Storage and Functionality Are Key in This Beautiful Custom Kitchen Design

When renovating kitchens in older homes, a frequent challenge is finding space for current appliances without sacrificing available storage.

“In this kitchen renovation, our client’s wish list included a double oven, beverage fridge and integrated coffeemaker,” says Monarch designer Marion Cuddie.

Custom kitchen design by Monarch Kitchen & Bath Centre

“We created additional storage by installing convenient pull-outs and customizing the end unit of the coffee bar unit to house brooms and cleaning materials,” explains Marion. 

Custom kitchen design by Monarch Kitchen & Bath Centre

Custom kitchen design by Monarch Kitchen & Bath Centre

Tall cabinets flank the new fireplace in the dining room and provide a perfect storage location for the homeowner’s collection of dinnerware and serving pieces.

“Since they often entertain their large extended family, our clients also wanted to open the kitchen up to the dining room to create more connection between the two rooms.

"The entire space is L-shape, so we removed the wall between the kitchen and dining room, and extended the cabinetry including bar and coffee station into the dining area to service before and after dinner refreshments."

Custom kitchen design by Monarch Kitchen & Bath Centre

The crowning significant change involved modifying the window wall so the new range and hood position allowed the cook to function without constant traffic at her back,” says Marion. “It also provides extended landing space, and equipment and supplies at her fingertips.” (see below)

COOKING AREA - BEFORE

COOKING AREA - AFTER

Custom kitchen design by Monarch Kitchen & Bath Centre

Let Monarch Kitchen & Bath Centre make your kitchen design dreams a reality. Call us today at 905-686-2001, or drop by our kitchen and bath showroom and chat with a member of our design team. 

What's on Your New Bath Design Wish List?

For these Monarch Kitchen & Bath Centre clients, updating their over 20-year-old four-piece en suite bath provided the perfect opportunity to check some items off their wish list.

According to designer Kevin Samson, the couple had a number of the most common complaints about their current space:

• the shower was too small
• there wasn't enough storage space
• the sinks were crowded together
  
  

Kevin addressed the need for additional storage and elbow room by replacing the single two-sink vanity with individual vanities on opposite sides of the shower.

By relocating the shower to the opposite side of the room, he was able to create a shower almost double in size, and include a large tiled bench.

A custom glass door system complemented the look and allows more natural light into the shower.

Do you have an outdated en suite in need of a makeover? Drop by the Monarch Kitchen & Bath Centre showroom for some design inspiration and knowledgeable advice from a member of our experienced design team.
 

Maximize Your Storage Space with These 3 Kitchen Corner Solutions

Kitchen corner cabinets are the Bermuda Triangle of your kitchen. Over time, items you place at the front of the cabinet slowly make their way into the back, never to be seen again.

Often one of the trickiest areas in the kitchen to figure out, corner cabinets either go underused or turn into a virtual Neverland of odds and ends. Thankfully, cabinet manufacturers have found creative and innovative ways to make use of the space. Below are three of our favourites.

The LeMans II System

Ideal for blind corners, the LeMans pullout systems help you keep items organized. This means no more getting on your hands and knees to access the back of the cabinet.

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Rondo Cleaning and Recycling Centre

Underneath a corner sink doesn't have to be a lost space! And a corner recycling unit is a great way to keep your wasting sorting needs out of the way.

 

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Pie-cut Lazy Susan

A deep lazy susan can keep your pantry items organized and prevent items from falling off into the depths of your cabinet.

In this revolutionary design from Cornerstone, the patented die-cast aluminum bearing makes this unique wood super susan the absolute workhorse of the industry.

Designed for pots, pans and kitchen appliances, this wood susan also works great for dry goods, bulk storage or convenience items.

 

Are you ready to make your kitchen design dreams a reality?

Call Monarch Kitchen and Bath Centre today at 905-686-2001, or drop by our showroom for some design inspiration.

Did Your Kitchen Work For You or Against You Over the Holidays?

Nothing puts the functionality of your kitchen to the test like hosting a big dinner for friends and family.

While a bigger kitchen provides more space for preparing multiple courses and having more helpers on hand, if your kitchen is not organized properly, your frustration level can go through the roof!

Whether your space is big, small or somewhere in between, you can make your kitchen work for you with the help of some of these sanity-saving options from Blum:

Deep pot drawers with lids easily accessible

Food storage simplified

Plastic containers

 

Spice organization

Maximize that hard-to-reach corner storage!

Under the sink storage

 

A place for trays, cutting boards and bottles

Related posts: 

Monarch Kitchen and Bath Centre Designers Discover New and Amazing Things from Blum

Should You Move or Renovate to Adapt? Monarch Explores the Benefits of Updating Your Home to Fit Your Needs

Does this house still fit our needs? Should we move?

We often ask these questions as we journey through the different stages in our lives. Perhaps you’re ready to move into your first home, move in with your partner, or have children? Or maybe you’ve been considering downsizing because your children have grown and left; or your home’s current layout is posing mobility issues. Is moving really what you need to do? Or does renovating your current living space to adapt to your new lifestyle make more sense? Would the money you’ll have to spend on moving fees be better spent by putting it back into the home you know and love?

The time and effort involved in preparing your home for sale is staggering. From cleaning the house and painting walls, to checking off items on your honey-do list and landscaping to grab some extra curb appeal, you’ll wonder why you’re doing all this work for someone else’s benefit. When you add in all the other costs − lawyers, movers, real estate agents, bank fees, taxes, disbursements, insurance and home inspections − it can add up to huge numbers.

Should you move? Ultimately, it comes down to how you want to spend your money.

If the cost of moving is just too great, putting the money you do have into your home is key for living happily and functioning effectively in your day-to-day life. But which elements of your home do you need to renovate to make this work?

Over the next few weeks, Monarch will be exploring ways to adapt your home to your ever-changing needs. This week, we’ll discuss ways to help those hoping to adapt their home from one that was ideal for a single lifestyle into a home perfect for two.

Moving Forward: From Bachelor to Couple

You graduated from college or university, landed a “real” job, and bought your first home. And if you’re like many young professionals, this first home was your solution for how you were living at the time: single. As a first-time home buyer, you were probably not looking ahead to how you were going to be using this house in the future. There was no real thought to who would be living there or what you would be doing in the space in the future.

Fast-forward to today and your needs for a home and living space are much different than they were a few years ago. What previously worked for you, no longer works for you and your partner and it’s time for a change.

Closets that functioned for one person just fine seem smaller than ever, and the need for more storage is has doubled.  

Investing into your storage solutions will make your home feel larger and function better, resulting in a more

harmonious living arrangement. Custom storage solutions allow you to find a place for everything, and help to put everything in its place.

Now that you and your partner are living together, you may be hosting more events at your home, having friends and family over for dinner parties, backyard barbecues and game nights. Perhaps the powder room could use a facelift?

You can make a dramatic change to your home by updating your powder room to a more current and functional look. And because most powder rooms are small, you don’t have to blow your budget to make a big difference to the space.

For more renovation inspiration, drop by the Monarch Kitchen & Bath Centre showroom or call 905-686-2001 to speak with a member of our design team.