Flavours of the Season

Another year is drawing to a close. It is hard to believe, but in just a few days Halloween will have passed and Christmas will be before us.

With the new season comes a whole selection of fresh seasonal trends and colours. Materials, colours, paints, are all going through their regular transformations as trends and tastes change. Here at Coordinated Kitchen and Bath we are projecting more purples in the trends for 2015. Expect to see more magenta, rose, mauve in paint colours and tiles as the year comes to a close.

Happily winter will not last forever, so with the arrival of the new year, expect to see mossy greens and taupes enter the mix. This means a play of these colours in fabrics, carpets, and paints. For those seeking a safer colour palette, greys and whites will once again hold their own; however, they can be beautifully complimented with touches of rose and mossy greens to add sparks of colour.

The only certainty in life is that it will never be constant. Coordinated Kitchen and Bath and Colours by Paula are pleased to help our customers on the North Shore and in Vancouver navigate the complex array of colours, cabinets, fixtures, and materials that are key to creating the perfect kitchen, bath, and home renovation time after time.

North Vancouver Kitchen Renovation

This beautiful Mount Seymour home is part of a neighbourhood undergoing substantial new home construction and general renovations.

The home owner approached Coordinated Kitchen and Bath after being referred to us by one of our current clients. They were looking to completely redo their kitchen and make a transition from tile to hardwood floors.

Some of the major changes involved the installation of clear alder Columbia Kitchen Cabinets with Richelieu hardware. An island with a Cambria Quartz countertop on a hardwood floor base was also designed in. The kitchen window was replaced with a high efficiency window. Plumbing was upgraded and replaced with a stainless steel Grohe dual spray faucet and a stainless steel Franke double undermount Regatta sink. There were also substantial lighting upgrades to the kitchen and dining area.

Click the youtube link below to see the evolution of this kitchen renovation from start to finish. Thank you to the customer for supplying the photos!

North Vancouver Kitchen Renovation, Start to Finish

We absolutely love our new kitchen! All trades that came in to our home were courteous,professional and friendly.Mike was an excellent project manager that got us what we wanted and stayed on budget! We have plans to use Coordinated Kitchens in the future!

Vancouver Home Renovation

Interior full-home renovation in Vancouver by Coordinated Kitchen & Bath. Project Management by Mike Williams.

Dual Flush Toilets

Here at Coordinated Kitchen & Bath in North Vancouver we want to help you find the ideal toilet for your home. Below we have outlined the differences in water consumption between single-flush toilets and dual-flush high efficiency toilets.

There is a vast difference between the low-flush, high-efficiency toilets and their predecessors, which waste a phenomenal amount of water. Low efficiency toilets typically use 5 or 3.5 gallons per flush (gpf). When multiplied by the average number of uses in a home over a year a 5gpf single flush toilet consumes approximately 36,500 gallons per year, a 3.5gpf single flush toilet uses roughly 25,550 gallons per year. Modern high efficiency dual flush toilets typically use 1.6gpf. When converted to typical use over the course of a year, a 1.6gpf dual flush toilet uses roughly 7,000 gallons per year.

Single flush Toilet: A single-flush toilet uses the same amount of water per flush, no matter what the toilet is flushing. This leads a wasteful use of water.

Dual-Flush High-Efficiency Toilet: A dual-flush toilet has two options for flushing. There is a full flush option, which is designed for solid waste, and a low-output flush option, designed for liquid waste only. Dual flush toilets can be more expensive; however overall can cost a consumer less, as water usage is diminished.

Tile Rating Standards

As outlined in our previous post, there are two contradicting definitions of Porcelain and Ceramic, which can lead to confusion as you try to discern the overall quality of the tile you are looking to purchase and install. In this post, we here at Coordinated Kitchen & Bath in North Vancouver will outline the testing and rating process for tile, hopefully providing you with a clear understanding of how tile quality is rated.

The rating standards attempt to discern how a tile functions. These standards are all performance standards, thereby, the tile gets rated as to how if performs regardless of the material that it is made from. Tile is subject to numerous tests, these include slipperyness, resistance to cold/heat, breaking strength, stain resistance, chemical damage, wear resistance, and water absorption.

This allows the consumer to make numerous critical decisions regarding a tile’s use. A tile that absorbs a great deal of water should not be used outside where it is likely to freeze and crack. A tile that wears easily is not suitable to use on the floor, but could be a reasonable choice as a backsplash.

The two tests that are used to test resistance to surface wear and resistance to water penetration are the rating method’s developed by the “Porcelain Enamel Institute” (PEI Scale) and the “American National Standards Institute” (ANSI) respectfully. Each has their respective rating system to discern what tile is appropriate in what conditions. The categories for both the PEI and ANSI are listed below.

PEI: Resistance to Surface Wear

Group I: Soft tile, suitable for walls and backsplash
Group II: Soft tile, good for use in residential areas with very little foot traffic, would not be suitable for a kitchen.
Group III: Good for all residential settings, would work in low density commercial settings.
Group IV: Good for any interior setting, can work as a heavy commercial tile.
Group V: The sturdiest tile. Good for use in high density, high traffic, commercial settings.

ANSI Rating: Resistance to Water

Non-vitreous: Tile for areas that are not exposed to any moisture. Typically used for walls and fireplace surround’s.
Semi-vitreous: Tile that works for areas that may be exposed to moisture once in a while.
Vitreous: Suitable for any indoor application, this includes shower walls, floors, and outdoor areas that do not freeze.
Impervious: Can be used in any outdoor or indoor application.

Here at Coordinated Kitchen & Bath we hope that this assists you as you look to purchase and install tile in your kitchen and/or bathroom renovation.

Porcelain and Ceramic Tile

One typical question that people have when it comes to buying tile is regarding the difference between porcelain and ceramic tile. People have a sense that porcelain is better quality than ceramic tile but are not really sure as to why. Here at Coordinated Kitchen & Bath we have created a quick historical synopsis porcelain and ceramic tile.

Porcelain and Ceramic are not different kinds of tile. They are both ceramic tile. Roughly speaking ceramic means “of fired clay”, porcelain is one of the many varieties of fired clay. Ceramic tile, including porcelain, is made out of clay, additives (depending on the tile) and water.

Tile clay contains a large percentage of a mineral called Kaolinite. Kaolin results from the decay of certain minerals. Pure kaolin is a bright white colour; these white deposits are hard to come by. Most deposits of Kaolin contain iron oxide which darkens the clay, the amount of iron oxide in the clay, the darker the colour of the clay.

In the European tradition porcelain is the term that has historically been used to describe the light colour clay that contains only minor deposits of iron oxide. Ceramic is tile that which contains larger amounts of iron oxide and thereby is either a yellow, orange, red, or brown colour.

Historically it has been thought that clay that contains more Kaolin (and thereby is a brighter colour) makes for a more durable tile. However this is untrue, as it does not matter how much Kaolinite is in the clay, but rather how much of it is vitrified during the firing process.

Firing evaporates the water and hardens the clay. This happens as particles within the clay are turned into low-order glass, this glass fills up the spaces between clay particles. If every space between clay particles is filled, this will increase the durability and waterproofing of the tile. How much of the tile is vitrified (process by which something is turned into glass) depends on how long and how hot the tile is fired. The colour of the clay makes no difference to the firing process.

The American tradition has had a very different way of classifying porcelain and ceramic tile. Within the United States there are three distinct ceramic industries: sanitary ware, dishware/pottery, ceramic tile. There is very little overlap between these industries as they tend to stick to their respective niches, despite using a similar product. When the American tile fabrication industry was just getting started, American tile manufacturers typically did not make traditional porcelain tile. If someone wanted porcelain tile they would order it from Europe. However other clay industries within the United States began using European porcelain. They quickly developed a reputation for high quality fabrication no matter the colour or material of the tile.

In part due to the high quality of their tile, American manufacturers felt like they needed a word to describe their high-quality product. Given the history of the term porcelain, and that it was a term known to the buying public, American manufacturers came to adopt the term for their high-quality tile. The limitation of the word to white tile, or tile that contained high levels of Kaolin, no longer held authority, as porcelain was used to describe high quality tile, no matter the colour.

The issue central to this re-naming process is that it conflicts with the historical public definition of the term porcelain. Thereby, we are now left with two distinct definitions as to what porcelain means. It can be either that which refers to any light-coloured tile, no matter the quality of the tile, or, a high quality tile no matter the colour of the tile.

LED lighting

Light- emitting diodes (LED) are the future of home lighting. As the incandescent light was surpassed by the compact fluorescent lamp (CFL), so to the CFL is giving way to the LED.

LEDs themselves are nothing new, having been originally invented by the 20th century Russian scientist Oleg Vladimirovich Losev (1903 – 1942). LED lights have been on the market for decades; however they have largely been relegated to electronic equipment, as they only have been available in red, blue, and green. With developments to the white light capacities of the LED, they have become viable lighting options for home and office lighting.

The LED light is created by running electrons through a semiconductor, the result of this is a process known as electroluminescence – a process that is fundamentally different than incandescent.

The incandescent bulb has had tremendous longevity and is a cheap and versatile bulb. However, this design is power-hungry, inefficient, and typically short-lived. One of the primary benefits of incandescent bulbs is the quality of light they emit. Quality of light is typically measured as colour temperature, colour accuracy, and the utility of the light pattern. Incandescent lights typically rate high in all these categories; however, the inefficient use of energy continues to decrease their use in homes. Even modern incandescent bulbs can transform energy into 90% heat instead of light.

CFL bulbs solve some of the efficiency problems of the incandescent bulbs. However, each bulb contains small traces of mercury, which can cause issues with the disposal of the bulbs. CFL typically are long-lasting bulbs, ranging from 5,000 – 15,000 hours. However, they do not last nearly as long in rapid cycling circumstances. If the bulb is turned and left on when installed, you may exceed the length rating of the bulb. However, if the bulb is constantly being turned on and off, the bulb will burn out quite quickly. CFL bulbs captured a large portion of the market during the mid-2000’s, however its market share has declined significantly since then.

The most essential distinction between LED and incandescent / CFL bulbs is that LED bulbs are solid-state. Rather than creating light through gas-discharge or burning, LEDs use semiconductors. This allows the LED to be a longer-lasting and power efficient light. There has been progress in the colouration of LED lights, as the light they emit now resembles that of an incandescent bulb. This means that LED bulbs are a viable option for the home, as the white light they emit is neither too harsh nor too light. The next time you are purchasing a light, consider LED, while the cost may be high upfront, they are high performing bulbs that can save you a lot of money and hassle through their efficient use of energy. Come chat with us at Coordinated Kitchen & Bath and see how LED lights can fit into your kitchen or bathroom.

Showroom and Kitchen & Bath Associate

Coordinated Kitchen and Bath, an established North Vancouver Kitchen and Bathroom Renovations company is seeking an individual with experience in retail sales to become its Showroom and Kitchen & Bath Associate.
This role requires managing the showroom and storeroom, managing mail, email, faxes, and ordering materials, parts, and displays for the showroom and construction projects.
Work hours are Monday to Friday, 8:30 - 4:30.

Essential Skills:

Retail sales experience, excellent organizational skills, and a desire to learn about the kitchen and bathroom design industry.
A high proficiency with computers and the Internet, as the position involves frequent use of the Internet and order management software.
Driver's licence required, as there will be some need for deliveries of fixtures and parts to jobs.
Comfortable lifting and moving heavy packaged items in the showroom.
A team player comfortable working with people in a fast paced environment.

Education:

Candidates must have some level of post secondary education.
Some knowledge of plumbing products and the kitchen and bathroom industry would be desirable.

Benefits:

The employer offers a benefits plan. Training will also be offered to allow the candidate to grow and develop within the organization and the industry.

Contact:

Please send your resume and cover letter explaining your qualifications for the role, and why you are interested in pursuing a career in the bathroom and kitchen industry.
Thank you for your interest, only qualified candidates will be contacted for an interview.

Principals only. Recruiters, please don't contact this job poster.
do NOT contact us with unsolicited services or offers

Top Interior Design Websites

Coming up with ideas as to what you would like your freshly renovated kitchen or bathroom to look like can be stressful and overwhelming. Here at Coordinated Kitchen & Bath in North Vancouver we have created a list of some of our favorite interior design websites to help you work through what colours, materials, and designs you would like to incorporate into your space.

a.) Houzz.com – Houzz boasts the largest number of interior design and decorating ideas on the Internet. One of the best resources available to see what is being done in kitchens and bathrooms across the world. Invariably everyone’s niche aesthetic will be satisfied.

b.) Roomenvy.co.uk – More selective than Houzz in that only a few very strong ideas are presented at a time. Focused primarily on the interior of homes Roomenvy showcases some of the most creative design work on the web.

c.) Designshuffle.com – Typically showcase full houses. Some very unique approaches to design and architecture are to be found throughout the site. An excellent resource if you are looking to renovate your entire home or are simply trying to integrate your kitchen and bathroom into the overall aesthetic of your house.

d.) Emmas.blogg.se – If you enjoy contemporary Scandinavian design then welcome to paradise.A picture filled blog by Emma Fexeus with a fantastic layout.

To see a sample of Coordinated Kitchen & Bath’s design and renovation work you can head over to our website through the following link:

www.coordinatedkitchens.com/

Countertop Companies

Here at Coordinated Kitchen & Bath in North Vancouver we have access to, and use numerous counter-top brands to achieve the ideal look in your space. Each brand offers its own unique products in a wide variety of colours and finishes. The different brands we use are:

Artisan Stone Collection: Granite and marble countertop's available in a variety of unique colours.

Atlas Stone Products: Provide customers with a wide-selection of kitchen and bathroom countertop options.

Cambria: Family owned business that produces natural quartz surfaces.

Caesarstone: Craft a wide-range of durable and beautiful quartz surfaces in a plethora of colours and finishes.

DuPont: Corian is a solid surface material engineered to be both visually stunning and long-lasting.

EOS Solid Surface: Bridge the gap between seamless solid surfaces and high-end laminate. Offer unique surfaces that blend recycled glass.

LG Hausys: Offer high performance quartz and acrylic surfaces.

Margranite: Produce high quality granite slabs and tiles.

Quartzform: Design and produce quartz surfaces ideal for countertop's and interior design.

Silestone: One of the world’s leading producers of quartz surfaces, designed for high-quality kitchens and bathrooms.

Vetrazzo: Convert recycled glass into exquisite countertop's.

Vicostone: Transform natural beauty into well crafted quartz surfaces.

Zodiac: High quality quartz surfaces manufactured and designed by DuPont.

Bathroom Ventilation Fans

We here at Coordinated Kitchen & Bath have created a rough outline as to what you should look for in a bathroom ventilation fan.

The hot showers you so enjoy could be hurting your house by concentrating humidity and moisture in your bathroom. This is a breeding ground for mildew and mold, which can damage the integrity of the structural materials in your bathroom.

The bathroom ventilation fan is important to help remove excess moisture from the space, thereby preventing the build-up of mildew and mold. Bathroom fans are small and unobtrusive devices that help to protect the integrity of your house. New technologies have helped to make them quieter and more efficient.

Recommendations: 

In some cases bathroom ventilation fans are set up to release air between ceiling joists. However this merely traps the air in the middle levels of the housing, which have a tendency to be dark and closed spaces. The trapped humidity and moisture condenses on cold surfaces and can cause the spread of mold on joists, walls, and ceiling materials.

It is recommended that your bathroom exhaust fans are channeled to the outside of your home, thereby reducing the possibility of mildew and mold build-up.

Bathroom ventilation units have different air flow capacities, they are measured in cupid feet per minute (cfm). It is recommended that you have 1 cfm for every square foot of floor space in your bathroom.

Bathroom Lighting

The lighting in your bathroom is a key aspect of the overall look and feel of the space. Here at Coordinated Kitchen & Bath we have highlighted five useful tips to ensure the lighting in your bathroom looks fantastic.

Decorative: Decorative lights are often used in conjunction with other task lights to help create a mood or feel in the bathroom. To ensure coordination within the space, match finishes, materials, and accents.

Recessed: Creates a clean and open feel. The lights unobtrusively blend into the structure of the bathroom. Make sure the lights are close enough to the mirror that they won’t create annoying shadows when you use the space.

Besides the mirror: Putting lighting besides the bathroom mirror will often result in even open lighting, thereby reducing shadows and glare. Place the light at face level on either side of the mirror. This will allow you to easily do tasks in front of your mirror as the lights will accentuate contrast and colour, while contributing a nice accent to the rest of the space.

On the mirror: Ensure that both sides of the light are finished as the mirror will reflect the back of the light. If you want a sleek and modern look for your bathroom this may be the option for you, as the light can seamlessly blend into its environment.

Are lower rates making home ownership more accessible for consumers?

Interest rates continue stay low or fall in Canada and in most established OECD economies, but is this making home ownership more accessible for consumers?

In theory lower rates should result in a corresponding rise in the value of fixed assets such as houses, as more consumers have access to larger amounts of leveraged funds; however, in Canada this is probably no longer the case as incomes remain flat and debt high, making these posted mortgages very difficult to qualify for.

Given many consumers cannot qualify for these new posted rates, or simply do not want to be put through the stress of layers of credit assessments, they either cannot upgrade to a new home, or cannot find prospective buyers to sell their home to.

The result of this new reality is that sellers in the market place should consider the possibility of staying in their current home for a longer period of time than potentially anticipated, perhaps many years into the future. It seems that Canadians are tuning into this reality and have been turning to the renovation market as an alternative to selling or house flipping. (1)

At Coordinated Kitchen and Bath, we believe that performing quality renovations continue to be the best way to get the most out of a home. Quality renovations ensure that not only will your home be great for you for many years to come, it will also be ready to sell when the right market conditions return - now or many years in the future.






(1) http://business.financialpost.com/2014/04/16/canada-housing-market-renovations/

North Vancouver Renovation: Coordinated Kitchen & Bath 40 Year Anniversary Video

Here at Coordinated Kitchen & Bath we are celebrating our 40th year of business undertaking high-quality North Vancouver Renovations, West Vancouver Renovations, and Vancouver Renovations. To celebrate our 40 year anniversary we have created a short video recapping our years in business. Thank you for all of your continued support.

Link to North Vancouver Renovation: Coordinated Kitchen & Bath 40 Year Anniversary Video is below.

Link:  http://youtu.be/GoU2_CA4_Fg

Dual Flush Toilets

Here at Coordinated Kitchen & Bath in North Vancouver we like to use materials that are both beautiful and sustainable. The dual flush toilet mechanism allows both to co-exist.

The dual flush toilet was originally invented in Australia as a way to conserve water in a climate where water is typically scarce. The toilet is increasingly being used around the world.

Standard toilets use a siphoning tube to remove waste from the toilet bowl. A high level of water enters the siphon after the toilet flush fills the siphon and pulls waste and water down the drain. When air enters into the tube again, the siphoning action stops. Dual flush toilets use a larger trap way than siphoning toilets do and a flush mechanism that pushes waste down through the drain. Because no siphon is used, dual flush toilets require less water per flush.

Through the use of half-flushes for liquid waste and reduced water usage on full flushes, the dual flush toilet can save over 60% more water than the standard toilet.

While the cost of purchasing a dual flush toilet can be a little more than for a standard toilet, here at Coordinated Kitchen & Bath we hope you take a good look at what is available on the market before purchasing a new toilet.

So you are thinking about renovating?

Here at Coordinated Kitchen & Bath in North Vancouver we are often asked how best to prepare for a Kitchen renovation or Bathroom renovation. We have created a list to better assist you in thinking about and preparing for your renovation.

Outcomes and Desires:

This is probably the most important step you can take when thinking about your renovation. During this stage ask yourself a few important questions:

What will the space be used for?
How do you currently live in the space and how do you desire to live in it?
Will there be any foreseeable life changing circumstances (children, parents moving in, etc) that should be worked into the space?

Think about how you currently use the space and how you would optimally like to inhabit it. At Coordinated Kitchen & Bath we would love to work through and design what this practically would look like in your Kitchen and/or Bathroom.

Draft a Timeline:

Create a timeline about when you will need your kitchen and/or bathroom renovation completed by. However, in drafting a timeline be realistic, don’t enter a project under the pretenses of false urgency (family coming, etc), as this will create unnecessary stress and anxiety. Materials, such as kitchen cabinets, countertops, sinks, and faucets take time to fabricate and install, keep this in mind when drafting a timeline.

Draft a Budget:

Contractors and designers will not best be able to serve you without an idea of what the budget on the project will be. The budget will determine what materials can be used and what in the space can be changed.

Here at Coordinated Kitchen & Bath we hope this helps as you begin to think about renovating your kitchen and/or bathroom. For more information about available products visit us online at http://www.coordinatedkitchens.com or on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/coordinatedkitchens

North Vancouver Kitchen Renovation

North Vancouver Kitchen Renovation done by Mike Williams of Coordinated Kitchen & Bath. Kitchen Cabinets done by Columbia Cabinets. Counter-top by Cambria.

The South African Film Festival

Coordinated Kitchen and Bath and Columbia Kitchen Cabinets are proud sponsors of this year's www.vsaff.org/sponsors (Vancouver South African Film Festival), an event sponsored by the City of Vancouver, SFU, Fluevog Shoes, The Cultch Theatre, and Eventbrite. All proceeds from the event go to Education Without Borders to support youth education projects in South Africa (EwB). We look forward to seeing you there. 

North Vancouver Kitchen and Bathroom Renovation

North Vancouver Kitchen Renovation and Bathroom Renovation done by Mike Williams of Coordinated Kitchen & Bath. Kitchen Cabinets done by Columbia Cabinets.

Green Renovation Guide

Here at Coordinated Kitchen & Bath we have put together a quick guide to help "green" your home renovation.

When doing a renovation there are numerous ways you can help to “green” your home. From fixtures to insulation, there are many products that can efficiently reduce your environmental impact. When “greening” your space there are three important things you should take into consideration.

• Increasing energy and water efficiency in your space 
• Ensuring that there is clean and circulating air indoors
• Choosing resources that environmentally friendly

Here are some ideas to bring these ideas into practice.

1. Re-do a space using existing materials, whether this means using the structure of a well-built older home or simply re-facing old cabinets, this can help ensure you get the look and functionality that you want without creating excess waste. 
2. Use materials that are manufactured and sourced locally.
3. Use an efficient water heater. This will help you save on you energy bills while reducing your environmental footprint.
4. Bring in more natural light into the space, again this will help reduce your energy bills while improving the ventilation and look of the space. 

Choosing a professional renovator will help insure that the integration of old and new technologies work efficiently in your space.

Vancouver: Kitchen Renovation

Cabinet Installation managed by Mike Williams of Coordinated Kitchen & Bath. Kitchen Cabinets where installed in a Vancouver home. Cabinets where crafted by Columbia Cabinets.

Stainless Steel Sink Guide

Here at Coordinated Kitchen & Bath in North Vancouver we have created a rough guide to purchasing a stainless steel sink. Whether a top-mount or under-mount sink, there are some important considerations to be made before purchasing a stainless steel sink for your kitchen.

Gauge: Stainless Steel Sinks come in a number of different gauges. Gauge refers to the number of times that the stainless steel is forced through a gap during its formation process. Each gap gets subsequently smaller with each pass, thereby, the lower the number, the thicker the stainless steel. Typically people purchase 18 gauge sinks. Commercial sinks are usually 14 – 16 gauge and come in limited varieties of style.

Bowls: Double-bowl sinks allow for greater flexibility in food preparation and washing. However, dependent on the look, feel, and application of your kitchen a single-bowl sink could be the right fit. Consider the application of your kitchen and how you intend to use it before leaning one way or the other.

Depth: Sink bowls are often 6 – 12 inches deep. Consider the height or you countertop and how comfortable it will be to reach down into a deep sink bowl before purchasing.  With under-mount sinks take into consideration the depth of the countertop as well, as it will add to the overall depth of your sink.

North Vancouver Kitchen Renovation

Cabinet installation done by Mike Williams of Coordinated Kitchen & Bath. These kitchen cabinets and bathroom cabinets where installed in a beautiful North Vancouver home. Cabinets where crafted by both Columbia Cabinets and Hertco Kitchens.