Cabinet Comparison

I get a lot of questions from clients about the differences between different cabinet lines. Most people want to know the difference between what we are offring and what they had "so & so" price out down the street. Clients want to know what makes you different than "so & so", and more importantly what makes the cabinets different. To be totally honest, my major concern is the client that DOESN'T ask. When comparing cabinet manufacturs, it is rarely easy to compare apples to apples.

Most box stores (ie: Lowes, Home Depot, 84 Lumber) have different lines of cabinets, but will not have them in stock because of the wide variation in sizes and color. So you are looking at a 4-6 week lead time, which in all fairness, is an industry standard.

Beyond availability is quality. Believe it or not, Lowe's and Home Depot can get away with charging 50-60% more for solid wood cabinets because customers firmly believe that they are offering the lowest price in the industry. Think about it...How may adds did you see when these stores went in telling you to shop and compare?...How many do you see now?

They have established themselves as the lowest price around, so customers are comfortable not double checking their price. They are not always the lowest price around anymore.

To make a fair comparison in price what you really want to look at is:

Construction (plywood vs. particle board)
Door Material (solid wood center panel vs. veneer)
Delivery (boxed vs. flat packed DIY)
Lead Time (10-12 weeks vs. 2-3 weeks)
Drawer Boxes (dovetail vs. stapled)
Drawer Glides (undermount full extention smoothclose vs. 3/4 extention standard close)

Charts like these are helpful:

Courtesy of www.highlandsdesigns.com

As you can see it is hard to get a fair comparison based on just looking at a cabinet door and liking the style and color.

If you are doing your kitchen, you owe it to yourself to look at the quality of the cabinets as well as the look. This is a job you are not going to re-do anytime soon, so you want to get the best you can while staying in your budget. If you are going to go to a box store, ALWAYS get a second opinion. You could end up getting a quote for a higher quality cabinet that is similar to a particle board cabinet, and you would have never known.

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Designing kitchens in the Bucks, Montgomery and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Counties!

Medicine Cabinets

Who here has ever been guilty of opening someones medicine cabinet? Weather it is to honestly get something you need, or if it is just to be nosey, everyone does it! This blog post attached to the picture above has some cute ideas to stop the nosiest of house guest, and even get you to think twice before you sneak a peek! Thanks Becky!

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Designing kitchens in the Bucks, Montgomery and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Counties!

Kitchen Design Guidelines

When designing a kitchen layout, many people think that it is as simple as throwing a sink, dishwasher, fridge and stove in a room and wa-la, you have the perfect kitchen. The truth is a lot more goes into it than what you "see" in the finished product. Most Kitchen designers follow guidelines from the National Kitchen and Bath Association (NKBA), that help them provide the perfect balance to any kitchen space.

The NKBA guidelines are as follows:

• Doorways are to be at least 32” wide and no more than 24” deep


• Walkways are to be at least 36” wide


• The work triangle should be 26 feet or less with no leg shorter than 4 feet or longer than 9 feet.


• Single cook work aisle should be at least 42” wide, multi-cook to be 48” wide.


• A 36” clearance should be between the counter or table edge and the wall or obstruction behind a seated diner if no traffic is to pass behind them.


• A 65” clearance is need for a walkway behind the seated diner.


• Wall kitchen cabinets should be at least 30” high and 12” deep and should contain adjustable shelves.


• A kitchen under 150 square feet should have at least 144” of wall kitchen cabinet frontage.


• Kitchens over 150 square feet should have at least 186”.


• At least 60” of wall kitchen cabinet frontage should be within 72” of the primary sink center line.


• Base kitchen cabinets should be at least 21” deep.


• A kitchen under 150 square feet should have at least 156” of base kitchen cabinet frontage. Kitchens over 150 square feet should have at least 192”.


• A kitchen under 150 square feet should have at least 120” of drawer or roll-out shelf frontage. Kitchens over 150 square feet should have at least 165”.


• At least five storage or organization features should be located between 15” – 48” above the finished floor.


• At least one functional corner storage unit should be included.


• At least two waste receptacles should be included- one for waste and one for recycling.


• Clear floor space of 30” x 48” should be provided at the sink, dishwasher, cook top, oven and refrigerator.


• A minimum of 21” clear space should be between the edge of the dishwasher and any object placed at a right angle to it.


• The edge of the dishwasher should be within 36” of the edge of the sink.


• At least 24” of clearance between cooking surface ad a protected surface above. Or 30” between cooking surface and unprotected surface.


• Cooking surfaces should have an exhaust fan of at least 150 CFM.


• Cooking surfaces should not be placed below an operable window unless the window is at least 3” behind and 24” above that surface.


• The bottom of a microwave should be between 24” and 48” above the finished floor.


• Kitchens under 150 square feet should have at least 132” of usable counter frontage.


• Kitchens over 150 square feet should have at least 198”of usable counter frontage, At least 24” of counter frontage should be to one side of the primary sink and 18” on the other side.


• At least 15” of landing space, at least 26” deep should be located above, below or adjacent to the microwave.


• For an open-ended kitchen, at least 9” of counter space should be on one side of the cooking surface and 15” on the other side. For an enclosed kitchen at least 3” of clearance space should be between the cooking surface and a flame retardant material and 15” on the other side.


• At least 15”of counter space should be on the latch side of the refrigerator. Or on either side of a side-by-side, or at least 15” of counter space no more than 48” across from refrigerator
  At least 15” of landing space, minimum 16” deep should be next to or above and oven.
  36” continuous countertop at least 26” deep is need for a preparation center. This center should be next to a water source.


• If two landing spaces are adjacent to each other, than their combined width is determined by taking the longest of the two and adding 12”


• No two primary work centers should be separated by a full-height, full-depth tall tower configuration.


• Open counter corners should be clipped or radiused to eliminate sharp corners.


• Controls, handles, and door/drawer pulls should be operational with one hand.


• Ground fault circuit interrupters should be specified on all receptacles within the kitchen.


• Fire extinguishers should be visibly located away from cooking equipment and 15”-48” above the finished floor.


• Smoke alarms should be installed in or near the kitchen.


• Windows or skylights area should equal at least 10% of total square footage of kitchen or total living space that includes the kitchen.


• Every work surface in the kitchen should be well illuminated by appropriate task and/or general lighting.

It is not always possible to follow all of the guidelines listed above, due to design restrictions and/or personal taste. That is why it is very important to to work with professional kitchen designers and tradespeople, so that they can help you make the choices that will give you the the most functional kitchen with your needs at the forefront.

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Designing kitchens in the Bucks, Montgomery and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Counties!

Twitter & Facebook

I'll admit it, I was as reluctant as they come when it came to joining social networking sites like twitter and facebook. After some serious talks with friends, family and business contacts, I realized that joining sites like this really is important to future business and sales.

Now that I am a full-fledged social networking junkie, I have to admit, there is a lot of truth to the hype. Several months ago, we had 2 fans on facebook and 5 followers on twitter. We are now up to 47 fans and 160 followers. I have made some great contacts and gotten many helpful ideas just by putting ourselves "out there".

If you have any inkling to join these sites to help you business, I will now be the first to tell you to do it. Keeping my mind moving with industry ideas and concerns has been very helpful to me during this slower time, and the contact I have made will be sure to help us as things get busier.

Now it is your turn to join the fun ...

Follow us on



Be a fan on

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Designing kitchens in the Bucks, Montgomery and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Counties!

New Fieldstone Cabinetry Information

Fieldstone just had it's first webinar. It was very informative, and let us know all about what they have planned for the end of this year and the start of 2010.

Fieldstone will be offering SKU expansion, New Doors at lower price points, new finishes, and more hoods.

Here is a quick overview:

• They will be expanding the 15" range mate to include a 24" range mate.
• All Cope and Stick doors will be available is all woods.
• 6 Doors styles being introduced in level 3-5
• 8 New glass door styles are coming
• Paprika stain will be available on Maple, Oak and Hickory
• SOLID BLACK is coming soon.
• 2 New door styles are coming...Hartford and Vail.
• 5 piece drawer headers are available on all cope and stick doors.
• New cutlery tray options are coming.

IN 2010:

• 120" moldings
• ADIP panels attached to back of cabinets in factory
• Onlay attached in factory
• Chamfored Stiles 1/4"
• Aluminium frames with frosted glass
• Lift up TV cabinet with remote and DVD storage
• Corner drawers
• Window seat SKUs with lift up tops
• More options for island ends and end caps
• Expanding the Stanichi Hood offering to all hoods that can be finished by Fieldstone (1000 hoods!)

Another point of interest was the custom quote department. They want to be able to say yes to every request you have. Recent things they have approved are:

• Door styles with different center panels.
• 120" tall cabinets (coming in 2010).
• 120" trim pieces (coming in 2010).
• Solid flat center panels.
• Any outside edge profile on any cope and stick door.
• Different stains on different species.
• Custom finishes for large projects.

To top it off they are offing many promotions that until now were one or the other. Now you are capable of COMBINING promotions! It really is a great offer. Now is the time to buy a Fieldstone kitchen!

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Designing kitchens in the Bucks, Montgomery and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Counties!

Delta Faucet touch20

Delta has created a new faucet that works with a touch. Introducing the Pilar with Touch20 Technology from Delta. Touch on. Touch off. It doesn't matter if you have 2 full hands or 10 messy fingers. Tap anywhere on the spout or handle and the water is running. Turning the water off between tasks is easier too, saving water. For more information on this new faucet go to www.deltafaucet.com/Touch So do you think this is necessary or just a new gimick? I think it will be great for ageing adults who don't want to leave the family home.

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Designing kitchens in the Bucks, Montgomery and Philadelphia Pennsylvania Counties!

Decorating for Halloween

This is a Super cute blog post by one of our twitter friends (tracedesignshome). It is a fun look at decorating for Halloween! I enjoy how the house is 100% decorated for Halloween, but yet it is not the typical Black & Orange! Click on the picture to view the entire post.

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Designing kitchens in the Bucks, Montgomery and Philadelphia Pennsylvania Counties!

Hi!

Just wanted to check in and say Hi! Happily, we have been pretty busy here with layouts, but I don't want to neglect my blogger friends! I'll be in the office late tonight, so if anyone needs anything "after hours" give me a call. I would love to be able to help with any kitchen issue you have.

Can you believe it is almost October!!! WOW!

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Designing kitchens in the Bucks, Montgomery and Philadelphia Pennsylvania Counties!

Fall Holiday Kitchen Insperation

I just went out to put some mail in the mailbox, and I was hit by some chilly air! I know that the ride to work in the morning is a bit cold these days but by 10:00am it has usually heated up a bit...not today! I guess it is safe to say that fall is coming!!!

Thinking about Autumn and the upcoming holidays made me think about how a kitchen transforms at Halloween and Thanksgiving. Most houses think of the kitchen as the heart of the home, but during the upcoming seasons, the kitchen transforms from not only the heart of the home, but the entire cardiovascular system!

How do you decorate your kitchen for the holidays? Do you go classic and stylish, festive with flair, or do you just go all out and cover everything you can with a seasonal color? Here are a few ideas for a festive table from Longaberger...

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Designing kitchens in the Bucks, Montgomery and Philadelphia Pennsylvania Counties!

Legacy/Debut cabinetry glaze promotion!

In July, I shared with you Legacy/Debut's plan to further enhancing their glazing process.

They currently run, what is called a flood process, allowing the door to be completely covered, which sometimes changes the coloration of the rails and center panels. Now that they have started glazing every door style available in the Legacy/Debut line up, more and more glazed standard overlay products, are being ordered. In order to keep the consistency between the door and the face frame, as well as improve the overall finished look of their glazed products, they have developed a new technique, they call Unique Expressions. This technique allows them to individually work on each component one at a time, developing its unique characteristics. The goal is to constantly improve the product offering, giving our customers the finishes they need and deserve.

Starting September 30th, they will be running a Free Glazing Promotion, on:

Legacy door styles: Newport, Lenox, Addison, Windsor, Fairhope, Arlington, Monterey, & Victoria.

Debut door styles: Portofino Maple, Portofino Cherry, Cambridge Maple, Cambridge Cherry, Aethna Maple, Athena Cherry, MonteCarlo Maple, & MonteCarlo Cherry.

Now's the time to take advantage of this special offer.
Offer expires December 31, 2009.

For more information on these cabinets lines go to:
http://www.legacycabinetsllc.com/
http://www.debutcabinetry.com/


As always thanks for all of your business, and please call us with any questions or conerns. We are here to help you close the sale, so don't hesitate to ask us how we can help.

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Designing kitchens in the Bucks, Montgomery and Philadelphia Pennsylvania Counties!

Fine Furniture vanities from Fieldstone

Create fine furniture for the bath with a Vanity Platform. This is the easiest way to offer all the choices they need to make the bathroom of their dreams.

Choose the vanity you want, then select a platform, and finally choose your bun foot to complete the look.

These vanities can look as modern or as country as you would like, and can fit every design need in between.

For a full color idea of what I am saying go to...

http://www.docstoc.com/docs/11319258/Vanity_20Platform_20NCZ

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Designing kitchens in the Bucks, Montgomery and Philadelphia Pennsylvania Counties!

Lanai Outdoor Cabinetry

Lanai OUTDOOR Cabinetry is a new way to think about outdoor spaces. These cabinets are made from Ecopolymer Panels™ that will withstand the forces of nature for years to come. These cabinet allow outdoor spaces to become more livable.

These European style cabinets

• Provide maximum accessibility for storage
• Tops, bottoms, sides, and backs are made with rabbet joints to provide sturdy solid cabinets.
• Stainless Steel concealed hinges and hardware ensure minimal attrition and provide a 110° swing to the inside of the cabinet.
• Doors, drawers, all sides, shelf's and toe kicks are 5/8" thick Eco polymer Panels™.
• Whisperglides™ made from Eco polymer Panels™ prevent corrosion to ensure lifetime use.
• All edges are slightly eased to ensure smooth corners.
• Adjustable legs will accommodate uneven terrain and easy cleaning.
• Traditional toe kick can be applied.

The pictures above show the doors styles and colors that this cabinetry is available in. We have been having great success with these cabinets around pools, spas, and BBQ areas. Nothing but the hinges are metal, so deterioration is not even a thought.

We have doors samples and a color pallet at the showroom. Stop in and take a look!

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Designing kitchens in the Bucks, Montgomery and Philadelphia Pennsylvania Counties!

Kitchen and Bath design news

Click on the link above to take a look at the Septemeber issue of Kitchen and Bath Design News.

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Designing kitchens in the Bucks, Montgomery and Philadelphia Pennsylvania Counties!

Remember...

Kitchen Trend: White & Stainless

Maybe it is because summer is coming to an end and there is a bit of a chill in the air, but this modern winter white kitchen is calling to me. The super high ceilings, numerous windows & clean lines make it uber-modern without looking in the slightest bit cold or sterile.

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Designing kitchens in the Bucks, Montgomery and Philadelphia Pennsylvania Counties!

Reaction Section Available!

You can now quickly tell us how you feel about the content of the posts here. I have added a 3 box comment area to let you tell me if you are interested in the content, or would like me to try something new. Please let me know what you think...Thanks!

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Designing kitchens in the Bucks, Montgomery and Philadelphia Pennsylvania Counties!

Painted Black Glass

Back-painted glass is exactly what it sounds like it would be. It's a sheet of 1/4", 3/8", 1/2" or 3/4" thick clear glass. The back of the glass is painted and then baked on. As a result, you look through a layer of clear glass at a color in the back. It's a terrific effect, the color appears to float.
photos courtesy of Soda Glass

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Designing kitchens in the Bucks, Montgomery and Philadelphia Pennsylvania Counties!

A thought for today...

I really like this thought...

Success will evade you as long as you let the opinion of others out shine your
own. Keep YOUR vision clear & let YOUR intuition guide you.

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Designing kitchens in the Bucks, Montgomery and Philadelphia Pennsylvania Counties!

Kohler LEED Certification

Kohler Building Receives LEED Silver Rating from USGBCKohler Co. recently announced that the United States Green Building Council has rated the Environmental Health and Safety building on the company's Kohler, WI campus with LEED Silver status. The rating is a reflection of steps Kohler undertook to make the structure more environmentally efficient, according to company officials, including new systems for energy use, lighting, water and material use, among other changes.Specifically, a 50 percent reduction in water usage was achieved by installing new faucets and fixtures in the bathrooms, including the waterless urinals, high efficiency toilets and low-flow faucets with touchless technology, officials noted."To earn Silver LEED status underscores Kohler's commitment to sustainability - from our products and services and manufacturing processes, right down to the company's very own buildings," said Davor Grgic, v.p. for Kohler Co.

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Designing kitchens in the Bucks, Montgomery and Philadelphia Pennsylvania Counties!

Glass Bath

Hummm...Don't really know what the point of the glass walls are, but it is definitely a statement. You could do this for about $6,000 less and just eliminate the glass completely! I guess a little privacy is not a priority in this room. Love the Kohler tub!

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Designing kitchens in the Bucks, Montgomery and Philadelphia Pennsylvania Counties!

Fall Kitchen ideas

What Makes It Perfect for Fall:
Granted, the beauty of a kitchen with classic coloring and smart cabinetry is that it looks fresh all year round. The only seasonal update this rooms needs is orange dish towels and a few pieces of Fiestaware to hold delicious fall fruit. ~bhg

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Designing kitchens in the Bucks, Montgomery and Philadelphia Pennsylvania Counties!

The pro-and cons of Model homes...

There are some things that designers do in model homes that just seem to set these homes apart from our own. Sometimes it is really hard to pinpoint what that is.

• Could it be the ribbons or other items that tied around the towels on the rack?


• Could it be that the wicks on the candles have been lit once so the home looks lived in?


• Could it be the fact that usually a designer picks someone from their office and uses pictures of the family to spread throughout the home?


• Could it be that a lot of items have been custom made for the place?


• Could it be the up lighting or the accent lights on the artwork?


• Could it be the scent piped through the vents?


• Could it be the area rugs delineating the spaces?


• Could it be the plants, the live ones, placed throughout the house?


• Could it be the specialty paint they used?
  
  Walking through models is a good way to see some new ideas and to see
  how things that work are replicated in almost every model home. Sometimes the ideas are stale like the glass jar with pasta poured in it, but sometimes you might find some new and innovative idea to try in your own home.

~d8b

Keep these things in mind when choosing a kitchen. Many people come in with pictures or ideas they have seen in a model or a magazine, but that do not fit their lifestyle, budget or decor. Looking at what works in a model house is nice, but will you really be able to live in a house with tied towels?

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Designing kitchens in the Bucks, Montgomery and Philadelphia Pennsylvania Counties!

Welcome Back!!!

I hope everyone had a great weekend.

I have noticed a few things on my desk that I will be posting shortly...stay tuned!

In order to succeed you must fail, so that you know what not
to do the next time. Anthony J. D'Angelo

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Designing kitchens in the Bucks, Montgomery and Philadelphia Pennsylvania Counties!

Wall Art...what do you think?

What do you think about this wall art?

Click on the picture to be directed to even more possibilities.

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Designing kitchens in the Bucks, Montgomery and Philadelphia Pennsylvania Counties!

PLANNING AHEAD!!!

Small design projects can only take 3-4 weeks, but larger ones can take 10-12 weeks.

Make sure to plan early.

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Designing kitchens in the Bucks, Montgomery and Philadelphia Pennsylvania Counties!

Single Vanity Design Ideas

Cool and Casual
The crisp white cabinetry of this vanity contrasts nicely with the ocean shades of blue tile that cover the bathroom walls. The quartz-surfacing countertop mimics the look of wet sand, complementing the casual, beach style. The vanity offers several storage options including a front bar for hand towels, deep drawers, large cabinets below, and upper cabinets with frosted glass doors that flank the mirror.

Flea Market Turned Fabulous
This antique sideboard turned vanity serves as the focal point in this master bathroom. The homeowner found the sideboard for $200 and, with a little work, transformed it into a vanity, adding a sink and hard-wiring it for table lamps. The new vanity fit perfectly in her vintage-style bathroom. She added polished-nickel faucets to reinforce the vintage appeal and added charming details such as the side towel bar and glass knobs.

All Dressed Up
Here, a white furniture-style vanity topped with white marble countertops complements the light, airy aesthetic of this master bath. Gathered fabric on the bottom hides plumbing and softens the look of the boxy vanity. Crystal knobs on the vanity drawers provide elegant details.

Modern Makeover
To get a contemporary look, the homeowners of this bathroom chose a dark wood vanity with an open design and topped it off with a sleek porcelain sink and single-handle chrome faucet. The shelf below provides much-needed storage space and allows easy access to baskets full of bath salts, soaps, and sponges. Bottom drawers hide other bath necessities.

Thanks to bhg.com

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Designing kitchens in the Bucks, Montgomery and Philadelphia Pennsylvania Counties!

10 Great ideas for a luxury kitchen...

1. Soft close cabinet hardware for drawers and doors!
2. Raise the height of your dishwasher to reduce the stress on your back.
3. Protect your knifes' edges by store your knifes safely with custom knife drawer storage.
4. Plan your kitchen to change & grow for the future! Think about now and 10 years from now.
5. Make entertaining easy with dish drawers, warming drawers and platter sized refrigeration.
6. Invest in quality cabinets & technology to ensure the long term value of your kitchen.
7. Install secondary sink to allow 2 people to prepare a meal @ the same time.
8. Great design adds function and beauty to any kitchen.
9. Free yourself w/ a beverage station for children. Helps to keep traffic away from the cooking.
10. Custom organization makes a good kitchen a luxurious kitchen.

Excellence is in the details. Give attention to the details & excellence
will come.

~Perry Paxton

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Designing kitchens in the Bucks, Montgomery and Philadelphia Pennsylvania Areas!

If the power goes out..

...you won't go hungry!!!

Here is a fun idea for a lighting fixture...Gummy Bears!!! Take a look at this light made out of them...

photo via shelterrific

For more fun stories and pictures like this .

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Bucks County Kitchens, Montgomery County Kitchens, Philadelphia County Kitchens,

FIELDSTONE'S STRATFORD & BAINBRIDGE DOOR ARE 10% OFF!

Starting Tuesday, September 1 through October 31, 2009, save 10% on

Alder Bainbridge & Stratford
Cherry Bainbridge & Stratford
Hickory Bainbridge & Stratford
Maple Bainbridge & Stratford
Oak Bainbridge & Statford
Rustic Alder Bainbridge
Rustic Cherry Bainbridge
Rustic Hickory Bainbridge

Oak Statford is a column 1 door! This is a GREAT value!

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Bucks County Kitchens, Montgomery County Kitchens, Philadelphia County Kitchens

Today is September 1, 2009...

On this day in 1752, after leaving London's Whitechapel Bell Foundry,

the Liberty Bell arrives in Philadelphia.

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10 NEW FINISHES 20 NEW LOOKS!!!

Fieldstone has expanded it's product line to include 2 more off-white tones. Samples will be coming soon, and for those of you who have color samples in your office, I will be able to order you samples in a week or two. The new colors are:

Marshmellow Cream - Available as simple tinted varnish, or available with bronze, chocolate, latte, nickel glaze & bronze, chocolate, latte, nickel cottage & Chocolate old world distressing.

Macadamia - Available as simple tinted varnish, or available with bronze, chocolate, latte, nickel glaze & bronze, chocolate, latte, nickel cottage & Chocolate old world distressing.

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