Homeowner’s Headquarters: Cabinet Talk with an Award-Winning Kitchen Designer at Mid-Cape Home Centers

As more people are working from home, indoor and outdoor home improvement projects are on an enormous rise. As homeowners are now able to find more time to focus on home improvement, kitchens and bathrooms are being upgraded, expanded, and remodeled in unprecedented numbers.

Kitchen cabinets are an aspect of your home that you see and use every single day. If yours are not providing you with the look, functionality, and design you prefer, there are endless options to consider. The best way to start is by speaking with an experienced kitchen and bathroom designer, many of whom can be found at Mid-Cape Home Centers.

According to Lisa Steers, one of Mid-Cape Home Centers’ kitchen and bathroom designers, “A kitchen designer is the perfect place to start when a client is considering replacing cabinets for the following reasons:

  • We have extensive product knowledge and can help you get the best value for your budget;
  • We have extensive designer training to help make your space not only functional but beautiful as well;
  • We have many years of experience to help you make smart decisions about your project.”

Steers continues to explain that on the Cape and Islands, clients and contractors are still looking for a timeless, coastal look. Manufacturers have responded by offering many standard choices in whites, greys, blues and greens.  Simple, transitional looks with a basic shaker door remain very popular as there is quite a bit of flexibility in accessorizing with hardware, countertops, and tile for a completely traditional, contemporary look, or anywhere in between. 

“I am also seeing a trend toward accenting a more neutral kitchen with some bolder colors like navy or natural wood, particularly in greyed, driftwood-type finishes,” she said. “Counters also tend to be light – marble-look quartz in more traditional settings and a concrete-look quartz in more modern designs.”

Black, she added, is starting to make a comeback and there are many beautiful natural stone options in both honed for a smooth matte finish and leathered for a more textural matte finish, bringing out the beauty of the natural stone.

Painted cabinets remain the most popular choice, with many beautiful standard choices in every price range. However, some semi-custom lines also allow for selection of any Benjamin Moore or Sherwin Williams paint color as well.

For countertops, quartz remains the most popular, Steers adds, and many manufacturers have come out with matte finishes of their most popular colors. 

Mid-Cape Home Centers also carries a line of fully-custom cabinetry from a small company in Pennsylvania.  “This premium product (which includes blanket-wrapped, furniture-style delivery right to your jobsite), along with our ability to produce AutoCAD shop drawings, allows us to design and build almost anything you can imagine – including custom cabinet configurations and furniture-style pieces, custom doors,  specialty woods not typically found in semi-custom cabinetry and specialized hand-done finishes.

“What our millwork shop can provide is any custom millwork, if you require it, to help give your kitchen project a more integrated and fully-custom, built-in look to integrate with the rest of your house if you cannot find something you like among the standard offerings.” 

Steers said she can’t stress enough how important a good kitchen and bath designer is in the process of remodeling or building your dream kitchen or bath. 

“We have collective decades of experience and up-to-date training on the latest and greatest trends in the industry, and know the ins-and-outs of how to turn your ideas and inspirations into something that is not only functional but also beautiful,” she said. “We also have tremendous product knowledge that will allow you to get the best value from your budget dollars.”

The best course of action to take when approaching a project, Steers added, is to look at photos and find what it is that you like.  Just because something is trending right now does not mean it is the right fit for you. Do what you love unless resale of the home is imminent. If you can provide photos to your designer of what you find appealing, it will help them in guiding you toward the best product to help you reach your goal.

When you meet with your designer, you will discuss functional needs as well as aesthetics, look at samples and discuss your options based on your budget. 

“Most of the time, people do have an idea of what they would like to see. But going to a showroom, in addition to looking online, can help people solidify what it is that they like – both aesthetically and functionally.  There are many storage solutions available to make the most of your space,” Steers explains.

An additional benefit of meeting in the showroom is the ability to view all your selections together. Cabinetry has the largest impact on a kitchen but countertops, hardware, tile, and flooring all should be selected together for a cohesive look, and your designer will guide you along the way.

“The design process takes as much or as little as the client requires,” said Steers. “A small, simple project will not take much time, but a large custom project can take months to finalize before you are ready to order.  It is a good idea to work in conjunction with your contractor on a project timeline, so everyone is on board with the dates by which things need to be ordered by to meet your goals. Lead times on cabinetry are dependent on which line you order.”

Mid-Cape offers budget cabinetry that can be acquired very quickly. “Wolf Classic is our in-stock line that can be had within a week if you are looking for something fast and with exceptional value,” said Steers. “We carry many options to suit every aesthetic and budget.”

Made-to-order cabinets take anywhere from three to twelve weeks in production. Generally, the more customizable the product, the longer it takes.  The less expensive lines, with fewer options, can be produced in as little as three to four weeks.  A solid, semi-custom, made-to-order kitchen, which speaks for the bulk of Mid-Cape’s projects, takes five to six weeks to produce and deliver.

“We carry Homecrest, Medallion Silverline and Kemper in the less-expensive, but still made-to-order, price range – with more limited options than full semi-custom but far more options than stock cabinetry, and these are some great options in the value-minded, made-to-order lines,” Steers said. “We carry Omega Dynasty, Medallion Gold and Dura Supreme in the full, semi-custom category, which allows enough custom sizes, configurations and colors.  We also sell StyleCraft, which is a full custom line, allowing us to provide custom door styles, finishes, woods and configurations that are not possible within the factory limitations of our semi-custom lines.”

Steers said Mid-Cape provides pricing per project, and it is dependent on many factors, including the size of the project and what customizations are required. “It’s hard to give a range, but we always strive to give our customers the most value for their budget regardless of which category it falls in.   It’s best to discuss your specific project with a designer to get a handle on the options.”

Mid-Cape’s design services are complementary when you purchase your cabinetry from Mid-Cape Home Centers, so there is no reason to navigate this complicated process on your own. 

To schedule an appointment to meet with a Mid-Cape Kitchen and Bathroom designer for yourself, or to set up a virtual meeting from the comfort of your home, visit https://www.midcape.net/kitchen-bath-design-center/. For 125 years, Mid-Cape Home Centers has been committed to quality, service, and you.

 

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About Ann Luongo

Ann Luongo has been writing for Cape Cod and South Shore publications for over 15 years.



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