International Kitchens Blog

Crystal Cabinets Summer Sale

Kimithy — Fri, 20 Apr 2012 18:00:32 +0000

Crystal Cabinets is having a fantastic Summer Sale!

on orders received by July 11th

Free upgrade to Cherry

"Courtesy of Crystal Cabinets"

Free upgrade to Inset

"Courtesy of Crystal Cabinets"

Framed vrs. Frameless Cabinets

Kimithy — Sat, 14 Apr 2012 20:12:13 +0000

Framed Cabinetry

Framed cabinetry refers to cabinetry built with a face frame. Horizontal rails and vertical stiles frame the front of the cabinet box, providing rigidity and stabilizing the construction. Framed cabinets were the standard in years past (great for traditional homes) but the basic design of the frame limits cabinet space and accessibility.

With framed cabinets, large dishes and containers are tough to get in and out. You may have to tilt them sideways or really wedge them through just to get them inside the cabinet.

Frameless Cabinetry

As the name implies, frameless cabinetry, also known as European cabinetry, differs from framed cabinetry in that the cabinet has no face frame. Thicker side panels keep the cabinet rigid and stable without the use of a front frame.

Frameless cabinets are ideal for many reasons. Since there are no rails or stiles to block the way, frameless cabinets provide more usable interior space and offer easier access for oversized items and for cleaning.

Merit Plywood Promotion

Kimithy — Fri, 09 Mar 2012 18:34:31 +0000

Upgrade our Merit cabinet line to Plywood at no additional charge from now until March 31, 2012.

Wengee

Kimithy — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 19:36:18 +0000

Distinctive Wood Wenge

Exoctic Wood Veneers are a wonderful choice for those looking for a warm contemporary look.

Wenge is used here in this kitchen in a horizontal fashion. Wenge is a tropical timber, very dark in color with a distinctive figure and a strong partridge pattern. How appropriate for the upcoming holiday season since partridges are famously featured in the Christmas carol “12 days of Christmas”. We should change the chorus to “A partridge in a Wenge tree”!

Vetrazzo Countertops

Kimithy — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 19:11:57 +0000

Be beautiful, be bold. And do something good for the world. Vetrazzo’s recycled glass surfaces is made of 100% percent recycled glass, so it really is good for the environment.

Merit’s Contemporary Side

Barbie — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 19:51:00 +0000

Merit's "Mahogany" Milton Lam, Architect

If you are looking to remodel your kitchen and are interested in “green” products, Merit’s Metropolitan door series are worth checking out.

They start with recycled substrate material and laminate it with a variety of engineered woods. Engineered woods are made from fast growing Poplar and Obeche trees, grown on plantations. They cut, laminate and dye the wood in a variety of patterns to simulate the look of more expensive woods such as Mahogany, Walnut,and Wenge, to name just a few.

For contemporary kitchens, these are beautiful, with straight consistant grains…….and they didn’t need to cut down the old Oak tree!

Breathe new life into your kitchen

Kimithy — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 22:32:06 +0000

Before 60's Kitchen

Take a peek at this before picture of a typical 60’s kitchen then look at Kimithy Nagel’s design challenge of bringing in new life and modernizing this space without sacrificing the true character of their home.

Windows and ceiling were cleaned up and kept. The door style on the cabinets remained flat and simple, but the stain changed to a dark rich color with an added touch of aluminum which now compliments the existing wood ceiling. Removing a few walls opened up the floor plan to a Dining/ Family room for a much more desirable lifestyle for today.

Contrasting Quartz countertops are durable and fabulous looking. The natural beauty of the horizontal patterned tile softens the look from being too stark.

Miele’s oven, speed oven (works both as a microwave and oven), warming drawer and coffee system that’s built in (not shown) all lend itself to a highly efficient kitchen that’s enjoyable to cook and entertain in!

Kitchen After

Glass Lit Bottom Shelf

Kimithy — Fri, 07 Oct 2011 18:57:33 +0000

Look at this glass lit bottom shelf on a wall cabinet made by Crystal Cabinets.

It solves lighting up your countertops and the inside of your cabinets.

Imagine that on a dark rainy day like today!

Why use a Certified Kitchen or Bathroom Designer?

Kimithy — Thu, 08 Sep 2011 17:26:04 +0000

A certified kitchen and bath designer specializes in the design, planning and execution of kitchens, bathrooms and other spaces throughout the home. Because of the extensive work experience and education requirements only a select up of expert designers attain the CKD and CBD designation.

Crystal – Clearly Family

Barbie — Tue, 02 Aug 2011 20:14:19 +0000

The quality and care of the environment from which Crystal Cabinets are made was evident when I went back for Crystals’ plant tour and seminar earlier this summer. Their factory is spotless and the material waste very minimal, making it one of the ‘greenist’ companies around; I was very impressed!

What really stands out in my mind from that trip is the personal story of Crystal. Jeff and Linda Hammer are the owners of Crystal which was started by Jeff’s father in 1947, when Jeff was just a baby. It remains a family business to this day, over 60 years later; many of the employees have been there for decades.

From the minute we arrived, it was no surprise that we too, were treated as family. Our Northwest group of dealers included others from our immediate area, as well as some from Alaska and Colorado totaling between 20-30 people. Despite our generous size, we were all invited to the home of Jeff and Linda for a true Mid-Western style feast- cooked by none other than Linda herself! Below are photos from our memorable gathering.

Completing beautiful kitchens for our customers is very much a team effort, although much of the effort is done behind the scenes from a very talented and dedicated group of people. The level of care that goes into each and every order often goes unrecognized, but I for one want to say “thank you” for helping us continue to look good!

If you’d like to share your beautiful Crystal project with us, please visit our Facebook page and post your photos- we’ll make sure Crystal sees them as well!

Happy hour before dinner.

Barbie Bond and Jim Gatewood

Trina Norstuen and Jim Gatewood dishing up with fellow dealers!

Fabulous food; fabulous company (pun intended)!

Richard Sundene (Crystal Rep.) at the head of the table.