Jana Carlson

10 Creative Ways to Use the Space Between Your Kitchen Cabinets & the Ceiling

modern white kitchen with tall cabinets to minimize the space between your kitchen cabinets and the ceiling

Most homeowners consider the space between the kitchen cabinets and the ceiling unattractive and a waste of precious square footage. This design feature is intended to create a more open feel. And standard-dimension cabinets are not installed to reach the ceiling because they’d be too high to reach. So, what are you supposed to do with that awkward gap?  10 Ways to Use the Space Between Your Cabinets and Ceiling We’ve come up with some creative ways you can maximize the space between your kitchen cabinets and the ceiling.  1. Extend the cabinets to the ceiling With custom kitchen cabinets, you can add an open shelf below the cabinets, allowing you to move the standard cabinets up to the ceiling.  Another option is to select taller-than-standard cabinets, creating an extra top shelf inside your cupboards, and completely eliminating the gap. Keep in mind, the top shelf will be difficult to reach, so it’s best used to store items you don’t … Read more

5 Easy Ways Your Kitchen Can Save You Time & Money

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Inflation is a topic we hear about constantly these days. When they reach their limit on financial frugality, some people work more hours to make up the difference. So, Canadians are looking for ways to save both time and money. Surprisingly, your kitchen design can help! 5 Tips for a Kitchen That Saves You Time & Money By incorporating a few strategic kitchen features and practicing a couple of helpful habits, your kitchen can lower your grocery costs and make efficient time management possible.  Here’s how to use your kitchen to help you save time and money.  1. Set up an information center to prevent impulse purchases The rising cost of groceries has significantly reduced the number of unplanned items Canadians buy, a recent study found. Impulse buying has become a luxury since sticking to our budgets is more difficult.  An information center—sometimes called a command center—in your kitchen can minimize the temptation to buy on impulse. Set it up … Read more

14 Effective Techniques to Make Your Small Kitchen Look & Feel Bigger

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You don’t have to choose between cramped or convenient in your small kitchen. Whether you’re planning a kitchen renovation or designing a kitchen for a new home, there are clever ways to make your small kitchen seem more spacious. 14 Ideas to Make Your Small Kitchen Look & Feel Bigger We’ve rounded up 14 of our favourite ways to make your small kitchen roomier. You don’t have to employ them all. Implementing even one or two will make a big difference in your small space.  1. Select Colours & Materials Strategically White is a small kitchen’s best friend. It reflects light and creates the illusion of a larger space. Multiply the effect by using several shades of white throughout your kitchen.  If white doesn’t appeal to you, stick with lighter hues like light yellows or pale grays to create an airy feel. If you’re determined to incorporate darker colours, be sure to keep the darkest shades in the lower third … Read more

Top 10 Kitchen Upgrades to Add Value to Your Home

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The kitchen is one of the top 3 most important rooms of your home. It can significantly elevate the design, functionality, and value of your property. But an inefficient or outdated kitchen can actually diminish the look, feel, functionality, and value of your home. But which kitchen upgrades add the most value to your home?  10 Kitchen Upgrades to Add Value to Your Home A kitchen renovation is a big investment. (See How much does a kitchen renovation cost?) If you want to get the best bang for your buck, you must be strategic in choosing which elements of your kitchen to upgrade. These 10 kitchen upgrades will get you the best return on your investment. 1. Put in new countertops Durable countertops are crucial because they undergo a lot of wear and tear—chopping, hot cookware, and more. The countertop is also one of the largest surfaces in your kitchen, so it greatly affects the visual appearance of the space.  … Read more

10 Practical Ways to Upgrade Your Laundry Room

Gone are the days of traipsing into a dark and dingy unfinished concrete basement to use the washer and dryer. Our laundry rooms are high-functioning spaces, deserving a more dignified design. Is it time to upgrade your laundry room? How to Update Your Laundry Room: 10 Simple Ideas These 10 practical ways to upgrade your laundry room will make this ongoing household chore more enjoyable and add value to your home.  1. Hide the washer and dryer If your home doesn’t have a separate room for your washer and dryer, you can improve the look of the space by hiding the appliances behind a curtain. Better yet, have them installed inside a closet. If you want to dress it up, put decorative doors over the opening.  2. Add more storage It’s surprising how much space laundry takes up. Maintain a tidy laundry room by adding enough storage to keep dirty laundry out of sight. Pull-out drawers can store laundry bins … Read more

The Top 10 Kitchen Design Trends for 2023

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Most homeowners don’t update their kitchens every year to keep up with the latest trends. But if it’s time to renovate your kitchen or design a brand new custom kitchen, it’s good to be aware of what’s in style right now. A classic kitchen has its place, but a kitchen with on-trend design elements is top-notch and increases your home’s value. Riverstone’s Top 10 Kitchen Design Trends for 2023 These are the top 10 kitchen design trends we’re excited about for 2023.  1. Lower Cabinet Drawers Lower cabinet drawers might be our favourite design trend because they’re incredibly practical. Drawers hold so much and are far more accessible and convenient than a bottom cupboard shelf.  2. Slab Backsplash Marble, stone, or quartz slab backsplashes are replacing subway tiles. The slab backsplash can be a bold statement in your kitchen. It’s also practical because it’s seamless, so it’s easier to clean than a backsplash with grout lines.  3. Butler’s Pantry Also … Read more

3 Helpful Ways to Reset Your Kitchen for the New Year

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The holidays are a busy time of year, and even the most prepared household experiences a disruption in routines. There’s a general sense of disorder when the festivities are over. So, as the new year approaches, we long for a fresh start. Taking some time to reset your kitchen will help you step back into normal (or new) routines with ease.  3 Quick Tips to Help Prepare Your Kitchen for a New Year These three simple tips are all you need to get your kitchen in order and help you set up for a successful start to the new year with less stress. 1. Plan Some Meals You need to eat. Period. After turkey feasts, limitless chocolate, and way too much of our traditional holiday goodies, we’re stuffed to the brim. So we sink into our easy chairs and declare, “I won’t need to eat till next year!”  But the reality is, you’ll wake up tomorrow and your body will … Read more

How to Prepare Your Kitchen for a Busy Holiday Season of Entertaining

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The holiday season is upon us. Your to-do list is growing and your calendar is filling up with events. You look forward to most of it, but there’s also an element of overwhelm. How will you get it all done?  With a bit of forethought and time, you can prepare your kitchen for entertaining during the busy season to reduce stress, streamline your routines, and simplify your role as a holiday host.  7 Ways to Prepare Your Kitchen for the Holiday Season Pull out your calendar and to-do list right now and schedule these tasks. You’ll thank yourself later for the time you took to prepare your kitchen for the holidays! 1. Clean out your fridge  When you host guests over the holidays, you buy more food than usual. This season typically involves more refrigerated goods like specialty cheeses and meats for charcuterie boards or appetizers. And if you have out-of-towners spending the night, you’ll want to stock up on … Read more

8 Invisible Bathroom Problems You Can’t Afford to Ignore

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There might be a time for the “don’t-look-at-it-and-it-will-disappear” approach. But when it comes to bathroom problems, ignoring them only makes them bigger. To make matters worse, many serious issues in a bathroom are invisible, so you might not notice them if you’re not  actively looking for them. Keep Your Eyes Open for These 8 Hidden Bathroom Problems As part of a regular home maintenance routine, be on the lookout for these hidden problems in your bathroom. 1. Unsuitable materials The bathroom is a unique room in your home because of the high moisture levels produced in this space. All the materials used to create your bathroom must be sealed or protected against moisture.  Is your drywall water resistant? Is there a vapour barrier between the drywall and insulation? Is the paint mildew resistant? Is the grout water resistant? Is there silicone caulking sealing the edges where your tub and toilet meet the floor? If the answer to any of these … Read more

10 Clear Signs It’s Time to Renovate Your Bathroom

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A bathroom renovation can be a big investment and an inconvenience to your household. How do you know if it’s time to remodel your bathroom and worth the ordeal? In this post, we’ll look at the top 10 reasons to take the plunge and spend money on a bathroom renovation. 10 Reasons to Renovate Your Bathroom The cost of a bathroom renovation is enough that it’s not something you jump into impulsively. Before you start on a project like this, evaluate the cost-benefit ratio and be sure it’s worth the time and energy.  There are definite signs that it’s time to remodel your bathroom. If any of these 10 things apply to your bathroom, a renovation project is in your future! 1. Plumbing Problems Minor plumbing problems like a leaky faucet can easily be fixed without a major renovation. But if there are bigger issues, or if you have a leak behind the walls, ignoring the problem could lead to … Read more

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