blog Archives - Page 9 of 12 - Solid Surface Countertops Toronto: Commercial & Residential

September 22, 2017 By Webmaster

3 Ways to Make Your Small Kitchen Shine

A small kitchen doesn’t mean you have to have a small sense of style! Even a small space can shine when given the proper attention and design touches. Everything from a minor rearranging of appliances to major remodeling can help make your small kitchen into a centerpiece of your home. Here are some of our top tips to make your small kitchen shine!

Open it Up

One of the major issues with smaller kitchens is the feeling of claustrophobia they can engender. With overhead cabinets reaching up high overhead, it can feel like you’re dwarfed by these massive blocks of hardware, limiting the sense of space and light you get in your kitchen. Open storage, on the other hand, can provide a more freeing and less boxy feeling for your kitchen. Shelving, pot racks, magnetic holders – they’re great ways to keep the same amount of storage without devoting previous feet of space to cabinets.

Use a Variety of Materials

In a small kitchen, a variety of materials can add visual interest and contrast. At the very least, it can be more aesthetically appealing than a solid block of white! A mix of wood, metals and surface materials, when properly chosen and working together, can create a unique style. You don’t want to go too crazy – you want everything to look somewhat unified and planned – but picking contrasting materials for your countertops, cabinets, flooring and fixtures is a way to add compelling details to an otherwise boring small space.

Use Glass

Opaque surfaces feel like walls and floors. They limit and set the boundaries of your space. If you replace those cabinet doors or tabletops with glass, however, you’re suddenly opening up your room even more. You end up visually expanding your space, even if the physical space remains the same. Reflective glass – or even just a simple mirror – can also create that illusion of extra space. Backsplashes are perfect places to install some of that glass tile that can really make your kitchen sparkle.

Filed Under: blog Tagged With: kitchen design, small kitchen

August 21, 2017 By Webmaster

Creative Ideas for Kitchen Seating

According to a recent study, the average person spends an average of a little over 100 minutes in the kitchen every day. Whether you’re cooking, eating, drinking, cleaning or just entertaining guests, the kitchen is one of the most active rooms in your home. It’s important, then, to make it comfortable!

For your kitchen to be truly functional, you need somewhere to sit – something comfy and effective for allowing you to rest. Sure, in smaller kitchens, this may end up being some seating placed immediately adjacent to the kitchen. However, no matter the size or layout of your kitchen, seating is essential. Here are some possibilities:

A Loveseat

Solid-surface kitchen islands are great additions to any kitchen, and you can get even more use out of them by making it a central place to sit and relax, as well. As opposed to a raised bar, kitchen islands are often lower and more table-like, allowing you to use more conventional seating options as opposed to bar stools. A comfortable loveseat, in whatever style best matches your kitchen’s décor, is a great way to say that the kitchen isn’t just a work space, but a space for relaxation and enjoyment as well. We recommend using an outdoor fabric, as spills do happen in the kitchen, but all in all, a loveseat can be an ideal option.

Bar Seating

Many modern kitchen designs feature raised bars and countertops, making them ideal placement for elevated stools or chairs. When picking raised stools or cocktail-style seating, remember that comfort comes first. Many people go overboard, buying chairs that look great but simply aren’t comfortable to sit in for extended periods of time. If you can’t imagine actually sitting in your seat and having a full meal, then you don’t really have a chair – you have a floor space-eating objet d’art. Try before you buy!

Breakfast Booth

If you’re doing a full kitchen remodel, and there’s enough space to bump a wall a little further out, then you can create the perfect breakfast nook! These alcoves are perfect for diner-style booth seats – they’re comfortable, fit snugly into the nook, and are great option to squeeze as many as four people into a fairly limited space, rather than having seats surrounding a table. If you have the space to create a nook like this, it’s a great way to add seating to your kitchen without eating up any of the functional space you need. It’s a great solution!

For islands, breakfast bars and everything in between, trust the experts at SolidSurface.ca!

Filed Under: blog Tagged With: booth, kitchen, loveseat, seating, stools

July 21, 2017 By Webmaster

Design Tips for a Small Kitchen Makeover

Just because you have a limited amount of space doesn’t mean the kitchen of your dreams can’t become a reality.

Many great kitchen ideas can be adapted to fit kitchens of all shapes and sizes. With the right flexibility and a little bit of creativity, you can add personality and functionality to even the smallest of spaces. Here are a few of our top tips for adding a touch of pizzazz to your small kitchen.

Multi-Purpose

Whenever possible, double-up on the usage of your space. If a space is only used for one thing, that’s less space you have to work with in the rest of your kitchen! Think outside the box – integrated appliances fit more effortlessly in your kitchen than standalone appliances do. Space behind your doors or cabinets can be used to hold shelves and racks, doubling up storage space. Breakfast bars can hold pots and pans. The only single-purpose thing you should have in your kitchen is your fire extinguisher!

High Cabinets

Many cabinets stop well before the ceiling. That ends up being a lot of wasted space – space you could be using to store those only occasionally used items such as bread tins or cookie cutters. Yes, you may need a stepladder or sturdy chair to get those things down when you need them, but if you only need them once every few months, the tradeoff is definitely worth it to open up more storage space.

Get Professional Help

The experts at Solid Surface Ca and Bertone Woodworking can help you come up with all sorts of creative ways to maximize the value of your kitchen. From finding the right appliances to designing the best storage solutions, we can help you create a kitchen that will make you happy. Come on by and talk with some of our designers, get some one-on-one advice for moving forward, and see what we can do for you!

Filed Under: blog Tagged With: cabinets, design ideas, small kitchen

July 21, 2017 By Webmaster

Do I Have to Redo my Kitchen Floor Before Refacing my Kitchen Cabinets?

There is a common and pervasive myth that refacing kitchen cabinets requires a full redo of your floor. This is a myth, however! When you get your cabinets refaced, the original body and framework is left in place. It’s just reinforced, not removed. That means not only do you not have to have your flooring company work first, but that there’s actually several benefits to waiting on your flooring until your refaced cabinets are finished.

First of all, waiting on your new cabinets allows you to make a more informed flooring choice. New cabinets can make accents and finishes on other parts of your kitchen stand out, affecting the color, style and finish of your kitchen. That might mean a different color or finish of flooring would work better in your newly redesigned kitchen. By finishing the cabinets first, you get to take some time to see how they look before locking yourself into a particular flooring design.

In addition, if you lay a floating floor down before you finish work on your cabinets, your floor will not be able to expand or contract with temperature changes. By laying floor under your cabinet bases, you’re compressing your floor underneath heavy cabinetry and countertop materials. It’s possible, then, that your floor could buckle, bulge or even break. Laying your flooring adjacent to your cabinets prevents any of those nasty scenarios from coming to pass.

A reliable and licensed cabinet manufacturer – like Bertone – will know how to customize their cabinet installation around your kitchen design plans. Whether your fix your cabinets first and your floor later, or if you want to install a new floor now and place kitchen cabinets around that, they can work with you to ensure you get the best possible outcome in your kitchen. Check us out today!

Filed Under: blog Tagged With: floors, kitchen cabinets, refacing

June 12, 2017 By Webmaster

Kitchen Cabinets: Replace or Reface?

When your kitchen cabinets begin looking shabby or out of place, they’re a top priority for your kitchen contractor. They’re a key part of your kitchen, both in functionality and aesthetic appeal, and you want to make sure you’re getting the most out of them.

So, you’re left with two major options. Replacing your cabinets involves installing brand new cabinets, and that’s what most people jump to as their primary option. But did you know that refacing cabinets is sometimes an option as well? It’s a more cost-effective and sustainable approach, and will give you the look of custom cabinets while fitting in your budget.

Not all cabinets can be refaced, however. If you’re considering whether to replace or reface your kitchen cabinets, here are some key indicators that replacement would be necessary:

Cheap Cabinets

Sometimes, when you move in to a new home, you’ll find that the previous owner has installed cheap cabinets. Cabinets made of particle board are much more difficult to reface, even with proper reinforcement. It’s best in that situation to replace the whole lot.

Severe Damage

Rotting wood. Severe water damage. Mold. Termites. Plenty of things can happen to your wooden kitchen cabinets, and some of it can damage them beyond the possibility of refacing. It’s rare that all cabinets are damaged beyond repair, though – it may be possible to mix and match replacing and refacing.

Metal Cabinets

Metal cabinets, or metal cabinet frames, are much more difficult to work with when it comes to refacing. They used to be all the vogue – vermin-proof and modern looking and all that. They’re not nearly as possible today as they used to be, but there are still some lying about, and they often cannot be refaced.

A Complete Kitchen Layout Change

If you’re undergoing a complete kitchen remodel, and will be moving cabinets here and there, it makes much more sense to replace them. Trying to fit an old, refaced cabinet into a new place is often like putting a square peg in a round hole – it just ends up not working and frustrating everyone who tries. It’s better to get entirely new cabinets in this case.

Filed Under: blog Tagged With: cabinets, replace, resurface

June 12, 2017 By Webmaster

3 Things You Should Never Do in Your Kitchen

After more than 15 years of experience working in and around kitchens, you would think nothing could surprise the experts at Solid Surface Canada anymore. You would be mistaken!

Kitchens are great, multi-functional spaces. You can do tons of things in them, from cooking to entertaining to family time. When you use solid surface for your countertops, you have a quite durable room, too, able to handle most of the punishment you could give it. “Most” is not “all”, however, and here are some things you really shouldn’t do in your kitchen.

Leave Those Spills

Solid surface has advantages over natural stone in that it’s non-porous. Bacteria and germs can’t penetrate its surface, like it can on granite. That means spills aren’t as much of a problem on solid surface as they can be on other surfaces. However, that doesn’t mean it’s a magic surface. Leaving spills on your countertop overnight is a surefire way to ruin your finish. Don’t forget to dry, either – letting water dry on your countertop will eventually lead to a film buildup, making your counters look blotchy and uneven. Wiping and rinsing completely and cleaning up those spills before they dry will prevent those hard water marks from forming.

Forget the Stepladder

Sometimes, a pot or pan is just out of reach, or you need to clean the top of those cabinets. You may be tempted to just climb on top of your countertops and use it as a stepping-stool to get to those hard-to-reach places. But watch out! Countertops aren’t designed to handle the weight of people; it’s designed for cooking activities and appliances. You wouldn’t want to crack or chip your new countertop because you didn’t go get the proper tool for the job!

Burn, Baby, Burn

Solid surface is more durable than most surfaces, and can stand the heat better than most. Still, even it has its limits. Placing a hot pot or pan directly on to your countertop can lead to cracks and burns, even on solid surface. Trivets and other heat-protectors should be used when handling hot pots and pans to prevent burn-in and scorchmarks.

Filed Under: blog Tagged With: kitchen design, solid surface, wear and tear

May 6, 2017 By Webmaster

How to Improve an “L”-Shaped Kitchen

An “L”-shaped kitchen layout is one of the best out there. It’s extremely functional, with everything in easy reach, and it works well with open floor plans, which is the “in” style at the moment. It’s one of the best layouts to start working with, as its basic function and shape are ideal for an attractive, functional space.

That doesn’t mean you can’t improve it, however! The experts at Solid Surface Canada have some great suggestions on how to take your “L”-shaped kitchen to the next level:

Customize Your Work Triangle

The “kitchen work triangle” concept states that the main kitchen appliances – your refrigerator, stovetop and sink – should be within a few steps of where you prep the food, forming an efficient and accessible triangle. Well, that’s true for most people, but perhaps not for you. Maybe you don’t use your oven very frequently – it might be the microwave you want close at hand. If you find yourself not using your oven, or rarely using your stovetop, you can move them out of the center of your kitchen, putting regularly used pieces of equipment within arm’s reach.

Raise Your Cabinets

Running out of storage space? Most kitchens have tons of extra room, just waiting to be exploited – there’s a gap between most cabinets and the ceiling. For an “L”-shaped kitchen, where storage is often at a premium, extending those cabinets up to the ceiling is a great way to add that little bit of extra storage.

Open Shelving

An “L”-shaped kitchen involves a lot of wall space, as it bends around a corner. Sometimes, two walls worth of solid cabinets can be difficult on the eye, or a problem for decorating. Replacing some cabinets with open shelving can create better visibility and break up that wall of cabinetry.

Upgrade Your Countertops

Of course, the best upgrade for any kitchen is putting in brand new solid surface countertops. Corian, Avonite, Formica – no matter what you have in mind, Solid Surface Canada can help. Contact us today!

Filed Under: blog, Renovations Tagged With: countertops, kitchen design, work triangle

April 17, 2017 By Webmaster

4 Dated Kitchen Designs to Avoid

Most of us don’t redo our kitchens every few years, so the primary goal in a major redesign is timelessness. You don’t want your kitchen to look like a relic from a bygone era; you want to stick with ideas and concepts that have stood the test of time and are likely to continue to look great for years to come.

The latest trend may seem great, but be careful – some “latest trends” quickly become ridiculous looking. As an example, here are some dated designs that were once considered hip and trendy, and now are regrettable.

Dark Brown Wood

Deep, dark brown cabinets can still work in some more classic and traditional kitchen designs – when you’re trying to evoke an older era. But modern kitchens dump those in favor of lighter and cleaner choices. Dark colors make spaces feel more cramped and dark. You can still have a warm, inviting kitchen without going into the darkest colors of the rainbow.

Bright Cabinet Colors

In general, you’re better off using neutral colors for the large, dominating parts of your kitchen – the countertops, the cabinets, the big appliances. Save the neon greens or the sunshine yellows for accents and accessory pieces – they provide those splashes of color without dominating the room, and can be replaced or repainted easily as trends change and colors fall in and out of fashion.

Florescent Lighting

In the 1980s and early 1990s, big, fluorescent light boxes were the trendy thing to install. Now, they look garish – and bad lighting can make every other aspect of your kitchen remodel look worse. Terrible! Utility and ambient lightning – with dimmers – are much more practical and can easily be integrated into any kitchen design.

Linoleum

The best you can really hope for with linoleum flooring is a kitschy, throwback, retro look. More likely, you’ll get faded, stained and outdated looks quickly – and it’s probably just going to hide a perfectly fine wood floor.

From avocado green walls to shag carpeting, what’s “in” one day may soon be well on its way out. We recommend sticking to classic, timeless designs, so your kitchen will continue looking it’s best for years to come.

Filed Under: blog Tagged With: dated, kitchen, kitchen design

April 17, 2017 By Webmaster

3 Tips for Adding Texture to Your Kitchen

Modern kitchens are typically smooth and sleek, with streamlined finishes being the watchword of the day. That’s great and looks fantastic – but too much of a good thing can be harmful in and of itself. It’s easy to plan all these great, smooth looks – only to realize at the end that your kitchen looks flat and boring without some varied textures. Especially if you’re working mostly in one color, some added texture is crucial to giving your kitchen an interesting look. Here’s our tips on some easy additions you can make to break up the smooth and sleek monotony.

Patterns

Any sort of pattern is going to create immediate visual interest, even if the tiles are similar in texture to the rest of the kitchen. Small tiles, creating more lines and depth between tiles and grout, can give your backsplash a textured look, which sets it off quite nicely from smoother countertops, cabinet finishes or appliances.

A Variety of Elements

If your entire kitchen is one material, be it solid surface, granite, laminate or anything in between, it can all look a bit “samey”. Wood, stone, metal, glass – there’s a whole world of options out there that can add splashes of different textures to your kitchen. Wood flooring or window trim is a great way to set off stainless steel appliances. I’m personally a fan of natural brick or stone, either as a fireplace or backsplash, to create a similar effect.

Bells and Whistles

The little details can be a great place to add texture without overhauling your entire kitchen plan. The legs and feet of tables or chairs, the corbels atop your cabinets, the trim of your kitchen island – all are great opportunities to add texture and detail to your kitchen. These are more prevalent in traditional kitchen designs as opposed to modern ones, but are a great way to give your new kitchen some character.

The experts at Solid Surface Canada can help you with all your kitchen needs, with beautiful solid surface countertops and applications. Check us out today!

Filed Under: blog Tagged With: design, kitchen, texture