Come by and charge your electric vehicle for free as you browse our beautiful, 2 story kitchen and bath showroom. The charging station is located on the left side of our building and will be available during normal business hours. Just help yourself to the power!

We are happy to be able to provide this service for our friends and customers and at the same time do a little something to preserve our precious environment.

View us on PlugShare.

Gray Kitchen. credit: preppyyogini.tumbler.comWhile consumer remodeling budgets have shrunk a little bit, design trends in certain areas have grown significantly. Take color for example. Whites and off-whites occupy the top spot, followed by beiges and bones. Various shades of gray are becoming increasingly popular, taking 3rd place. In fact, grays in the kitchen are up from 9% to 55% since 2010 and for the bathroom from 12% to 56%.

Every kitchen needs a countertop. Granite is still the one to beat in this category, but quartz surfaces are closing in with 80% usage in kitchens and 65% usage in bathrooms.

Glass backsplash, up from 42% in 2010 to 64% this year, is gaining on the ceramic and porcelain tile leader who although having the top spot dropped by 11 percentage points since 2010.

As far as styles go, transitional is becoming more popular. What is transitional style? This is a blend of contemporary and traditional, old world solid woods and natural stone meets high contrast colors and sharp lines.

What does this all mean? Should these trends influence your decisions? Statistics and trends are interesting, but at the same time they mean nothing. To the average homeowner, what is really important is knowing what you like, and then loving what you have. Paying attention to todays trends are a great way to get some ideas and see what options are available, but they should also be taken with a grain of salt. Enjoy your new kitchen and bath ideas and choices because you like them, not just because the industry says they are popular. Besides, these trends can change dramatically next year, but your new kitchen or bathroom may be with you for a long time. Making the right choices for you, will ensure your happiness now and for years to come.

Read the full NKBA survey

Quartz Countertop. credit: CaesarstoneGlass Backsplash. credit: Griffin Enright ArchitectsTransitional Kitchen Design. credit: Kitchens.com

photo by Jeff BaumgartWhen planning and designing a pleasing and functional kitchen, there are many factors to consider. The obvious ones are layout, appliances, materials, and finish options. One design element that is often overlooked is glass.

Glass can be used in a kitchen design in many ways besides just the simple glass door to show off decorative items. How can this be done? One of our designers here at Kitchen Associates, Rich Dupre, has been creatively incorporating glass in his projects and his clients are loving it. How did his love for using glass develop? Let’s hear from him!

photo by Jeff Baumgart “Approximately 20 years ago, I would incorporate glass only upon request. Occasionally, I would place it where valuable family items would be displayed, but that was it.

One day though, I came to realize that a lot of the kitchens I had designed, while functional, were kind of “closet like” and depressing for people to prepare meals in. Wanting to help people have a dream kitchen they would love for years, I thought about other options.

I realized that in many kitchens glass would be a nice way to bring the outside environment into the kitchen, increasing the homeowners joy of cooking. I started to consider ways of removing walls and then adding glass cabinets to see through to

other adjoining rooms or beautiful lawns and patios. Instead of being “stuck” in the kitchen when preparing meals, the homeowner would now be visually joined with others in another room or to the natural views of the back yard.

The feedback that I have received has been that people now love staying home and enjoying the view as well having guests over more often.”

Rich also tries to use glass panels on the tall end cabinets beside refrigerators and other appliances. Cabinets that can potentially block views and portions of the room are now opened up. This gives the illusion of a room appearing larger than it really it as well as allowing light which otherwise would have ben blocked by such cabinets to shine through.

"Today, whenever glass is used in my designs it is with the goal to reflect light and act as a mirror enlarging in a subtle kind of warmth people fall in love with as well as to display beautiful items. Using double access cabinets built into walls with glass on both sides or putting glass in front of windows with a see through view has been an exciting experience especially when my clients are amazed at how this really transforms their kitchen.”

Glass is not for every application, but when properly placed, it can add a unique and functional element to your new kitchen design.

photo by Jeff Baumgartphoto by Jeff Baumgartphoto by Jeff Baumgart

photo by Jeff Baumgart

photo by Jeff Baumgart

When it comes to appliances, stainless steel is the the obvious choice for those wanting a sleek, sophisticated addition to their kitchen. While they may look great in the showroom, some homeowners are discouraged once they get them home and try to keep them clean. 

Here are some simple tips we have learned to help keep your stainless steel appliances looking great all the time.

Routine Cleaning

For routine cleaning, warm water and a soft sponge or cloth works great. When using a sponge, only use the soft side, not the rougher Scotch-Brite side. Just remember to dry with a towel or cloth to prevent water spots from showing up after. 

Fingerprints & Stubborn Stains

Among stainless steel owners, fingerprints seem to be one of the biggest complaint. There are many stainless steel cleaners on the market, but something as simple as a glass cleaner, such as Windex, works great for removing those annoying fingerprints. The trick here is to rinse thoroughly with water and towel dry after using the Windex.

Polishing/Protecting

This tip may sound strange, but trust us, it works great! Use some olive oil or baby oil on a soft rag. Wipe in the direction of the “grain” and buff with the dry side of the cloth. This will shine up your stainless steel beautifully and help resist future fingerprints and stains. Some owners find that they only need to do this once a month or so.

Warnings

Do not use anything abrasive on your stainless steel appliances. Never use steel wool, scouring pads, chlorine bleach, or scouring powder cleaners.

We hope you find these tips helpful in keeping your stainless steel appliances looking their best. Share with us your tips for cleaning stainless steel appliances!

Measuring your kitchen is very easy, and you'll find that having measurements with you when you visit our showroom will help the design process move a little faster. At Kitchen Associates, we prefer to measure your kitchen before we order any cabinetry, but when our customers come equipped with a basic initial drawing and measurements it certainly is a big help in the early stages of your design and can help make your first visit to our showroom a very productive one.

Here are some helpful suggestions to keep in mind when measuring your kitchen:

• Make a rough sketch of the entire room, making sure to include all doors and windows. 
• Show all measurements in inches, not feet.
• Include casings in all door and window dimensions.  
• Measure the entire room, including all wall areas and openings.
• Make sure to note the ceiling height.
• Identify all doorways in order to establish traffic patterns.
• Note the location and type of heat used.
• Identify all possible installation obstructions such as pipe chases, chimneys, sink drains, pipes, radiators, etc.

So there you have it. While it’s not mandatory to bring measurements to Kitchen Associates, they can be a big help to us and you. So be sure to stop by our showroom for a visit. We'd love to show you what a beautiful kitchen you can have!

Kitchen Associates has been awarded the prestigious 2011 Angie’s List Super Service Award, an honor bestowed annually on approximately 5 percent of all the businesses rated on the nation’s leading provider of consumer reviews .

“Only a fraction of the businesses rated on Angie’s List can claim the sterling customer service record of being a Super Service Award winner because we set a high bar,” said Angie’s List Founder Angie Hicks. “The fact that Kitchen Associates can claim Super Service Award status speaks volumes about its dedication to consumers."

Angie’s List Super Service Award winners have met strict eligibility requirements including earning a minimum number of reports, an exemplary rating from their customers and abiding by Angie’s List operational guidelines.

About Kitchen Associates: Kitchen Associates is the largest Kitchen showroom in New England, featuring Wood-Mode and Brookhaven cabinets. Designs for the way you live and exceptional customer service are what Kitchen Associates' very happy customers remember. The Kitchen Associates showroom is conveniently located in beautiful Sterling, MA, less than an hour drive from most points in Massachusetts.

I like watching home improvement shows and seeing what other people are doing to their homes, envying what we don’t have or, more appropriately, can’t have. Usually, my wife doesn’t watch, but I had one show on recently while she was taking a break from giving our kitchen the one makeover we could afford-- repainting.  We absolutely weren’t planning to look for replacement countertops, too, but low-and-behold, it was the topic du-jour for the show. Next thing I know she’s measuring out the kitchen to see how many square feet of countertop we need. I’m thinking, “Help Me!” as once my wife gets an idea in her head…

What triggered the call to action? The kitchen in the makeover show was getting redone with DuPont™ CORIAN® countertops.  The value of CORIAN as a replacement surface made the project a viable financial option for us, even in the current economy. In addition to being a more reasonably priced alternative to granite, CORIAN countertops offer a host of other benefits that give it an edge over other countertop materials. CORIAN offers a non-porous, solid surface that is easy to clean and maintain, but is more durable and offers a more sophisticated appearance than a laminate. CORIAN countertops offer a global palette of colors and are smooth and seamless, meaning we won’t have to worry about limiting ourselves to finding an appropriately sized and colored natural stone that will suit the countertop length and “L” shape.  And, there are no cracks for dirt to collect. Unlike other solid surface countertops, CORIAN is also heat and scratch resistant, and repairable. This is an important consideration for a family that includes a 5-year old and large dog who seem to be practicing for future careers in demolition and explosives.

As easy as the decision is to replace our existing countertops with CORIAN, the question of which kitchen contractors to hire to do the work is just as easy. Kitchen Associates has been a leader in the industry for over fifty years and with good reason. Their commitment to customer service and craftsmanship, coupled with cutting edge technology such as their digital photo templating system make them a natural choice for customers who want to see their dream kitchen brought to life.  Now to make sure my wife doesn’t learn about all the other services Kitchen Associates provides...

This can be anything from a surface to reflect light or to set a mood when making a traditional lampshade or lamp enclosure. The light illuminating from behind can be subtle yet inspiring and is something that can't be duplicated by stone or laminate surfaces.

Others admire Corian's thermoforming capabilities. The material can be bent and shaped into a variety of objects, including furniture, dishware, cabinets, wall cladding, etc. Really, the only limitation is the imagination of the designer.

A classic example of imagination and thoughtful design using Corian is the Z-Island Kitchen by Zaha Hadid. It consists of two islands, wall cabinets and thermoformed wall cladding that emphasize sound and light technology. Take a look at the photo to the left. We also encourage you to do an Internet search regarding this island to fully appreciate what has been designed.

While it's not likely that Mrs. Smith on Main Street is going to put this kitchen concept into her home this year, there are many elements here that we can incorporate into kitchen design now. Why not use an LED message board on your full backsplash? Or how about an island countertop that has a thermoformed dropped apron that reaches to the floor?

Industrial Designers have really taken hold of Corian and are always looking to leverage material capabilities. This was abundantly clear at the ICFF show (International Contemporary Furniture Fair) held in May 2007 in New York City, where DuPont's Corian booth was inundated with designers whose imaginations ran wild with what Solid Surface could become, which could be anything from watches to flooring.

We had the opportunity to interview one such designer, Demet Billici, one of the Designers commissioned by DuPont’s "40 Years - 40 Designers" event. Her design, the Managers Table, is pictured above. 

Here are a few excerpts from the interview:

As a designer, what parts of Solid Surface appeal to you? 

“First of all, the material (especially Corian) has an emotional impact on the user. One cannot stand to touch a product made with Corian; it has a silky look but hard when touched and this irony excites me. Also, it's like dough to shape. You are free to give it almost any form. You can thermoform it like plastic and then chip it like stone...”

How about colors; do they have an impact when designing?

“Most materials need to be painted as a final process (for the product to be presented on the market), and there is always a chance that you might not get the true color you wish. So you make many trials... But with Corian, you know your choices from the start. Besides, the wide variety of colors and textures (be they like granite or marble, trendy or old-fashioned) provide the designer with a chance to use Solid Surface for many different purposes and areas.”

Where do you see Solid Surface heading in the design world?

“I think the designers are beginning to realize the value Corian brings to their works. At first it was seen as an expensive equivalent to plastics or granite, but slowly it has gained its real value. It has a high-class look with regards to plastic, and it is much more easily manufactured than granite or other stones... So I see Solid Surface as rising star shining in the design world of tomorrow.

The medical field also has recognized the uses of Corian as a renewable surface and a partner in the war on germs that hospitals face. Because of its non-porous nature, germs cannot survive long on Corian surfaces, making it an ideal surface to use, not just as a countertop but also for walls, sinks and cabinets. The same concept can be incorporated into the home environment, as well.”

Corian is renewable, has unlimited design potential, is nice to touch and easy to work with. We hope you have the opportunity to experience this versatile, practical, limitless surface in your home.

Kitchen Associates, the premier countertop replacement showroom in New England, is having a contest. All you need to do is write a simple 300- to 400-word blog entitled, “The Value of a Corian Countertop Fabricated by Kitchen Associates”.

The contest begins March 1, 2012 and the winner will receive a free Corian top, free Corian sink, free template and free installation! Contest ends April 30, 2012 at 3 PM EST.

Entry is simple. Step 1: Become a Fan of Kitchen Associates on Facebook. Step 2: While on the fan page, send a direct message to Kitchen Associates for contest rules.

Feel free to research our website for information that can be used on your blog.

Today the hood over the range or cooktop can be a focal point that makes a kitchen stand out above and beyond the others in the neighborhood. There are several different types. At Kitchen Associates, there are five wood hoods to see on display, as well as an interesting plastered hood with wood trim. Some were built by the skilled craftsmen in our woodshop. They certainly make a kitchen look unique and special. However, there are some things to consider if a wood or plastered hood will work for your kitchen. 

Do you have room for one?  They generally will take more room than a conventional hood, so make sure a professional kitchen designer has shown you how much space it will take.  

Make sure you get an adequate blower for the cooking surface you are using. Generally, a blower that takes 600 CFMs (cubic feet per minute or the blower's ability to move air) is sufficient in residential cooking, but if you have a commercial cooktop or range, it may require more.

Make sure whoever is designing your kitchen guides you on the size blower you are getting. Some hoods look deceiving and the blower you purchased will not fit into the hood you get. 

Keeping these points in mind and working with a professional designer will be of benefit if you want to have that beautiful focal point in your kitchen. We invite you to see the wood hoods and other beautiful products at  Kitchen Associates.

-Jay Sponenberg