In today's world the most valuable asset owned by people is their home. When considering any size of home improvement project, protecting this investment should be top priority.

A Kitchen That Needed A Lot Of Attention
Our current kitchen renovation project:

A kitchen with no counter space, no storage capacity and cabinets that wouldn't stay shut due to the pile of items inside, was in desperate need of a remodel. With a specific outline of the customers needs and wants, Northern created a kitchen design that satisfied both the clients functional needs and financial budget. Although, the kitchen is not finished, take a look at how Northern transformed this kitchen:



View the images of the kitchen throughout its transformation:



Thinking about renovating your kitchen? Bath? or Any other room in your home?

We all know that remodeling your home can be expensive, but there are many ways to add depth at a price that suits your budget. Sometimes small changes make a huge difference.
Review some of our remodeling tips listed below:

Colour
One of the easiest ways to refresh the look of a room is by changing the colour! Choose a colour that works well with your style or be bold and choose a colour that grabs attention.
Note: Cool and light colours will act to expand the size of your room.

Lighting
Try creating a new atmosphere in your home by adding or replacing your lights with potlight or new LED lights. LED lights are used because of their environmentally friendly factor.
Note: LED lights are used inside base cabinets drawers which illuminate contents when opened.

Staircase
A new face lift on your staircase seems to be the latest renovating trend. To update the look of your staircase, remove the carpet, put on new treads on the steps. Either paint the back steps or cover to match the treads.
Try: Refinishing the hand rail to match the tread and add wrought spindles. At the bottom, to support the railing a square newel post is installed at the base.

Eco Energy Retrofit Homes Program
As of April 2009 the Federal Grant for replacing windows has been increased from $30.00 to $40.00. In addition to the Provincial Grant homeowners get a total rebate of $70.00 per opening.
This combined with the current tax credit program of up to $1350.00 makes now the best time to invest in energy efficient windows and doors. In effect until February 2010.
For more information on this program go to www.ecoaction.gc.ca
Looking for good quality windows for a good price could be a daunting task. A good place to start is checking out www.northstarwindows.com.
We have used the North Star windows in our business for 20 years. The service calls have been minimal and this product has stood up to the test of time.

Heated Floors
The electric floor warming system is worth the extra money. Walking barefoot into a room and feeling warmth instead of coldness is very inviting. The thermostat only has to turn on for a few minutes every hour in order to maintain its temperature.

Oiled Bronze Appliances
A new line of appliances featured in oiled bronze finish is a great alternative, offering a warm look for the kitchen.

Servo-Drive
Now we have electronic touch openers for cabinets, where no pull or knob is required on drawer fronts. This allows for a clean contemporary presentation. You can press your knee, hip, hands, etc and the drawer opens.
Note: It works great for drawers where the compost or garbage is housed.

Corner Drawers
Great solution for a corner cabinet. The drawers can be configured either on a 90 degree, as shown in the attached image, or a 45 degree angle. The drawers are full extension, therefore, you can utilize the space at the back of this corner.
Note: The drawers are 650mm(26") in depth. The regular drawers are 550mm(24"). The bank of drawers can be configured with on 6" drawer and 2-12" drawers OR 3-6" drawers and 1-12"drawer.
Corner Drawer example:

Sink Drawers
The sink drawer is a deep drawer that wraps around the sink to provide extra storage. The drawer can store your soaps, scratch pads, etc. providing addtional convenience. This sink drawer is designed to avoid the sink and plumbing.
Sink Drawer example:

Sliding Baskets
System designed for base cabinets. Right or left opening sliding wire chrome baskets system with non-slip shelves for base cabinets. Great solution for small width areas.
Note: Use beside the stove to store spices, cans, etc. or beside the sink area to store cleaning products.
Sliding Baskets example:

Armoires
The TV armoire idea is now being placed in the kitchen as a space to house the coffee maker, toaster and microwave. Shelves and a granite top is added for placing the appliances. Drawers below store mugs, coffee/tea, and a waste basket for coffee grounds.
Amoire example:

For a more contemporary look this same idea is achieved by using new hardware that lifts up the cabinet door. A cabinet door can be lifted up vertically to allow easy access to the interior. Either choice is a great solution to help keep countertops uncluttered.
Lift Up example:

Corner Unit Storage
Le Mans Corner Unit is such a high-tech idea with a simple space optimizing solution. After opening the cabinet door at least 90 degrees, either top or bottom, each shelf can be pulled out independently. The shelf turns to the front and then swings all the way out of the cabinet so that all the items are easily accessible.
Note: The wire shelves are lined with a rubber base called an anti-slip ARENA Plus Surface, so that the items on the shelf stay in place.
Corner Unit example:

Cutting Board Drawer
If you feel you don't have enough workspace try putting a cutting board in a drawer. When you are in a hurry and no time to clean up the mess, then just close the drawer and clean later. This feature possible with Blum hardware.
Cutting board example:

Pantry Pullout Drawers
In our 20 year experience, the pantry with pull out drawers is the best and economical solution to organize space and maximize the storage space in your kitchen. Not only do you receive approximately 5 pullout drawers in the pantry, but each holds up to 75Ib to 110Ib. The pantry drawers are custom made to your specifications to accomodate the width and combination of drawers you need to store all your items.
Note: This pantry solution is the most popular because each drawer is pulled out separately and is fully extendable, making even those items stored in the back of the cabinet easily accessible.
Pullout Drawers example:

Pot and Pan Drawers
Drawers under the cook top can store your pots and pans. The full extension drawers allow one to see the whole selection of pot and pans versus having shelves and not using the back half of the cabinet.
Pots and Pans Drawer example:

Slide Out Towel Rack
The towel rack is the best way to keep towels out of the way while they are air drying. This stainless steel towel rack features three arms that pull out to a twelve inch extension.
Towel Rack example:

Waste Management for Kitchens
Waste management now has become an individual preference. Your specific trash disposal needs can be accomodated with a variety of styles. Pull out trash cans that are mounted to your base cabinets come in a variety of small and large sizes.
Note: The latest option is putting compost and garbage pails in the bottom sink drawers with electric touch opening. The Servo-Drive allows you to just press the drawer and the drawer opens. Your dirty hands with garbage do not touch the front of the cabinets.
Waste Managment example:

Not sure what to do with your home? Why not contact us and setup an appointment to speak with a professional designer to view all your options.

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