“A good place to start is to gather magazine clippings with photos of cabinetry that appeal to you.  Usually the photos are similar to one another and can give you some insight into what your eye finds appealing.  From there, I usually ask a handful of questions to narrow the choices down to a select few.

Our Cambridge door style was the perfect fit for this Victorian Shingle Style home in Northern NH

1.  What is the style of the house?

Pay attention to what works with the period the home was built in.  If you live in a Bungalow, for example, you might like our Craftsman door.  If you live in a cottage style home, Hampton, or (you guessed it) Cottage are great choices.

2. Do you prefer a simple, clean look or are you more drawn to an ornate style?

3. Is there woodwork in other areas of the house?

If you have oak woodwork in the living room, it might be nice to tie the rooms together with oak cabinetry.  Choose a door style with similar details to really bring it together.

Once you have an idea of what you’re looking for, print out your top choices.  Lay them on a large surface and picture them in your home.  Then ask yourself one simple question: Which one makes you happy?  A lot of these decisions are based on a feeling, and if you just do what feels right, you can’t go wrong!”

Drawing upon years of experience and a background in print ad design, Deb Foster has designed hundreds of kitchens.  She has also had several kitchens and other rooms published in national magazines.  When asked what she enjoys most about her job, Deb says it’s collaborating with clients and professionals to create dream kitchens on paper and see them come to life in the client’s home.

The four-legged members of your family can absolutely be kept in mind when it comes to designing your cabinetry! Tailor-made especially for Spot, Fido or Mr. Jinxy! Let’s take a look at a couple of different challenges in which our clients were in search of a solution.

For our first cabinet, the client wanted a way to house the litter box. We designed it with an open interior with storage shelf above and an easy entrance. The large arch cut is an always-open door for their cat.  He can come and go as he pleases, (ooh, sorry, no pun intended!) and no one will know the cat box is even there!

This view shows off the spacious interior.  (Note: The two pieces along the bottom of the cabinet are merely shipping braces, not part of the cabinetry.)

In another situation, a client had two daschund puppies and wanted to give them a place to call their own, yet keep them close by. The dogs enjoyed feeling secure, so we designed this dog-friendly custom cabinet into their Crafstman kitchen (that we were also building). The owner has since told us that the dogs love to snuggle into their comfy bed inside this beautifully integrated haven!

(A little imagination is required for this video-picture a flat screen TV on the lift, and also get rid of the pesky electrical cord which, upon installation, will be routed out the back.)

With just the touch of a button, your flat screen TV will rise up to the appropriate position, ready to bring you the evening news, American Idol or the Super Bowl!

Here's the cabinet with doors closed and the lift in the full down position, flush with the cabinet top. No one will know a TV resides behind the doors of this beautiful piece of furniture!

Along with your TV, unsightly cords and gaming systems can be hidden behind the doors of beautifully finished cabinetry in a number of configurations. We can also incorporate space for DVDs, games and more!

Call and speak with one of our designers today or visit our Organize! page to learn more about this and other storage solutions!

When you’re at that magical starting point, it’s common to want to make it perfect, especially the first time out. However, take a deep breath, and realize it will more than likely require more than one pass to get to “that’s perfect!”

Here’s a simple way to start: Sketch in your appliances first, then add the cabinetry. You’ll find it much easier to plan your workflow and create your work zones.

Have a design tip that will help others? Send us your tip!

Crown Point Cabinetry has long been known as the premier custom cabinetmaker for period style kitchens.  More recently, we’ve delved into the world of frameless cabinetry for our clients looking for a clean, contemporary look.  But what about those who want a touch of vintage style, and also long for a modern feel?

The answer is Crown Point’s Transitional line; a beautiful blending of both vintage and contemporary elements to create the perfect look for any style home.

Fred Puksta, the Product Designer here at Crown Point, spearheaded the development of this line, even using his own kitchen as the prototype (the resulting masterpiece is pictured above).

“We wanted to introduce a totally customizable line that allowed for the modular substitution of design components to create a kitchen unique to the individual,” said Fred of the new line.  “It would be contemporary frameless construction with the option of adding vintage details such as valances, doors and feet, influenced by Victorian, Cottage, Arts & Crafts, Shaker and Early American styles.”

After months of designing, installing, uninstalling, redesigning and final installation, the Transitional Line was born!  For more details, and to check out our offerings in this line, visit our New Transitional page!

Fred was recently interviewed on this subject for a story on HGTV.com.  His tips and tricks to achieving the look can be found in “Guide to Creating a Transitional Kitchen.”

Because we love before pictures, below is a shot of Fred’s kitchen before it was revamped!  Wow!

We’ve got three examples here that bring our point home. These clients were nice enough to not only provide us with photographs, but they also dished about where they got their tile, the inspiration behind it, and why they love their Crown Point kitchen!  Enjoy!

“I knew I did not want the over-done, cliched ‘country kitchen’ look, so I became determined to achieve something my Crown Point Designer, Christine and I started to call “updated farmhouse,” which would have elements suggesting a rustic kitchen in materials with a modern edge. The backsplash, a Pennsylvania Dutch-inspired “quilt” made of tile, was the perfect culmination of that aesthetic. It was a real thrill to experiment with tile colors, textures, and finishes from Pratt and Larson, using schemes that complemented the “mustard” milk paint of my new Crown Point cabinets. I love the finished result, and credit my Crown Point cabinets for calling out for–demanding, really–something special in a backsplash.”

Homeowner-Belmont, Massachussetts

“The color scheme for this kitchen was determined by a beautiful palette in Trikeenan Tile’s Brickbond line called Random Blue Blend.  From there, the homeowner selected Crown Point Cabinetry in a complementary soft blue finish.  She and I worked directly with our Crown Point Designer, Karen, to come up with a design full of pull-outs and space saving features that were exactly what she was looking for!”

Interior Designer for Home in Bondville, Vermont

“In designing the remodel of our kitchen, we wanted to pay respects to the history of our house, a 1928 colonial with some Spanish colonial accents (such as arched doorways and nooks, and original wrought iron chandelier and banister). Our wonderful Crown Point designer, Lois, worked with us to pull together a great and harmonious kitchen plan. We used frameless cabinets, but achieved a more traditional look with Victorian style trim, moldings and toekicks. To pay homage to the Spanish accents (and our love of Mexican handpainted tile), we decided on a bright backsplash using Mexican Talavera tiles we found through an online tile importer, Tierra y Fuego. We couldn’t be happier with the result-we love our classic combination of white cabinetry with the soapstone countertop and the way they’re set off by the vibrant backsplash!”

Homeowner-Chevy Chase, Maryland

One of the most visually rewarding ways to “go green” in your kitchen is to choose antique woods for your custom cabinetry. These are timbers and boards that have been carefully and responsibly reclaimed from old barns, factories and mills otherwise destined for demolition.  Giving these timbers a second life not only preserves their historic beauty, but it helps to reduce the number of trees that are otherwise harvested.

Here at Crown Point, we’ve partnered with the great people over at Carlisle Wide Plank Floors in nearby Stoddard, NH to offer our cabinetry handcrafted with FSC Certified antique woods from all over the country.  The folks over at Carlisle seek out these inoperative buildings and skillfully recover the lumber that has proven its strength and durability over centuries of use.  Our cabinetmakers then select the individual timbers with the most character (think knots, nail holes and such) and repurpose them into one-of-a-kind pieces of furniture quality cabinetry!

A client in Fairfield, Connecticut recently fell in love with  Antique Heart Pine.  She worked closely with Crown Point designer Lois Horan to design the stunning hutch and island (pictured above and below) as the perfect complement to her soft yellow painted Crown Point kitchen. Naturally distressed, strong and durable, the Antique Heart Pine adds an element of timeless beauty to this lakeside cottage home.

Crown Point offers eight different antique wood species (Antique Elm, Chestnut and Hickory to name a few).   More in-depth information about these reclaimed woods and the responsible way they are obtained, can be found on our Wood Species page, or over at the Carlisle Wide Plank Flooring website.  Tell them we say hello!

The holidays are a grand time for cooking, baking and gathering around the chef to sample sweet creations.  This also means more chances for spills, dribbles and blobs of sticky goodness on your cabinetry.  Let us help lower your stress level with the best ways to clean up those holiday messes. (And contrary to what Uncle Buck might say, “let the dog take care of it” is not one of our recommendations!)

For ordinary drips and drops, a damp sponge will get the job done.  We’re talking regular soft sponge, not the two-sided kind with sponge on one side and abrasive pad on the other. We want to wipe up the spill, not sand through the finish. (Yes, again, we’re looking at you, Uncle Buck!) The key here is to make sure there’s no standing water on the cabinetry when you’ve  wiped it clean.

When you need a bit more than elbow grease, try Murphy’s Oil Soap or Scott’s Liquid Gold. We recommend either of these for our clients to use on their own Crown Point Cabinetry. Either product can be found online and at most major department or hardware stores.  Bonus tip: They are also good for an overall cleaning of the interior and exterior twice a year or so to keep the cabinetry looking its best.

Need more info? Our care and cleaning page delves deeper into the maintenance of your cabinetry with tips on dealing with the occasional scratch or ding, seasonal changes in temperature and humidity, and the all important moisture control.

Now, let’s get back to baking those cookies!