Back painted glass for your kitchen backsplash

Back painted glass for your kitchen back-splash

Are you having a custom home built or having a new kitchen installed in your existing home? Have you thought about the back splash that you want to install on the walls?

It is important that you install a back-splash behind the stove of your new kitchen, it helps protect the wall from being damaged or potentially ignited by the extreme heat that can come off the back burner of a gas stove.

When you are thinking about all the options for kitchen back-splashes you should take the opportunity to look at back painted glass. This is something that is growing in popularity in custom homes and new kitchens.

1. 

Back painted glass is exactly what it sounds like; it is glass that has the back part of it painted to whatever colour you want. The glass is installed with a special adhesive to the drywall of your kitchen where a normal tile back-splash would usually be installed. The affect is a very simple and (depending on the size and shape) seamless coloured back drop for your kitchen. 

Back painted glass is heat resistant and is extremely easy to clean. It is very durable once installed, but like any glass it doesn’t do well with direct impact (so refrain from throwing that frying pan at your husband when he is standing in front of it).

Today’s trends in kitchens and design is toward simple and sleek looks, back painted glass gives you that exact look.

If you want the back-splash to stand out then paint it a loud colour, if you want the back-splash to disappear then simply paint it the same colour as the cabinets or wall and you’ll forget that it is even there. Whatever you do about the colour you will be sure that you will have a unique and original back-splash for that kitchen you always dreamed of having.

When planning that kitchen remember to give glass a try, you won’t be disappointed.

Rob Abbott

Village Builders Inc.

2015 Kitchen Trends In Custom Homes

2015 trends - Kitchens

Even though the year is young there are many trends that are already emerging, trends in kitchens are one of them. Some of the trends started in the years previous and area considered longer running trends and some are trends that have started more recently. These trends are new; sometimes these trends have been around for years but are finally gaining in popularity.
Kitchens
Here is a list of the trends that have stayed the same over the last several years;

• Large kitchen taps with pull out sprayers are common in all new kitchens.

• Viking and Wolfs are the most popular ovens and cook tops in high end kitchens.

• Granite that waterfalls over the end of islands and cabinets have become very popular. This has waned a little recently as there is a high cost to it.

• Under mount stainless steel sinks are still the most popular option.

• Painted kitchen cupboards are still the most popular choice over stained wood.

• White is a colour that is back in for kitchens, it has rapidly replaced the darker bolder colours of the last couple of years, you can’t open a magazine or watch's a television show without seeing one.

• Stainless steel is still the most popular for appliances.

• Islands are still the most popular way to create counter space in kitchens. The size of islands continues grow as larger homes have larger areas to fill.

• Custom panels covering fume hoods is a common site in most new kitchens. The exposed stainless steel fume hood is not seen as often as before.

• The main sink is now placed in the island instead of on a wall under a window. The main sink in the island faces toward the living room so that people working in the kitchen can interact with their guests. This goes along with the kitchen being the hub of the home.

• Multiple sinks are still popular, usually a large main sink and then a small separate sink that is used to wash fruit. But with larger kitchens two larger sinks are growing in popularity.

• Multiple ovens are still popular.

• Multiple wall ovens even with their increased cost are now a staple in large kitchens.

• Multiple dishwashers which were only a novelty and an excess in years previous are now the norm in large kitchens that plan to see a lot of traffic.

• Specially designed cabinets are common now to help fit things easier in your kitchen such as pot drawers, spice racks, custom dish racks and small speciality drawers that hold your wash cloths and dish soup.

• Granite had been the most popular choice in kitchens for a long time. But with the invention of new manufactured products for counter tops that are comparative in price with the traditional granite, you are seeing a lot more home owners choosing Caesar stone, Quartz and Corian. These products have a lot of the same characteristics as granite, some of them are also cheaper and they come in a variety of colours and styles. Trends right now is to do a mix of manufactured and granite. This adds a little variety to the kitchen and can also solve the problem in large kitchens of trying to find enough granite that matches for every surface in the ever expanding surface area.

• There isn’t a dominant choose in the fridge manufactures, in previous years it was always a sub zero fridge in high-end kitchens, this has ended because of the high cost of the fridges and also from endless problems and warranty issues. Samsung looked to be the manufacture that would take over that mantle but that seems to have stalled and now no fridge manufacture has stepped up to take the title yet.

• Kitchens continue to grow in size, as houses are growing again over the last couple of years so are the kitchens in the homes. With the amount of conveniences rising in homes it is forcing the kitchen to become larger to accommodate them as all the modern machines require their own spaces.

• The microwave has returned to a prominent place in the kitchen after years of it being placed under counters or in pantries, with the increased size in kitchens the possible positions that microwaves can be placed has also grown. This is allowing people to easily find space for their microwaves.

• Leathering of granite counter tops has become the best way to have a “non shiny” surface but still have granite.

• Wall ovens with microwaves that share the same trim are common; these then look to be one appliance instead of two different ones.

• Glass in upper cabinet doors that are backlit are common in high end kitchens.

• Two or three hanging pendants are the norm now over every island in kitchens.

• Having kitchens that have different coloured islands compared to the cabinets on the walls. Usually the colours are dramatically different to create contrast.

• Chrome or polished nickel is what almost always installed in kitchens.

Here are the new trends in kitchens;

• Dark stained wood cabinets are coming back into style as the stark white kitchens that have been all the rage for the last couple of years are leaving some people less inspired.

• The biggest trend change is the growing popularity of soapstone counter tops. These give a completely different look to the surface of the kitchen, a much more rustic look to the kitchen surface.

• The multi level island has come back with not only a higher bar section but islands also being made with a lower section that can be sat at with a normal dining room chair instead of a bar stool.

• Windows have taking a giant step forward as kitchens in custom homes are being designed around as many windows as possible bringing as much natural light as possible.

• A hot trend these days is the buying of IKEA kitchens and having them installed by the general contractor to try and lower the cost of kitchens. Homeowners are sacrificing overall quality and longevity for a lower bill upfront.

• New sinks with holders for knifes and speciality items are growing in popularity. Blanco is one of the most popular in this category.

• Drain boards that are built right into the counter tops are becoming more popular, this allows
you to place wet dishes right on top of the counter next to the sink and have it drain away.

• Modern kitchens are really starting to become more popular. There flat doors and clean lines are really appealing to homeowners.

• In smaller kitchens there is now a fill-in piece for the sink to allow you to work right over the sink.

• People are trying new materials on their kitchen backsplashes instead of the traditional tile. Some of the materials are natural stone, back painted glass and hammered copper.

Something that you should remember when you are planning out a new kitchen whether it is in a new custom home or it is part of a renovation in your home you should be putting the maximum amount of effort into the design. The kitchen is one of the most used rooms in any home and will take the most amount of abuse as well. Paying a little more for quality items will usually always pay off in the end.

Rob Abbott
Village Builders Inc.

Don’t be afraid to try something different with your backsplash

Don’t be afraid to try something different with your backsplash

Are you designing a new kitchen and trying to figure out what kind of backsplash to install why don’t you try something different then your typical subway tile, try something unique;

• Try a pattern that you designed yourself.

• Mix and match different types and colours of tiles.

• Try installing a natural stone backsplash or a manufactured stone backsplash. It will fit on the wall of most kitchens and behind there sinks and taps.

.• There are new tin patterns, these are squares or tiles that fit together to make a solid surface and in the right kitchen can look impressive.

Natural stone backsplash

If you have a bigger budget try;

• Hammered copper. This can be installed by a coppersmith and can be down so that the entire backsplash has almost little to no seams.

• Back painted glass. Back painted glass can be any colour you want and can be installed with very little seams.

• Granite or marble. The same companies that install granite and marble counter tops will also make you a solid surface backsplash, depending on the kitchen this can look quiet striking.

• Brushed Stainless steel is a clean look that is easy to maintain.

Well I do encourage free thinking when you are trying to be unique there are some rules you should be following, especially around your oven;

1. Never use anything that is easily flammable. Do not use cloth or a paper product that will end up close to the stove top.

2. Gas stove tops legally cannot have anything flammable within a certain distance of the open flame. This includes drywall, you have to install some type of flame resistant material (tile,steel) or it will not pass a gas inspection.

3. You should be making the choice of your backsplash when you design your kitchen. The material you decide to use for you backsplash will affect the depth that the electricians set the boxes of your electrical plugs. If you change the material your electrical boxed might not be set far enough out. Also there are some products that require a different product then drywall as the sub-surface.
Natural stone requires that you use cement board.

The only other thing I would recommend is that if you are planning a unique or colourful backsplash then you really should light it properly with under counter lighting so that everyone else can enjoy it.

Rob Abbott
Village Builders Inc.

2014 kitchen trends in custom homes

2014 trends - Kitchens

Now that we are into 2014 there are emerging trends in kitchens that are being installed in new custom homes and custom renovations. A lot of the things that we did in the 2013 construction year were the same as in previous years, there are definite trends that have arose and more that have become popular because of the growing number of people using them.

Kitchens

Here is a list of the trends that have stayed the same over the last several years;

• Viking and Wolfs are the most popular ovens and cook tops in high end kitchens.

• Islands are still the most popular way to create counter space in kitchens. The size of islands continues grow.

• Multiple dishwashers which were only a novelty and an excess in years previous are now the norm in large kitchens that plan to see a lot of traffic.

• White is a colour that is back in for kitchens, it has rapidly replaced the darker bolder colours of the last couple of years, you can’t open a magazine or watch a television show without seeing one.

• Stainless steel is still the most popular for appliances.

• Multiple sinks are still popular, usually a large main sink and then a small separate sink that is used to wash fruit. But with larger kitchens two larger sinks are growing in popularity.

• Multiple ovens are still popular.

• Convection ovens that double as microwaves have quickly replaced the traditional stove with the microwave/hood vent over top.

• Granite had been the most popular choice in kitchens for a long time. But with the invention of new manufactured products for counter tops that are comparative in price with the traditional granite, you are seeing a lot more home owners choosing Caesar stone, Quartz and Corian. These products have a lot of the same characteristics as granite, some of them are also cheaper and they come in a variety of colours and styles. Trends right now is to do a mix of manufactured and granite. This adds a little variety to the kitchen and can also solve the problem in large kitchens of trying to find enough granite that matches for every surface in the ever expanding surface area.

• Painted kitchen cupboards are still the most popular choice over stained wood.

• Under mount stainless steel sinks are still the most popular option.

• The main sink is now placed in the island instead of on a wall under a window. The main sink in the island faces toward the living room so that people working in the kitchen can interact with their guests. This goes along with the kitchen being the hub of the home.

• Specially designed cabinets are common now to help fit things easier in your kitchen such as pot drawers, spice racks, custom dish racks and small speciality drawers that hold your wash cloths and dish soup.

• Custom panels covering fume hoods is a common site in most new kitchens. The exposed stainless steel fume hood is not seen as often as before.

• Granite that waterfalls over the end of islands and cabinets have become very popular.

• Large kitchen taps with pull out sprayers are common in all new kitchens.

Here are the new trends in kitchens;

• People are starting to turn away from buying sub-zero fridges, the size, cost and problems that people are having with them are starting to make homeowners look at other alternatives.

• Samsung fridges are becoming a popular option for people because of their reliability and there price.

• After years of kitchens becoming more efficient with space the size of kitchens are growing bigger with people looking for more working surface area and cabinet space.

• Under mount microwaves were all the rage for the last couple of years but the popularity of the under counter microwave seems to be fading as the motorized door and the awkward way to place food in and retrieve it are turning people away and back to microwaves that are either on the counter or mounted in the cabinetry.

• As multiple ovens are popular so has the popularity of multiple wall ovens made a resurgence.

• The hottest trend these days in granite counter tops is called Titanium. It is an expensive granite that has a unique pattern that is usually dark with lighter to white stripes running through it.

• Wall ovens with microwaves that share the same trims are all the rage right now, making the two appliances seem like one.

• A couple of years ago the trend was large white country sinks that protrude out the front of the cabinets showing a finished white face as an apron, this sink style has stayed popular but not in white, the newest trend is in stainless steel.

• Wood counter tops on islands are coming back in style. The natural, warm feeling and look of wood tops gives a kitchen a more homely feel.

• Stained kitchen cabinets are starting to make a comeback in country homes. The increased cost is not deterring homeowners as much.

• Glass in upper cabinets is also making a comeback as designers try to make homes with high ceilings of 9 feet or more seem smaller and more homely in the kitchen area.

• With glass upper cabinets in style so is interior lighting of them. This adds an accent to the kitchen and a richness to the home in general.

• The hot new colour for appliances is matte grey. It gives the appliances a completely more understated look then having stainless steel. This is for people who like their cabinets to be the centrepiece of the kitchens instead of the appliances.

• Large custom kitchens have work areas, having multiple islands is the way that they are accomplishing this.

Kitchen areas in custom homes are becoming larger with the area becoming a more multi use place for the whole family. Sitting area’s for breakfast or homework and adjoining rooms for pantries are making the kitchen area a whole hub for the home not just a place to prepare meals. The wiring for audio/video and the availability of cheaper wireless technology has allowed internet and television into the kitchen. Screens are being installed in kitchens for people to either watch television while they have breakfast or with the advent of the internet and the pvr they are able to prepare that recipe that they saw on a cooking show.

As designs change and styles come and go you must find a balance between what you want as the homeowner and what will reflect well in the value of your home.

Rob Abbott
Operations Manager
Village Builders Inc.

The kitchen in the modern home

Modern Day Construction for custom homes Part 11

In today’s modern world of construction things are changing year to year faster than they did decade to decade in any other previous time period. In this multi part series I will traverse through an entire house starting with the foundation and working my way up to the roof and then to the finishing’s. I will explain what has changed in the last twenty years in custom home building.

One thing that you should be able to take away from this is how important it is to not just hire the right general contractor to build your custom home but how important it is to hire one that is up on today’s building methods.

Kitchens

Twenty years ago most kitchens were made out of plywood or press board. They had laminate or tile counter tops and golden oak cabinet doors where all the rage. As long as the kitchen functioned for the preparer of the meals then the kitchen was well designed.

Today kitchen’s are considered the heart of the home. Kitchen’s today are getting larger and more open to the rest of the house. Kitchen’s today routinely flow right into the main living area or have a large eating area in them.

Design of kitchens is a major business with so many new ideas that a lot of contractors have trouble keeping up with the latest and greatest trends. Here are some examples of the big trends now days compared to

twenty years ago;

• Multiple ovens. Gone are the days when you had one stove or a wall oven and a cook top. Today’s kitchens have multiple ovens, warming drawers to keep cooked food hot, gas burners on the cook top and electric ovens beneath. Also there are in wall ovens that have a steam cooking function.

• Range exhaust hoods. Every year exhaust hooks get more elaborate and larger. They are ultra efficient at removing the gases and smoke from the cooking area, but they have become so powerful at venting to the outside that they can depressurize the house. Fresh air sometimes needs to be feed to the range hood and dampers installed in the HRV pipes to help regulate house pressure. Range hoods now have lights and can be made to look more like art and less like a piece of exhaust equipment.

• Microwaves. Microwaves have changes a lot in the last two decades. They have become bigger, quieter and more efficient. Microwaves now can be mounted above your stove and used as an exhaust hood. They have a built in venting and exhaust hood motor that when piped properly will vent everything outside. They can also have lights built into the bottom just like range hoods. Microwaves also can be mounted under the counter out of sight. They are then used by top loading with a power drawer that comes out at the touch of a button.

• Dishwashers. Twenty years ago everyone had there one dishwasher that was either installed under the counter or was on wheels and rolled out of the corner and attached to the kitchen sink. Today kitchens still have the dishwasher mounted under the counter but gone are the days of the roll out model. A lot of kitchens now have multiple dishwashers. Also there are multi level dishwashers to help save on water and power. There are even dishwashers that are built into the drawers of the cabinets. So you put your dirty dishes back in the cabinet where they always go and then you turn on that drawer or cabinet. Then all the dishes in that draw get washed at the same time and you never have to worry about pulling out that seldom used pot with dust in it.

• Today kitchens are mostly built out of press board and not real wood or plywood. There is less shrinkage and it also allows designers to do more elaborate designs while keeping the costs down.

• Cabinet doors are not golden oak anymore. There is such a wide verity of colours and stains today. Cherry is popular and so is fir. A big look in custom homes is the distressed look in kitchens. It is when they paint the kitchen with multi layers of paint, every layer with a different colour. Then they take a sander and at certain spots in the kitchen they sand wear spots into it. This reveals the next layer of paint and gives the kitchen a lived in and aged look.

• Islands have become the norm in kitchens. Kitchen islands are now designed to be completely functional. They have sinks installed in them to help with food preparation. Islands are now built in multi levels so that there can be a food preparation on one side and on the other side it is a bar area for people to sit on stools to eat, drink and socialize with the cook. Storage is a big thing in islands too with more drawers and cabinets being built into the underside of the island. The island has been transformed into a gathering area for the house.

• Twenty years ago there was the one sink in the kitchen, it was usually placed under or near a window. Today the big kitchen sink is still placed near a window, but there can be two or three other sinks in the kitchen depending on the size of the kitchen. Sinks are now coming in all shapes and sizes depending on style and what you want to do with it. Smaller sinks are placed in islands for washing of fruit and vegetables. Larger main kitchen sinks can come with side sinks to help dry dishes and there are even corner sinks to help maximize space and help save on counter top usability.

• Today laminate is barely ever used in custom homes in the kitchen. The trend for the past decade is granite. But there are a lot more options then there was before depending on your budget. Butcher block tops are becoming popular again. Recycled glass with a painted finish underneath is a popular trend and manufactured counter tops like ceaser stone are really taking hold. The manufactured stone is very durable and comes with a great warranty, it is easier to maintain then granite and doesn’t need to be sealed annually. A lot of kitchens these days have one type of counter top material underneath the cabinets and a different one on the island. Or if its black granite on one then it’s a white granite on the other.

• Drawer design and hardware have come a long way in two decades. Gone are the days when you would have lazy suzans in the corners. They have corner drawers that are hinged so that when you open the corner door the shelving is hinged to come forward into your view so that you can see everything in the cabinet. There is now cabinet door hardware that allows the door to go straight up out of the way instead of opening to the side. Little specialty drawers are now placed everywhere in kitchens to maximize the space. Drawers like a small drawer 4 inches high by the width of the kitchen sink and only 2 inches deep to hold your scrubbing brushes and steel wool abrasive pads. Vertical spice drawers have become popular because they can be installed anywhere you need them to be and they are a great way to fill in that empty space between two appliances.

• Fridges have changes a lot in the last 2 decades. They still do what they were originally designed to do which is keep things cold, but they also do so much more. Fridges now make ice, dispence water, have LED screens in them for controls or if you want to watch television. They are also bigger then they have ever been, with some models having built in wine chillers on one side. There are also fridges with no freezer in them, the freezer unit which can be just as big as the fridge can be installed standing next to it or in another room.

• There are other specialty things that have become popular in kitchens. Things such as instant hot water taps, so that you can have tea without boiling water in a kettle. This requires you to install what we call a “little butler” water heater under the counter. Then you install a separate tap next to the normal kitchen taps at the sink.

Look for part 12 coming soon....

Rob Abbott
Operations Manager
Village Builders Inc.