What inspires your design thoughts?

In design, anything can trigger an idea and a flow of thoughts.

Below are some beautiful inspirations for new finishes that we design with.

Chocolate truffle anyone?

This 'Truffle' finish, below, will satisfy your craving and keep you in your skinny jeans

To enjoy a glass of Cabernet with your loved one at a vineyard...

Or using the classic and traditional 'Vineyard' finish in your home

Admiring the unique coat pattern of an Appaloosa horse in a nearby field

Bringing that warm speckled finish of 'Appaloosa' into your next design, perhaps an island for your family to gather around.

What is your unique inspiration...

Blissful cabinetry

What a fun and creative job we have as cabinetry designers!

Below is a brand new product, in our "Medallion Cabinetry" line. I am focusing on the greenish-blue painted cabinetry seen below, so beautifully labeled as "Bliss."

Exceptionally serene and just perfect for a spa-like bathroom, pool house, or lake house..the uses could be endless.

Enjoy...

"Bliss" painted cabinetry comes on several different door styles, each very different from each other. The style above is called "Trinity." Very fitting, don't you think?

Classic Bath design

Choosing cabinetry for your Master Bath can prove to be a difficult task, especially in when trying to predict what you will like for years to come.

  Whether or not to go sleekly contemporary, vintage shabby chic, British traditional, or bo-ho eclectic in style, can all whirl around in confusion for many of my clients.  

Sometimes it's best to play it safe and go somewhere in between; transitional. 

That means picking a simple, clean and classic cabinetry style.  Different selections of hardware, proves to wear like "jewelry" and can easily be changed out in the future.

Instead of a typical linen closet behind plain doors, we created a custom space that has a furniture appeal to it, but still provides all the storage needed. 

Shown here is a maple cabinet in a classic Shaker style but combined with a clean slab (or flat) drawer front to keep the look even more simple.  The hardware chosen is a more contemporary stainless steel rod (still proving to be quite popular) but could easily be changed to a bin pull for a totally different look in the future.

The pesky Microwave and where to put it?

As a kitchen designer, I am constantly faced with design challenges.  One that constantly comes up is this question, "So, Kristen, where is my microwave going?"

The correct answer is; what works best for your space and for you needs, and below are some of the many options to consider for your kitchen.

• Option 1: Creating an upper cabinet with space below to house and trim your micro out nicely creates a seamless look. Having a counter top below makes prepping and re-heating a snap. Keeping it near the refrigerator is also quite functional.*This a key element; being most items that need to be microwaved come straight from the refrigerator, it's a time saver to keep it near by when possible.

• Option 2: The microwave seen below, is installed underneath the built-in coffee machine, to the left of the refrigerator. This built-in microwave also functions as a second oven and in this application fits nicely in this large tower cabinet and is easy to access. 

• Option 3: Placing the microwave in a lower base cabinet and trimming it out nicely creates a separate work zone. This application is wonderful for families with children over 7 yrs old typically, so the children can access the microwave SAFELY and when trusted to do so.  *Another key note is I prefer to lift hot microwaved items out and up on to a counter for stirring, etc, rather than pulling from above toward the face. 

• Option 4: The microwave seen below is most typical. Having a microwave hood proves practical and functional when tight on space.  This application can also function as a hood fan (either recirculating or venting out). The height allows the microwave to be out of younger toddler's hands and off the counter tops.  For the at-home 'chef's' this can prove to be a time saver too by keeping all cooking elements together.

• Option 5: Many of my clients are now choosing a more natural approach to food and are eliminating the daily use of a microwave, enabling me to place it behind closed doors, seen below.  This proves to be beneficial when you DON'T use it daily.  A great benefit to this design is it's atheistically pleasing while still housing the microwave. *This is a great design when you aren't wanting to invest a lot of money in a high end microwave and it's easy to replace because you aren't locked into one size microwave.
  

I hope these ideas inspire some creativity...and boy, am I craving some microwaved popcorn! :) 

A Modern Beauty

Who doesn't love a great "before vs. after?"

Here are a couple of "before" shots of the kitchen:

Featured below is the newly redesigned lovely kitchen for my wonderful friend, who also happens to be an interior designer (as if you can't tell!):

Don't you just love the light fixture over the sink? 

I think we succeeded in hitting their budget while achieving a beautiful chic kitchen that showcases her great taste.

Custom desk for teens

We can all remember how hard it was to sit down and do our homework.

Perhaps this will make that daily chore a little more inviting; a custom desk area in your children's or teen's bedroom.  A place of their own to study, read, and stay organized.

Here is one design done in our 'Quality Cabinet' line, in the beaded white 'Nantucket' door style.

Suspended seating

Being a kitchen/bath/cabinetry designer, I get to see so many cool products!

Take a swivel on this one: Suspended seating! 

Creates a whole new look for your kitchen island,  perimeter or desk area! 

Mudrooms can be pretty and practical | detnews.com | The Detroit News

Mudrooms can be pretty and practical detnews.com The Detroit News

Detroit News Article feature

Click below for the article feature in Detroit News on my photographs of my designed "Mud Suite" below:

http://www.detnews.com/article/20090501/OPINION03/905010302/1038/lifestyle01/Mudrooms-can-be-pretty-and-practical

Many thanks to the editor, Jeanine Matlow for this feature! :)

A Home Office you can be proud of

With so many of us working out of our home (myself included), it's very important to separate "home life" from "home office."

Shown here is a beautifully designed home office for one of our clients, using our "economy friendly" cabinetry line, Quality Cabinets.

Although "economy friendly" there is no compromise on this great design!

Plenty of file cabinets and other drawers were designed within her "L" shaped desk area, providing plenty of counter space for her to multi-task throughout the day.

Additional file cabinets support the bookcase area (above) used for display, family photos, books, etc. It's up to you to accessorize and make this space your own!

Now...this is an office you can spend time in!

BIA Awards Night..what an honor!

Building Industry Association of Southeastern Michigan (BIA) honored the top residential industry professionals in southeastern Michigan April 3, in conjunction with the Spring Home & Garden Show at the Rock Financial Showplace in Novi.

~Outstanding Subcontractor of the Year - Kristen Shellenbarger of Midwest Cabinet & Countertop in Detroit

~Mark Renn of H.J. Oldenkamp in Warren for service to the remodeling industry

~Remodeler of the Year - William Borchert of Borchert Construction in Washington Township

Congratulations to above NAHBR members too, Mark Renn on my left, and Bill Borchert on my right in picture above!

We are staying focused on a positive year for S.E. Michigan in 2009 and beyond!

Hate doing laundry? Not anymore!

Paneling a dishwasher, refrigerator or warming drawers in a kitchen, has been a common practice. But now...washers and dryers can be added to that list, with Asko's laundry care system that accepts cabinetry panels for seamless looks.

For many laundry rooms, this will be an exciting new look!

In many small city kitchens, where having an extra room or basement for laundry space isn't an option, you can hide a small unit in your kitchen.

For a more contemporary look, stainless panels are available too.

Shown above is a washer and dryer unit stacked vertically.

To the right, the tall cabinet is a 'drying cabinet' (for all those clothes and items that can't be tossed into a normal dryer like shoes, delicates, etc.).

What cool new appliances sure to make someone say, "How did I do laundry without this?!"

Michigan remodel brings in southern sunshine

The sunshine in this kitchen is best enjoyed with an iced tea and lots of friends and family.

I often say, I am lucky to meet my clients because so many of them are just amazing, fun people. This was the case for these homeowners, the LaFaves', who treat entertaining as part of the norm. My job was to create their dream kitchen in a casual elegant manner for their family and friends to enjoy alongside with them.

Seen below is a dual height island, allowing for wheelchair access and function, without compromising on beauty and design in any way.

Darin LaFave installed his kitchen himself and wow, did he do an incredible job. Not an easy task!

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Below is the 'Before kitchen'....look familiar?

Time to get your design envy going and remodel your space!

A 'Glass' Act

When considering counter top materials to use for your kitchen or bathroom..have you ever thought of glass?
Yes, glass.
It is available thru many speciality glass companies, and we have designed with it with amazing results.
Glass counter tops can come in the same thickness as granite, either in 1-1/4" or as thick as 3"
It creates a tranquility that stone can not capture, and offers many more benefits..see below!

-Wow factor that makes it the focal point of your kitchen
-High-end appearance that looks very sexy
-Easy to clean
-Non-porous
-Most hygienic counter top on the market
-No Cross-contamination
-Can endure high heat without cracking or scorching
-Impossible to stain
-Texture finish underneath that masks fingerprints, common wear and allows scratches to go unnoticed
-Can be lit up from beneath to create ambiance and make it look like ice.

Detroit Home Magazine Design Awards Gala 2009

Last night, we at Midwest Cabinet & Counter Inc., attended the Detroit Home Design Awards..what a beautiful and fun night!

Below is a picture of me and my good friend, Erin Keating-Dewald of SKBK Sotheby's International Realty.


I was nominated for 'Rising Star Design Award' and although I didn't win, it was a great honor to be considered!

Below is my design, that won FIRST PLACE for Utility/Storage space.

Major kudos and thanks to our wonderful photographer, Jen of JK Photography who helped us capture our design work.