Whether you’re a homeowner or looking to become one, chances are you know how overwhelming choosing cabinets
to suit your taste and lifestyle can be. Well, you’re not alone. If you’re confused and not sure what your style is read on so you know before remodeling your
kitchen or bath. It will make the process much easier for you and for your designer!

Victorian – Usually characterized by steeply pitched roofs, pointed-arch windows, elaborate trim along roof edges, high dormers, lancet
windows and other Gothic details. Light fixtures range from chandeliers, kerosene and electric lamps to astrals, and sconces. Cabinets are usually
weathered looking and made of heavy, real wood with chrome pulls and knobs.

 
Modern – Modern styles change from year to year. Most recent designs include sleek, straight and clean lines. Less is
more, such as less accessories, visible appliances and details. Commonmaterials include stainless steel, marble, granite and frosted glass. Basic
geometric shapes and bold, bright colors such as reds, blues and yellow, blackand white are prevalent.

Contemporary - Your tastes include the Frank Lloyd Wright-inspired. Your sensitivity to materials and a natural setting meets with
a contemporary bent in home styles like Mission, Prairie and Arts & Crafts.When making your cabinet selection, consider birch as a clean and modern wood
species. Choose details like geometric forms, art glass, contrasting textures and lines, and forged and wrought iron pulls.

 
Southwestern – A lot of detail and craftsmanship.Natural materials such as stucco and hand-painted fabrics are very common, as
are wood, quarry tile, ceramic tile, earth tones and vibrant accessories. Colors usually reflect the nature of a desert such as warm oranges, greens,
tans and browns. Southwest kitchens usually incorporate ceramic materials and terra cotta elements.

 
Traditional – Plays up architectural details such as crown moldings, raised wood paneling and rich, deep colors to enhance the mood and ‘traditional’ feel. Dark stains, honey tones, semi-opaque paints,
wicker baskets and oak cabinets add to the usually more formal feel than country style.

In Feng Shui, the kitchen represents nourishment and prosperity; after all, it’s human nature to associate food and nutrition with nurturing and sustenance. Believers in Feng Shui say that how you design and decorate the kitchen can influence your prosperity and health.

The first thing to bear in mind when considering any Feng Shui advice is that ultimately, Feng Shui is a complex practice with several different schools, and the recommendations will vary from school to school and from one practitioner to another. So too, advice will differ depending upon the unique home — and the unique people living in it. Despite the fact that different schools may have diverse views on some topics, there are basic Feng Shui principles that apply to all kitchens.

Kitchen Placement

The first thing to consider when looking at the kitchen is its placement in terms of the whole house.

We can’t always decide where each room in a house or apartment will be in relation to the others, but if you’re working with new construction or doing extensive renovations, ideally the kitchen will be in the back of the house, at least behind centerline of house.

In any case, it’s better if you don’t see the kitchen immediately upon entering the house, as this can portend digestive, nutritional, and eating problems. Having the kitchen at the entry point can also mean that guests will come over and eat and then leave immediately, and such a placement can also encourage the inhabitants to eat all the time.

But if your kitchen is in the front of the house, don’t panic; there are remedies that can take care of this. Use this as an opportunity to get creative. Try hanging sheer or beaded curtains over the kitchen door. Or, install louvered doors. Another idea is to provide something delightfully eye-catching across a hall or in a vestibule near the kitchen. That way, attention is diverted from the busy kitchen.

Kitchen Layout

It is very important for the cook to be in a “commanding position” when at the stove. The cook should be able to clearly see the doorway without turning away from the stove. Renovating a kitchen so this is achieved can be particularly challenging. Many modern kitchens have the range facing the wall. Some Feng Shui consultants recommend an easy solution: hang something reflective, such as a mirror or a shiny sheet of decorative aluminum, over the stove. The reflective surface can be any size, but the bigger it is, the more powerful the correction will be.

For a more dramatic solution, consider installing a cooking island. Placing the stove in a central island allows the cook to see the entire room, including the doorway. Beyond the Feng Shui benefits, a cooking island is practical. The wider your view, the more you’ll be able to comfortably talk with dinner guests or keep an eye on the kids as you prepare the meal.

Cooking islands have become a popular trend in kitchen design. Designing a kitchen around a cooking island will help keep the cook involved in whatever is happening in that Great Room, whether it’s clever before-dinner conversation or hearing about a child’s English homework.

Feng Shui-inspired kitchen design dovetails with the contemporary trend toward “group cooking.” Instead of isolating the cook, families and guests often gather in the kitchen and participate in the meal preparation. Also, busy working couples use dinner preparation as an important time to unwind together.

It is truly amazing how much the ancient Feng Shui beliefs have to tell us about the design of modern kitchens. For help in choosing lighting and appliances, read on.

Feng Shui Lighting and Appliances

In any room, fluorescent lights do not promote good health; they are constantly flickering, affecting the eyes and nervous system, and can cause hypertension, eyestrain and headaches. However, they do serve a purpose, as they provide bright light at low cost. If you decide that you do need fluorescent lights in your kitchen, use full-spectrum bulbs.

A good kitchen design is based on a traditional triangle model, with the sink, refrigerator and range making up each point of the triangle. There should be a 6-8 foot distance between each appliance; this allows for maximum convenience and a minimum of repeated moves.

Because you’ll have that space between each of the major appliances, it should be easy to adhere to the Feng Shui principle of having fire elements—such as the stove and microwave—separated from water elements—such as the refrigerator, dishwasher, and sink.

They can be separated by something made of wood, or by something representative of wood, such as a plant or a painting of a plant.

The Kitchen Stove

Because the stove represents health and wealth, you want to use the burners on the stove top equally, rotating their use rather than habitually using a particular burner; this represents getting money from multiple sources. The old-fashioned stove, as opposed to a microwave, is often preferred because it is more in keeping with the Feng Shui belief that we should slow down, become more conscious of each activity, and do activities with intention. Heating a quick meal in the microwave is certainly convenient, but doing this may not lead to the most serene state of mind. Many Feng Shui practitioners are concerned with excess radiation and electromagnetic fields and would therefore prefer to avoid the microwave altogether. Obviously, each home and family will have to find their own balance between modern conveniences and optimal Feng Shui practice.

As with all rooms in the house, the kitchen should be kept neat and uncluttered, and any broken appliances should be tossed out—even if it means living without a toaster at all for a while, it’s better to have no toaster than one that doesn’t work very well.

In some cases, building code regulations actually reflect good Feng Shui principles. In New York, it’s illegal to place a window over the stove. Feng Shui believes that windows should not be placed over stoves because heat represents prosperity, and you don’t want your prosperity flooding out the window.

Luckily, Feng Shui isn’t only about having a room with good ch’i, or energy; it’s also simply a practical guide for design. For this reason, Feng Shui can be used with any style of room. The most popular current trends, according to Behbin, are:

• a very contemporary look, with solid colors and wood grains
• a very opulent look, with carvings, corbels, and cabinets on legs
• a simple Shaker style

Any of these styles can be successfully combined with the principles of Feng Shui to make for a kitchen that’s functional, up-to-date, and easy on the ch’i.

Made in: Italy
Cabinets doors: 22mm (0.866”) thick white gloss lacquer finish
Cabinet box: Frameless construction; the structure is made using 18mm (0.708”) white thick chipboard panels laminated with non-toxic melamine sheets according to norms on the emission of formaldehyde. Cabinet box edges: Glued with rubber seal which minimizes noise when doors are shut and seal against dust.
Drawer box: Blumotion self closing technology, undermount full extension.
Cabinet hinges: Blum with soft closing system.
Toe kick Stainless steel finished PVC.
Sink base: Protective aluminum bottom.

Made in: Italy
Cabinets doors: 22mm (0.866”) thick oak gray finish
Cabinet box: Frameless construction; the structure is made using 18mm (0.708”) white thick chipboard panels laminated with non-toxic melamine sheets according to norms on the emission of formaldehyde. Cabinet box edges: Glued with rubber seal which minimizes noise when doors are shut and seal against dust.
Drawer box: Blumotion self closing technology, undermount full extension.
Cabinet hinges: Blum with soft closing system.
Toe kick Stainless steel finished PVC.
Sink base: Protective aluminum bottom.

The majority of customers will only buy one new kitchen during their lifetime.  Because the kitchen is the heart of a house, it is extremely important that this room fulfills the specialized needs of the individuals who use it.  Since most parents work, the kitchen is the one place where families can actually get together—it has become not only a space for nourishment but the center where family life takes place.  A well-designed kitchen is considered to be the best return on your investment.

Kitchen specialists will custom design your space whereas the home improvement center wants to fill up your space.  Home improvement center personnel are basically salespeople, trained to get you to buy more than you’ll need. Home improvement centers are too diversified and don’t usually carry high-end products which, in the long run, will last longer than cheaper goods—remember the adage, “You get what you pay for!”  Kitchen designers will save time by narrowing selections to fit your personal style and will save you money through professional discounts.  A kitchen specialist will design a plan to fit your budget—the better the plan, the easier to keep costs low.  The designer is always up on the latest trends, especially energy-efficient products.

Kitchen designer have their own work crews or employ only those that deliver customer satisfaction. Numerous home improvement centers will subcontract a job which means they have no control over the work being done in your home.  Because of heavy workloads, subcontractors often sell these jobs to unknowns.  Thus you’ll have to deal with strangers who are basically concerned with getting paid as opposed to giving you quality work, which could cost you more down the line.

We’ve all heard homeowner horror stories.  A woman, with toddler and infant, decided to redo her kitchen.  Since her husband was the sole breadwinner, they had a strict budget and went to a home improvement center.  She was told that they could remodel her kitchen in three weeks.  Everything was going well until the appliances arrived—none of which fit into their respective spaces.  Four months and two contractors later, the job was finally completed but, due to faulty wiring, the kitchen caught fire.  The home improvement salesperson never thought to include a fire extinguisher.  The couple ran out of money and their kitchen is still not finished.

Problems can arise in any renovation but a kitchen specialist is prepared to deal with practical solutions.  Home improvement centers are corporations and their employees are not trained to think outside the box.  Because specialists are focused only on your kitchen, you can be assured that they will get the job done right the first time—giving you value that lasts for years.

Whether you are fixing a snack or creating a five-course dinner, your kitchen should be a delectable place, fragrant with savory memories, not one which leaves a bad taste in your mouth.

The AVENUE collection by Aster Cucine is a kitchen that celebrates the merging of the traditional and the modern symbolizing the triumph of beauty, beauty as a lifestyle. This is a kitchen space with an ease and simplicity you are sure to fall in love with, a meeting place in the home, the place of your dream city encounters. A classi…c collection with the most seamlessly magical modern twists.

LACAVA – Luxury Bathroom Collection is now available at Urban Homes, Inc.

Europe is a land of small businesses with a long history of fierce competition. Their ancient roots can still be seen today, as each one tries to distinguish itself from the others by developing original designs. This is true in all fields. Bathroom furnishings are one of them. Nowhere else in the world can you find such a variety of artistically designed bathroom furniture and accessories as in Europe.

Lacava, a company of Italian origin, located in Chicago, is dedicated to continuing this legacy in order to enrich American private homes and lifestyles as well as public facilities with ingenious and inspiring bathroom collections. As a result of Lacava’s collaboration with designers from around the world in defining the future bathroom styles, the company specializes in both contemporary and transitional styles for commercial, retail, hospitality, and residential applications in standard and custom settings. The geographical location of Lacava enables us to provide our customers with the convenience of local, personalized service, coupled with the state of the art technologies and experienced artisans creating superior quality furnishings with customization capacity. Our complete product collections are constantly changing and expanding as we restlessly strive to shape the forthcoming market trends.

What are the recommended cleaning and care instructions for LACAVA’s woodwork?

Since our wood countertops and vanities are made for use in bathrooms, they are treated with several different sealants and coats to help protect them from moisture and humidity. However, special cleaning and care instructions should be followed to ensure that the finish continues to look new and clean for years to come. The surface should be cleaned with a soft cloth using cleaning agents designated for wood care, such as Pledge, Murphy’s Oil, or soapy water. NEVER use coarse abrasive materials which will scratch and discolor the surface and always avoid using products that contain ammonia or bleach. Prolonged exposure to water can also discolor and damage the wood surface, so wiping the wood surface dry after each use is highly recommended. Damage due to improper cleaning and care will not be accepted as a valid reason for a return or exchange and may void the warranty.

How is LACAVA’s woodwork constructed?

LACAVA’s woodwork is 100% handmade in the USA by skilled master craftsmen. The frames and legs of most of our woodwork are made from solid wood; the doors, side panels and countertops are constructed of a veneered select grade multi-layer core board. We do not use solid wood for large side panels or doors, because large flat pieces of solid wood are prone to warping when used in the high humidity environment of most bathrooms. All of LACAVA’s woodwork is finished with a polyurethane top coat which makes the finish extremly durable and provides the wood with extra protection from water and humidity. We do not use any laminates or particleboard, typically used in cheap, low quality furniture. In addition, only the highest quality hardware, concealed European hinges and soft closing drawer glides of top brands are used.

What type of warranty does LACAVA offer on its products?

LACAVA LLC provides a Limited Lifetime Warranty on its faucetry. This warrants any faucet, installed in a residential application, to be free of defects in material and workmanship for as long as the original consumer owns his or her home. Any product installed in a commercial application is covered under warranty for one year. LACAVA warrants all other products to be free from any defects in materials or workmanship, during normal residential or commercial use including all hinges, drawer slides, finishes, and general workmanship of the item for a period of one year.  LACAVA warranties do not cover normal wear and tear, damages due to negligence, faulty installation, improper alterations and repairs, improper cleaning and care, or damages due to uses of the product other than its intended and normal use. If a defect is found under normal use, while under warranty, LACAVA will repair or replace the product (whichever cost is smaller to LACAVA) at its own expense (excluding shipping and installation charges).  Under no circumstances is LACAVA responsible for installation/service fees or any dollar amount beyond the cost of the item.  In addition, all LACAVA products are to be installed by experienced professionals properly licensed and bonded; otherwise, any LACAVA warranty and liability is to be considered waived. All warranties are non-transferable and proof of purchase is required for any warranty claim. Please see our Terms & Conditions for more detailed information what our warranties cover.

LACAVA products are available at Urban Homes – 325 West 16th Street, New York, NY 10011.

www.UHNY.com

www.lacava.com

ASTER CUCINE

Last year at Eurocucina, kitchen manufacturer Aster Cucine debuted the Timeline kitchen, the Italian company’s first collaboration with New York-based firm, Workshop/apd. Such collaborations between a major Italian kitchen manufacturer and a U.S. designer have happened rarely, if ever, but point to exciting potential for the future in kitchen design.

Jacob Kindler, U.S. managing director of Aster Cucine, was a longtime friend of Workshop/apd principals Matthew Berman and Andrew Kotchen, but it took years to persuade his nearly 30-year-old company that hiring an American team would give Aster a new insight into what American consumers want.

The collaboration considers the larger scale of U.S. kitchens and the more traditional tastes of consumers here, while maintaining strict Italian manufacturing standards. The team used vintage European materials that could be rendered with modern lines, a combination that should please buyers considering the resale value of their home and fearful of being over-the-top modern, said Kindler.

New York-based Berman and Kotchen drew upon historical craftsmanship and the importance of material selection in those trades to design the collection, combining sixteenth-century Venetian ceruse finishes, chemically patinated stainless steel, oxidized mirror glass, and wire mesh inspired by French country cabinetry. “It’s a modern interpretation of traditional detailing,” said Kotchen, “plus an Italian understanding of knowing how to put it all together.”

The kitchens also showcase manufacturing techniques not usually seen in Italian cabinetry. Doors are built with inset handles, a style common to prewar American designs, but unfamiliar to Italian manufacturers. Aster also altered the manufacturing process by which they usually round the edge of a curved half inch border at the base of the cabinetry to give it a cleaner line.

Because kitchens have become extensions of the living area, the Timeline series can be personalized with art panels by Toronto artist Murray Duncan. The etched pieces are incorporated as the customer desires, including as a backsplash or stand-alone cabinet. Their coatings of metallic paints, oil crayons, and resin, add another layer of complexity to the kitchens. The Timeline series is now exclusively on view at Urban Homes – Innovative Design for Kitchen & Bath in New York.

TECHNICAL SPOTLIGHT:

VENETIAN CERUSE

The Timeline collection’s white oak cabinetry is treated with a technique that has stood the test of time. Ceruse originally referred to an ingredient known as “white lead.” Mixed with vinegar, it was a popular form of makeup during the 16th century. Also used in paint, the term ceruse now refers to a (lead-free) finish for wood that reveals grain lines while leaving the overall base color of the wood intact.

The result is a soft, ghostly patina that brings out the best of oak cabinetry.

LINKS:

www.workshopapd.com

www.astercucineusa.com

www.UHNY.com

This article can be found by following the link below:

http://archpaper.com/kitchenworks.pdf

Urban Homes Bathroom Collection presents Vanity,  a modern line with curvaceous shapes, with a  wealth of accessories, colors, finishes and countertops, chosen to pander to any vanity. Doors and boxes can be lacquered in all BMT range colors, in both mat or gloss versions. Four metallic colors are also available: red, blue, dark coffee and coal grey. The mat lacquered finish is produced with polyurethane paints, while a new method is used for gloss and metallic finishes. Instead of applying the gloss paint directly, two coats of clear gloss are applied after the lacquering process and than brushed. This increases surface hardness, creates a single insulating layer and gives furniture a particularly bright shine.

Down through the ages, the kitchen has been the “heart” of the home.   Today is has become more so than ever, with kitchen spaces designed mDesigners and builders say consumers are returning to classic, timeless styles for their dream kitchens.   Darker woods, opulent details, higher-end cabinetry.

Another trend they’re seeing is hidden appliances, which can change the mood of the kitchen and making it look and feel like any other living area in the house.

Appliances are also being hidden in custom-designed cabinetry that matches the kitchen design.

Hidden appliances can change the mood of the kitchen and make it feel like any other part of the house – a place where you want to hang out and chat.

“I call the kitchen the soul of the house,” says Lertola, who also designs and creates custom concrete features. “I do kitchens every day, and one thing we’re always doing is trying to make the kitchen feel more like part of the house. To make it look not as much like a kitchen.”

Personalized features

One of the first things kitchen designer Liz LaMacchia asks new clients is what they hate about their current kitchen.

“I will go into a person’s home and look through the cupboards,” says LaMacchia, who works for The Kitchen Shop in Lansing. “I want to know what they have and what they actually use. I ask them for a list of everything they hate about their kitchen, and a wish list.”

Top of the dream-kitchen wish list: One-of-a-kind features.

Tired of bending way down to load the dishwasher? Have it raised to a more back-friendly height.

Got kids? Build custom storage for their things that they can reach safely.

Like to watch TV while you cook? Build a customized entertainment center.

If you take the time to design a kitchen as unique as your personal lifestyle, LaMacchia says, you’ll appreciate the end result (and the money you spent) a lot more.

Stone

Trendy materials can be a tough sell, because, seriously, who knows how long lime-green tiles will be in style?

But one always-in-fashion material is making a comeback: stone.

Builders are fielding more and more requests for stone as backsplashes, flooring and other features, Tanasse says.

One of the benefits of stone is that it mixes well with many other materials. Whether you have a granite countertop or laminate, stone looks good against both.

Mixing it up

Eco Friendly

Aster Cucine is an eco friendly kitchen manufacture with non-toxic materials through processes and limited impact towards the environment.

• Aster Cucine cabinets has the lower formaldehyde in the industries.
• Box construction is made of 100% recycled wood.
• Standard cabinet box are made using panels laminated with non-toxic melamine sheets in conformance with European norms E1 on the emission of formaldehyde.
• The doors are made of 100% recycled wood (Veneer and laminate doors).
• Reduction of toxic emissions: In Italy, the present limit (of gas emission) is up to 0.1 ppm (parts per million).
• The Ecological laminate particleboard realized with 100% post-consumer wood, FSC Certified and with the lowest formaldehyde emissions worldwide.

ECOLOGICAL PANELS

The entire cabinet structure of our melamine units consists of wood particle panels – called particleboard. This material offers durability and stability and has particularly impressive environmental credentials. We use only FSC-certified Ecological panels, produced from recycled wood and do not require new trees to be felled. When abandoned in dumps or burned, wood emits greenhouse gas into the atmosphere, while recycled wood traps them in, thus limiting the impact on the atmosphere. For example, 1 ton of recycled wood reduces the greenhouse gas emitted into the atmosphere by 1.03 tons (CO2 equivalent). A “ton” is a CO2 equivalent which is a unit of measurement for the emission of various greenhouse gases used to determine effect on environment and climate.

FSC (Forest Stewardship Council)

FSC is an acronym for identifying wood-based products that are Forest Stewardship Council certified and marketed by companies that comply with the FSC Chain of Custody standard. This denotes that the products used are strictly monitored by third bodies to ensure that they are almost entirely FSC-certified materials. The mission behind the FSC certification process is to promote the responsible use of the world wood reserves without exploiting them.

E1 PANELS

Formaldehyde is a substance used in the production of many glues and resins; these are also used in the processing of wood panels. Panels produced in this way can release molecules of formaldehyde in gas form. We have chosen to use only materials with low formaldehyde emissions for the chipboard components of Aster kitchens (cabinet structure, some types of doors, etc.). The Forest Stewardship Council also checks panel emissions by conducting regular laboratory tests to determine the emission limits. According to the European E1 classification, the maximum permissible formaldehyde content is 3.5mg/m2h. Tests performed on our panels in compliance with UNI EN 717-2 normally yield much lower results, generally below 1.0mg/m2h. In conclusion, the panels that reach the consumer have lost almost all their initial formaldehyde content.

Wood-Mode Cares About…RESPONSIBLY MANAGEDFORESTRY RESOURCESThe lumber which yields the solid Appalachian Hardwoodused for Wood-Mode Cabinetry is harvested primarily fromthe northeast United States and Canada. In this region,hardwood stocks are growing twice as fast as they are beingharvested, and forest lands are increasing in size each year.According to the Department of Agriculture, hardwoodstocks in the United States have increased more than 98%between 1953 and 2002.Hardwood lumber is a valuable economic resource. It wouldcease being valuable if it was not periodically harvested, asthe land would be converted to other uses.The harvesting of mature trees results in additional light,water and nutrients for smaller trees, allowing them to growmore quickly. It also encourages low-level plant growth,providing food and cover for forest animals.Since a hardwood forest is harvested only once every ten totwenty years, disturbances to the ecosystem are kept to aminimum.By purchasing locally and regionally grown lumber fromvendors dedicated to responsible forestry management,Wood-Mode insures the continued economic viability ofour precious hardwood resource.For more than sixty-five years since its founding, Wood-Modehas maintained a firm commitment to sound environmentallyprotectivepolicies and practices in the manufacture of its customcabinet products.The company has taken pride in producing the industry’s highestquality cabinetry in a manner that demonstrates its genuineconcern and care for the environment.Wood-Mode Cares About…ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITYWood-Mode has been certified by the Kitchen CabinetManufacturers Association (KCMA) as meeting the standardsfor its “Environmental Stewardship Program” (ESP).This program was created to recognize industry manufacturerswho use environmentally friendly materials and productionprocesses. To qualify for and maintain certification,manufacturers are evaluated annually on compliance in fivecategories, including air quality, product resource management,process resource management, environmentalstewardship and community relations, as well as energyconservation and recycling programs.

Wood-Mode Cares About…

AIR POLLUTION CONTROL

As far back as 1989, Wood-Mode installed and began its Regenerative Thermal Oxidizer (RTO) for the destruction of emissions generated in the cabinetry finishing process.

Operating at a combustion chamber temperature of 1,400 degrees Fahrenheit, the RTO destroys 99.4% of captured Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC). In addition, under optimal

conditions, the RTO operates in a self-sustaining mode and does not need any fuel (natural gas) input, a significant savings in energy.

Wood-Mode Cares About…

PROTECTING AND CONSERVING

OURWATER RESOURCE

Wood-Mode complies with all local and state regulations for the discharge of any waste water, as regulated by the National Pollution Discharge Elimination System and the

Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection. Steam condensate is recovered and re-circulated back to the boiler systems to reduce the amount of un-treated water

necessary to produce more steam.

Wood-Mode Cares About…

PROTECTING OUR LANDTHROUGH

EFFICIENTWASTE MANAGEMENT

Sawdust and wood scrap are ground into particles which are then used as fuel to heat the factory and provide steam to operate the dry kilns, as well as heat, air condition and humidify the Wood-Mode office and factory. Particle collectors remove wood fly ash from any air emissions. Scrap recycling also eliminates having to deposit wood waste into landfills and reduces Wood-Mode’s reliance on domestic or foreign fossil fuels to operate the boilers. This self-produced fuel, recycled from scrap, is a renewable natural resource, and the most environmentally responsible fuel possible.

As part of its community outreach efforts, Wood-Mode donates excess sawdust to local dairy and poultry farmers for use as bedding material.

REDUCING, RE-USING, AND RECYCLING VALUABLE RESOURCES

Every Wood-Mode employee considers every raw material as a valuable asset until it is 100% utilized, and is encouraged to take an active lead in finding ways to improve our environmentally protective policies and practices. These include such steps as using recycled product packaging materials, wrapping paper and packing foam, re-using in-coming packaging fill for out-going shipments, monitoring water consumption for maximum conservation, installing energy-efficient light fixtures and high-pressure humidification equipment to reduce compressed air and electricity usage. To increase the efficiency of its hardwood lumber utilization, Wood-Mode recently installed a state of- the-art Rough Mill to insure that each board processed can be utilized to the maximum extent possible.

Wood-Mode’s longstanding history of investing in the equipment and technology necessary to produce the finest custom cabinetry in the industry has been accomplished with a deep commitment to minimizing any harmful environmental impact from its manufacturing processes. Few, if any, other cabinet companies have been as consistently caring for the environment as has been Wood-Mode. Our pledge to our customers is to strengthen that commitment and to continuously strive to meet the following goals:

To promote the protection and sustainability of forests and other natural resources through our suppliers.

To pursue the inclusion of environmentally-friendly products and materials into our manufacturing processes whenever feasible.

To protect air quality by complying with all environmental permits and regulations.

To employ energy-efficient technologies in our manufacturing processes wherever practical.

To promote our environmental policies and practices to our employees and the public.

When you choose Wood-Mode and Brookhaven Cabinetry products, you’re getting not only beautiful, long-lasting cabinetry, but also the peace of mind that they were built with the environment in mind.

Once you have your dream kitchen, how do you keep it clean?

Here are some easy tips to tackle the tough spots on your countertops, floors, and pots with surprising everyday items from the experts at “House Beautiful.”

Kitchen Cleaning Tips