolio, Kitchen Design, kitchen layout, kitchen planner, merillat, merillat cabinets, merillat showroom, mood board, planning process, remodeling
Posted by: Merillat Marketing on 07/29/2010 | Permalinks | Trackbacks
Merillat Masterpiece Fairlane in Maple Burnished Praline
If your family is like most, your kitchen is more than just another room. These days, life happens in the kitchen. The kitchen is the hub of your home, the center of all the day’s activities. And even if you have a showcase dining room, you may actually eat most meals in the kitchen.
With your family’s busy schedule, things tend to overlap. Cooking, homework, bill paying, small talk…it’s all going on across the kitchen counter or at the kitchen table. The eat-in kitchen is the new normal, and when renovating your space you need to design accordingly to make it as family friendly as possible.
To begin, put some thought into how you want your kitchen to function – your lifestyle will dictate the design. Ask yourself what will help make your space operate efficiently and comfortably. Consider all of the ways in which you currently use your kitchen, where your children or other family members hang out, and then develop your solutions around these factors.
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Tags: eat-in kitchen, fairlane, family friendly kitchen, Kitchen Design, merillat, merillat cabinets, merillat masterpiece, self-closing concealed door hinges, softaction drawers, space planning
Posted by: Merillat Marketing on 07/14/2010 | Permalinks | Trackbacks
Merillat Classic Spring Valley in Oak Cider
As the hub of the home, the emphasis on design style in today’s kitchen is greater than ever before. With so much of our time spent in the kitchen, it’s only natural that we’ve begun to gravitate toward cabinetry that looks like furniture, and appliances that are integrated into their surroundings or make a bold design statement of their own.
For those who can afford them, high-style, high-end appliances lend a wonderful aesthetic all their own to the kitchen. From professional six-burner gas stoves to glass-front refrigerators with architectural curves to retro-modern appliances in an array of crazy colors, there are a lot of great options from which to choose.
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Tags: appliance garage, appliance panel kits, camouflage paneling, design style, integrated appliances, Kitchen Design, merillat, merillat cabinets, merillat classic, tambour cabinet
