Website Changes

We have made come fun changes to our website. Be sure to go over and take a look...

www.hicksdistributors.com

Also be sure to stop by our facebook page and twitter profile listed below. We are always updating and making announcements!!!

Designing custom kitchens in Bucks County, Montgomery County and Philadelphia County,Pennsylvania.
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The Cambria Dress

photo courtesy of Cambria on facebook

I have to say, that even though I love clothes and accessories, I never thought the day would come when that fun hobby would intersect my work as a kitchen designer. I have done many posts on the functionality of Cambria quartz for kitchen and bath counter tops, but this new use for the material has got me very excited!

At Fashion Week El Paseo 2010 in Palm Desert, California, Cambria showed off its newest addition to the line...the Cambria Dress. Composed of mostly natural quartz products, the dress was created by Christopher Straub, a contestant from Project Runway's Season 6. It features hundreds of semi-circular quartz tiles in four different Cambria colors - Minai, Waverton, Talbot Gray, and Snowdon White - attached to a black canvas sheath.

I wonder if this is available at any of our distributors yet!!!

http://www.hicksdistributors.com/
Designing custom kitchens in Bucks County, Montgomery County and Philadelphia County,Pennsylvania.

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ISLANDS!!!

photo courtesy of SIC on facebook

Let's face it, around this time of year, the only Islands most of us ore thinking about are sunny, warm, and relaxing. I on the other hand am thinking about the kind that are functional, spacious and design friendly are what is on my mind.

Islands are pretty much a staple in any newly remodeled kitchen, and I am often bombarded with clearance questions. How much room do I need to walk around?, How much room do I need for seating?...
Lyn Peterson, author of Real Life Kitchens, has this advice for minimum clearances around an island...

Allow at least:

• 30-34 inches between the island and cabinetry with no appliances. if
  you don't have enough space, you might consider installing shallower cabinets
  along one wall to create more room.
• 37 inches minimum between the island and sink; 39-42 inches is ideal.
• In main traffic ways or walls with appliances, allow more space - 42-48 inches
  between island and wall. Be sue to allow space to open refrigerator or
  dishwasher door and still have room for people to pass.
• If you have seating at the island, you'll also need to allow space to pull
  out stools; Jennifer Howard recommends at least 48 inches clearance on the
  seating side.
• "The island does not have to be centered in the kitchen". It can gravitate closer to the cooking area, creating a narrower aisle, to discourage guests
  and children from taking that route through the space. "Islands and
  peninsulas should buffer the cooking zone and segregate it from the non-cooks,
  keeping the hoi polloi on the far side of the island".

These are not set in stone, but they do offer an industy standard that functions well, and allows for peace of mind.

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Designing custom kitchens in Bucks County, Montgomery County and Philadelphia County,Pennsylvania. Be a fan on facebook... www.facebook.com/hicksdistributors Follow us on Twitter... http://twitter.com/HDICabinets

Why Professional Kitchen Design is Important

On paper a kitchen seems like several boxes put next to each other that form a simple or complex design. More over, watching someone who has been designing kitchen for years design yours on a computer program looks so simple. So why should you invest the time and money to takes to have a design professional work on your kitchen?

My first thought is "Well, because it is not as easy as it looks." but WHY? is my next.


1. We know trends: It is our job, and often our passion to know what is new and what is up and coming. We sit down with our clients to talk to them about every aspect of their kitchen. We can help guide clients to a new kitchen that will not only be beautiful today, but that will stand the test of time.


2. We know design: It's the little things that matter. It seems simple enough, but all those boxes on the page won't work in anyone else's kitchen but the one we design it for. Inches and half-inches matter here, and hiring a designer allows you the freedom to worry about styles, colors, and function rather than feet and inches. A professional designer knows what will fit and why. We have a mental list of flags to look for in every kitchen design.


3. We take responsibility: I have alluded to this is the other 2 areas, but it really is important. Trust your designer to be responsible for his/her design. If something is off or something doesn't work, that issue is theirs. What if you design your own kitchen and put your refrigerator next to the wall with nothing but wall next to it. When your new refrigerator comes and you slide it into the space it fits in (hopefully) is the door going to open all the way? Are the pull out trays going to pull out if the door won't fully extend? Wouldn't it be nicer to not have this situation happen or if for some reason it did, you not to have to think about the cost to fix it. The fact of the matter is, it is not impossible for a non kitchen designer to design his or her own kitchen, but it is not what they do everyday, and learning every nuance in one design is close to impossible. A novice kitchen design is bound to have a hiccup or two in it, and for the amount of money you are spending, is that really something you are willing to compromise?

http://www.hicksdistributors.com/

Designing custom kitchens in Bucks County, Montgomery County and Philadelphia County,Pennsylvania.

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SNEEK PEAK ***Fieldstone's 80+ page Accessories Brochure***

I am happy to announce that after several months/years of requests from us (and aparently quiet a few others) Fieldstone has decided to produce an Accessories Brochure. This guide should help clients understand the look and components of of cabinetry pieces that are hard to "see" on paper. This is really a great piece. They will be available for us to order in early July!

Call us if you would like us to send you one. #215-257-3730.

http://www.hicksdistributors.com/

Designing custom kitchens in Bucks County, Montgomery County and Philadelphia County,Pennsylvania.
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The Center for Woman's Health of Lansdale

This is an office area that is outfitted in both Fieldstone and Debut cabinetry. Each patient room has a base and wall cabinet with top, as well as the nurses station and reception area. This job was both fun and interesting to do as it took us out of the "normal" kitchen cabinet mindset. Thank you to everyone at The Center for Woman's Health of Lansdale.

http://www.hicksdistributors.com/

Designing custom kitchens in Bucks County, Montgomery County and Philadelphia County,Pennsylvania.

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Choices of wood for Cabinetry...

Here are some of the characteristics of the basic cabinetry woods, and some design tips to help out:

OAK: Heavy, hard and strong wood. Ranges in color from white to reddish brown. Coarse texture and open grain which varies from vertical to sweeping.

tip:Takes light to dark stains well and is ideal for traditional style kitchens. Can be quarter-sawn for a cleaner vertical grain.

MAPLE: Closed grain wood with a smooth texture. Ranges in color from creamy white to reddish brown. Hard, tough and resistant to shock.

tip: Does not take darker stain well. Ideal for light to medium tone stains and painted finishes for a clean uncluttered look.

CHERRY: Closed, richly grained wood with smooth texture and reddish tone. Reddish color darkens with age and exposure to natural light producing deep, rich finish.

tip: Versatile finish palette. Light stains perfect for a craftsman-style look and darker stains can create a rich, elegant setting.

ALDER: Smooth texture and pleasing grain. Very similar grain and color to cherry with less red tones. Contains characteristic small knots and pin holes.

tip: Takes all stains very well. Knotty variety can create a rustic look. Clear variety offers a less expensive alternative to Cherry.

LYPUTS: An eco-friendly alternative because it is renewable and sustainable. It has a closed grain, slightly coarse texture with a pale pink to tan color.

tip: Takes all stains well. It resembles Mahogany wood. Ideal for a warm kitchen, home office, media center, or built in furniture piece.

http://www.hicksdistributors.com/

Designing custom kitchens in Bucks County, Montgomery County and Philadelphia County,Pennsylvania. Be a fan on facebook... www.facebook.com/hicksdistributors Follow us on Twitter... http://twitter.com/HDICabinets

Art For Everyday - Architechtural Woodcarvings

Art For Everyday Inc. manufacturers the highest quality woodcarvings, providing innovative design details to designers, architects and cabinetry companies. We support our customers by giving them a selection of over 550 ready-to-ship products and the ability to bring design visions to life with custom carvings and applications. Click on the picture above to read all about Art For Everyday.

These pieces will help give customers a more decorative look at an easier price point!

http://www.hicksdistributors.com/
Designing custom kitchens in Bucks County, Montgomery County and Philadelphia County,Pennsylvania.Be a fan on facebook... www.facebook.com/hicksdistributorsFollow us on Twitter... http://twitter.com/HDICabinets

A New Look!

I was recently inspired by one of my dear friends to give our blog a little face lift. She has recently tweeked hers, and it gave it a boost of excitement. With that in mind, I have changed ours up a little bit. I am still looking into adding a few elements that I find interesting on other blogs, but don't know how to do yet. I think all in all, the changes are fun and exciting.

We have also added a couple of kitchen pictures to our facebook page, as well as some modifiations there as well.

Let us know what you think...

http://www.hicksdistributors.com/

Designing custom kitchens in Bucks County, Montgomery County and Philadelphia County,Pennsylvania.
Be a fan on facebook... www.facebook.com/hicksdistributors
Follow us on Twitter... http://twitter.com/HDICabinets

Kitchen Cabinet Corner Options

Lets face it, the corner space in the kitchen is not the easiest area to design with both form and function in mind. Most corner cabinets look nice, but really don't give you the maximum storage out of the given area. On the other hand, there are the cabinets that maximize storage space, but are not that easy to use.

Truth be told, a few years ago, I would have shuddered to put anything but a revolving corner base (lazy susan) in any kitchen. Time has passed though, and the options for blind corner bases have multiplied. I am now finding myself almost WANTING to put them in a design. Here are a few fun options that make blind corners more visually stimulating and well as functionally fun...

On the flip side, there are still great ideas for the "lazy Susan" type corner cabinet as well...s

And now there are even drawers to put in the corner. Not the best maximization of space, but they look very pretty!

So long story short, there seems to be a perfect fit corner cabinet for every request...for now at least. It does seem that cabinet manufacturers, and cabinet mechanical suppliers have really started to take notice of this corner issue, and are designing better cabinets that maximize form and function.

http://www.hicksdistributors.com/

Designing custom kitchens in Bucks County, Montgomery County and Philadelphia County,Pennsylvania.

Be a fan on facebook... www.facebook.com/hicksdistributors

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"What is your square foot price"?

This seems to be a question that is coming up more and more lately. It is apparent that the "box" stores are quoting kitchens to perspective clients in these terms to eliminate to time and expense of having a designer sit with customers, and to make it a bit more difficult to get a competitive quote.

In my opinion, buying cabinets by the square foot is like buying a car by weight. It really has no bearing on the quality or options that the lines offers you. It is just a bottom line number. Sure, a $40,000 BMW is a nice a car, but a $65,000 one might actually be what you were looking for. Are you reallying getting what you want out of cabinets for $25.00 a square foot. Better yet, do you even know what you are getting? Are you getting dovetail drawers, full extension runners, roll out trays, cutlery dividers, or are you getting the bare-bones cabinets to get you the lowest price they can give?

http://www.hicksdistributors.com/

Designing custom kitchens in Bucks County, Montgomery County and Philadelphia County,Pennsylvania.
Be a fan on facebook... www.facebook.com/hicksdistributors
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Feed the fish...

Don't forget to feed the newest additions to our blog...

Scroll down and look to the right to see our Koi Pond. Click on the pond to feed the fish, or just move your cursor around to have them follow you.

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1 YEAR!!!

Today is our 1 year BLOGIVERSARY!!!

Thanks for all of you feedback and opionons.

Looking forward to another year!!!