This Just In - Bamboo Panels & Countertops

We've just received a new sample box of bamboo from Teragren.  Teragren has been working with sustainable bamboo products since 1994 and today features a wide variety of countertops, veneers, panels and flooring suitable for many applications.

Of particular interest to us are the Parquet Butcher Block panels, suitable as a cutting surface (cutting on edge grain material will dammage it).  Not only is the Parquet functional, it's beautiful and would make a gorgeous feature area in any kitchen.

The panels and veneers can be used for cabinet doors and other surface applications.  The strong grain works very well with today's modern "linear" aesthetic and the durability and dimensional stability of bamboo means the material will stand the test of time.

For more information on Teragren's product line, visit their website, or contact one of our designers to view the samples in our showroom.

WIP & Gallery - Ridge Meadows Reno - Finale

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Just in time for the Christmas season, our Ridge Meadows reno is complete!  This extensive re-do kitchen involved flipping the location of the original kitchen from one end of the great room to the other.  Cabinetry is a modern take on the Arts & Crafts motif, featuring white oak doors with our own Balsamic stain.  The countertops are quartz, and the flooring is vinyl in a very realistic looking woodgrain.  New, pro-style appliances complete the kitchen that, as you can see by the decorations, is already being put through its paces.

To see the previous entries documenting this project, just click WIP in the Categories list on the right, and look for "Ridge Meadows Reno".

Choices - Countertops Part 3 - Quartz

Quartz is a relatively new kid on the block when it comes to countertops and is rapidly becoming a favourite amongst the designers here as well as many of our clients.  Quartz, or "engineered stone", is a combination of  natural quartz (approximately 93%) and epoxy resin binders and colours (approximately 7%). The resulting product has the appearance and hardness of stone but dues to the resins doesn't require sealing.

Another benefit to quartz surfacing is the consistency of the product.  Each sheet of material will have the exact same proportions of colouration which avoids the sometimes undesirable randomness of stone.  No threat of a natural mineral discolouration in the middle of your island with a quartz countertop!  When it comes to cleaning quartz, most brands simply require a mild, non-abrasive cleaner.  However you should be sure to follow the instructions provided for the specific brand you select.

Quartz surfacing behaves almost identically to stone in terms of fabrication.  So you can expect seams in your quartz countertop and integrated sinks are not possible.  Depending on the manufacturer, quartz comes in either 19mm or 30mm thick slabs, so depending on the thickness available, the front edge of your countertops may or may not have a seam in it.

Overall, expect to pay about $70-$250 per square foot.  As with all of the higher end counter surface materials, be sure to get your specific layout priced rather than going on average, or lineal-foot pricing.

We have access to most brands of quartz here at Paradigm Kitchen Design, but feature the following in our showroom:

Caesarstone
Silestone
Zodiaq

Gallery - Embracing Earth Tone

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The materials selected for this Vancouver kitchen renovation centred around the existing Terra Cotta tile flooring. The cabinetry is rift-cut white oak finished in our ‘Balsamic’ hand-wiped stain. Engineered stone countertops and glass mosaic backsplash embrace the earth-tone palette. Renovation upgrades include new halogen pot lights, relocated appliance locations and new oak and wrought iron banisters (the oak banisters finished in the same stain as the kitchen cabinetry).

WIP - Ridge Meadows Reno Part 7

We refer to them as the "short strokes"; the part of the project that that often feels like it takes the longest.  Cabinets installation is complete, countertops are installed, the flooring and painting is done.  The backsplash tiles are being installed and then the appliances will be hooked up. A quick sweep up with a broom and is sounds like we should be able to plan the house-warming party, right?

Well for many home owners, these last few items can feel like they take forever.  After weeks of having contractors in their house every day, they are eager to   put their kitchen back together and get their lives back to normal.  Unfortunately the smaller jobs that need completing don`t often take that long, and as a result get spread out over the trades peoples`schedules.  With Al`s help we've been able to keep things moving.  At this stage, sooner is always better than later.

These are the new Caesarstone countertops ... one of their new recycled collection in a colour called Chocolate Truffle.  You can also see the backsplash tile being installed, and the beautiful new Fluid sink.

Speaking of appliances ...

The microwave and dishwasher have already been put in place and hooked up.  The refrigerator just needs the plumber to connect the water line, and the range ... well the range needs about 4 strong backs to carefully put it into place.  This thing is HEAVY, so even though we had the gas fitter in to hook it up, he came alone.  He`ll be back tomorrow and we`ll bring more strong backs.

Links to other posts in this Reno:

Part 6