Kitchen

Kitchen Remodeling Planning Guide

The following kitchen remodeling planning guide, provided by Wood-Mode and Better Kitchens, will help you to organize your thoughts and resources to insure that your remodeling project is a success. Click here for a PDF version of this kitchen planning guide.   Is this a plan for a new home______, a remodel kitchen_____ or an addition ________?   Have you ever— remodeled a home before ______? built a new home before...

Why Choose Better Kitchens?

Why Choose Us to Remodel Your Kitchen? At Better Kitchens we understand that different families have different wants and needs for their new custom or remodeled kitchen.  For over 50 years we have dedicated ourselves to providing the highest quality kitchen design and installation services for those who value a timeless kitchen that will provide decades of service and pleasure. The custom kitchens we design are not a necessity,...

Why Use a CKD?

Why Use a Certified Kitchen Designer (CKD)? There are many professionals – interior designers, architects, remodeling contractors – who can design a kitchen.  However, there are good reasons to consider a Certified Kitchen Designer (CKD) for your project. First, Certified Kitchen Designers have successfully completed a rigorous course of training and have passed an examination that ensures they understand and can apply the latest kitchen design requirements, techniques and...

Cooktop Griddles Compared

Fancy yourself, a downtown Chicago short-order cook? Ok maybe not…then how about just being inspired by the cooking demonstrated on the Food Network show, Diners, Drive-ins and Dives? I know because I have had the privilege of being on the show with Guy Fieri, and I can tell you that I was inspired! Inspired? then you’re probably thinking to include a griddle surface in your next cooktop or range....

Quartz Countertops & Surfaces

In the August 2010 Consumer Reports issue on Kitchen Remodeling, I was asked to comment on the use of quartz countertops. While natural stone will likely always be the first countertop choice in the luxury market, quartz has many advantages that I think kitchen remodelers should consider. First, quartz is extremely consistent in color, texture and quality because it is a manufactured product. Unlike granite, marble and other natural...

Why Kitchen Design Matters

Great Kitchen Design = A Great Kitchen To some, designing a kitchen is about ergonomics, storage, preparation and cooking.  At Better Kitchens, we believe that kitchen design is about passions  –  your passions. Are you a busy family with children?  For you, a kitchen might mean a place to do homework, a gathering spot for a shared daily meal and a space to minimize wasted cooking time and effort....

Kitchen Ideas To Solve Your Problems

Onyx art in the kitchen!

The owner of this Long Grove, IL contemporary kitchen had some very specific ideas when Better Kitchens helped design their new space.  One of them was to use an Onyx slab as the backsplash for the Kitchen.  Not satisfied with “just” a beautiful piece of Onyx, the owner decided to backlight the stone with LED lighting capable of changing colors. The result was a spectacular, one-of-a-kind visual focal point...

Wood-Mode Quality

While technology has been used to improve Wood-Mode products by reducing costs and expanding material choices, it is still the meticulous hand work employed by the skilled craftsmen that makes Wood-Mode cabinets a cut above the rest. From the very beginning, Wood Mode has been obsessed with perfection in its finishes. As described on their website, Wood-Mode offers the following arcane description of their unique hand finishing process: Multiple...

Our Kitchen Remodeling Process

Start With Some Kitchen Ideas: The first step in planning a new kitchen or bath is one you probably have already started: build an idea file.  Begin looking through magazines and tear out photos of rooms and products that appeal to you.  The purpose of your idea file is to help you and your designer create a vision that best reflects your tastes and preferences. Get In Touch With...